Doing business & staying in touch

Manners matter in Japan. While you’ll be forgiven for not getting everything right, you’ll be expected to wear a conservative suit, exchange business cards using both hands with everyone you meet and to be tirelessly polite and punctual.

A large supply of business cards printed in English and Japanese is essential. Cards can be quickly printed on arrival with katakana Japanese translation on the reverse side. Appointments should be made in advance and, because of the formality, visits should consist of more than a few days. Business discussions are often preceded by tea and are usually very formal.

It is usual to refer to colleagues by their surnames, and hierarchies should be respected. Business negotiations may require patience as directness is mistrusted and disliked, thus straight ‘yes' or ‘no' answers are generally avoided. Impatience is frowned upon, and confrontation is out of the question, as it is considered a sign of gross weakness. Apologies and thanks are very important and should not be rushed.

Corporate entertaining usually takes place in restaurants and izakaya (drinking halls). Drinking (beer, whisky and sake) is very much part of the culture, as is smoking, although partners tend to be left at home. Gifts are very important (they need not be particularly large or lavish) and are exchanged with great ceremony.

You’ll often need to remove your shoes indoors: look out for lines of shoes or slippers for clues. Avoid putting your foot on the ground while changing from your shoes to any slippers provided.

While most cities, in particular Nagoya, require conservative business etiquette, others such as Osaka are less conservative due to the outgoing and more direct nature of the local people. Normal business hours are 0900-1700 Monday to Friday.