Japan’s Etiquette - Business

Business

 1. Do not dress casually. Dressing appropriately is required when meeting for any sort of business.

 2. If you are invited out for dinner, you host will pay, but make an attempt even if it’s insincere to try and pay. Your host will refuse, it just seems proper to try and ask anyways.

 3. If you are in a work/business meeting, taking notes in very appreciated and use only blue or black pen, NEVER red, because it is bad luck.

 4. A “meishi” or business card is proper to give when at a meeting. It should be given with two hands, bowing.

 5. Wait for the boss to sit down and then sit; it’s the same when leaving. A higher status person sits closer to the boss.

 6. Usually drinks are handed out at the start of the meeting. They will we handed out in order of rank. Wait for the top guy to drink his first.

 7. Meetings can be held in offices or sometimes restaurants. They are almost never held at the host/hostesses house.

 8. You should probably exchange business cards as the first matter, even before the bow.

 9. The Japanese are more concerned with setting peace between each other first. So at the beginning of meetings there might me a few minutes of ‘chit chat’ and catching up on each other.

 10. After the end of a contract signing, make sure to thank everyone and give a polite handshake to the dealer.

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