Visiting Japan for work: business cards, meetings and the etiquette that matters
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
Business visitors to Japan get more advice than they can use — bowing angles, the seating order, the two-handed card. Most of it is nice-to-have. A handful of points genuinely change how a meeting goes, and the rest is forgiven of foreigners who are visibly trying.
Business cards (meishi)
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Bring 50–100 for a week of meetings; cards with Japanese on the reverse are appreciated (a print shop in Japan does them in a day, ¥3,000–5,000) | Run out — it reads as unprepared |
| Stand up, exchange one at a time, senior first; offer with both hands, text facing the receiver, say your name and company | Offer with one hand, or slide across the table |
| Receive with both hands, read it (name, title), say "arigatō gozaimasu" or "yoroshiku onegaishimasu" | Pocket it immediately |
| Place received cards on the table in front of you, arranged by seating (top card = most senior), for the whole meeting | Write on it, bend it, put it in a back pocket, or leave it behind |
| Card case (¥1,000–3,000) — cards go in the case afterwards | Wallet or loose in a bag |
The meeting
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Time | Arrive 5–10 minutes early; being late even 5 minutes calls for an apology by phone before and in person after |
| Seating | Wait to be shown; guests sit farthest from the door (kamiza), hosts nearest. Sit when invited |
| Order of talk | Small talk (weather, your trip, their city) led by their senior; then agenda. Their team may be silent while the senior speaks — silence is thinking, not disagreement |
| Decisions | Rarely made in the room. Proposals are circulated beforehand (nemawashi) and approved by a ringi (circular sign-off). Send materials 3–5 days before; expect "we will consider it" (検討します), which is often a soft no or "not yet" |
| Yes | "Hai" means "I'm listening", not "I agree". Look for specific next steps as the signal |
| Interpreters | Speak in short sentences, pause; address the counterpart, not the interpreter |
| Materials | Printed handouts for everyone (still common), detailed and numeric; Japanese counterparts read slides closely |
| Ending | The host may see you to the elevator or building entrance and bow until the doors close — turn and bow back |
| Follow-up | Email thanks the same day; detailed minutes are valued |
Dress, gifts, dinners
- Dress: dark suit, white/light shirt, conservative tie for men; suit or dress with jacket, low heels, minimal jewellery for women. Cool Biz (May–September) means no jacket/tie is acceptable in many offices — follow the host's lead. Remove coats before entering the office.
- Gifts: optional; a small, wrapped regional product from home (sweets, tea, a local craft) presented at the end: "tsumaranai mono desu ga" (it's nothing much). Avoid sets of four, knives, and very expensive items (obligation).
- Dinner (settai): the host orders and pours; let them; hold your glass for the pour; pour for others; wait for kanpai; don't refuse food outright — a small portion is fine; the host pays — don't fight over the bill; reciprocate on your home turf. Alcohol is optional and refusing is accepted today.
- Names and titles: surname + san ("Tanaka-san"); titles (buchō = department head, kachō = section chief, shachō = president) are used in place of names by their staff. First names are not used in business.
- Bowing: a nod-bow (15°) when greeting, 30° for thanks or apology; shaking hands is common with foreigners — follow their lead, don't combine a bow and a handshake awkwardly. Nobody expects you to bow correctly.
- Language: a few phrases — hajimemashite (nice to meet you), yoroshiku onegaishimasu (I look forward to working with you), osewa ni narimasu (thank you for your support) — carry disproportionate goodwill.
- Hanko and contracts: company seals (hanko) still sign contracts at many firms; e-signature is spreading since 2020. Contracts are shorter than Western ones and relationships carry weight — the pre-meeting relationship matters more than clause-by-clause negotiation.
- Foreigner's allowance: mistakes are forgiven when effort is visible. The unforgivable ones are lateness, treating cards carelessly, and pressing for a decision in the room.
[Verify] Etiquette norms are editorial synthesis; verify Cool Biz period and any JETRO guidance wording before publication.
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Sources
- JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) — Business etiquette and communication in Japan
https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/setting_up/
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — Web Japan: Business customs
https://web-japan.org/
- Ministry of the Environment — Cool Biz campaign (office dress code May–September)
https://ondankataisaku.env.go.jp/coolchoice/coolbiz/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
About this article
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Rules and procedures change. Please confirm the latest official information before you act.
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