A guide to working with Japanese companies
And navigating Japanese coworkers or clients
This is a fairly comprehensive introduction to working with Japanese companies and coworkers that I usually present in workshops to new foreign workers in Japanese corporations. Whether you’re planning on moving to Japan, just have a cultural interest, or you’re joining a Japanese company in a non-Japanese country, some things might surprise you.
High V Low Context Cultures
High context — what is said in words matters less than what is said through context. In Japan, saying “no” is very indirect, and foreigners often misunderstand the “no” for “maybe later”, “work on it more then come back with it”, or other variations of deflections.
Many Asian countries fall under “high context”
Low context — what is said in words is the literal meaning being conveyed.
Many western societies are low context.
This really can cause misunderstandings in the workplace, especially when projects need approval or revision and there’s a negative issue that needs to be addressed. Japanese culture values ‘saving face’ and preventing others from feeling humiliated. If you’re in a meeting and suggest something and are told it “seems difficult”, it’s often a straight no with no room for negotiation on the issue.
For westerners, this is confusing and vague, but what’s happening is that they’re trying to let you down gently. Your boss or coworker might speak to you privately after the meeting and say why it was a no, but they generally won’t do it in front of others.
Try to show the same courtesy, or else you might be branded as too direct and harsh.
Japanese non-verbal communication doesn’t always match or overlap with what you might be familiar with. Hand gestures, facial expressions and so on can be quite different. One of my favourites is the “hand katana” where a person will hold their hand out flat and “chop” through the air — it means they want to get past you and they’re trying to move you to the side.
General Business Protocols
Greetings
Japan is the land of greetings. You don’t need to learn them in Japanese, but be aware of the situations where set phrases are used, and try to use English equivalents.
The obvious ones are good morning, hello, goodbye, and things like have a safe trip. Japan has a few others that some people claim are untranslatable, but I don’t think they are.
お疲れ様（です・でした）
Pronounced [ot ska reh sum ah (desu/deshita)] this can be said in several situations. What it means is roughly “thank you for your hard work”, and it’s most commonly said when someone leaves the office to go home at the end of the day.
It can also be said when someone hands in a finished project, has been working especially hard, or when they’re napping at their desk — they’ve overworked themselves so much that they can’t even stay awake, this is pretty common in Japan where extreme work hours exist.
よろしくお願い（します・いたします）
Pronounced [yo roh she coo oh neh guy (she mass/ee tash ee mass)] this is a great one to have in your email signature so that you’re always polite! The first time you’ll hear this is right after you meet someone for the first time. What they’re saying is “please be nice to me” but in a really formal way.
It’s said to your boss, your coworkers, clients, at networking events, basically to everyone. After you’ve met someone, you can use it again whenever decisions have been made, when new projects are starting, or when you’ve been given a responsibility.
Bowing
Step 1. do not clap your hands in front of you. Japanese people only do this when praying.
Men, keep your hands to your side, ladies, do the same or have them one over the other in front of you. Keep your neck and spine straight and bend at the hips. The deeper your bow, the more formal. You should aim for 45 degree bows for clients and your superiors. Coworkers can get just a little head nod or a 10–15 degree bow.
Bow when you meet someone (if you were sitting and someone walks into the room, stand then bow), and when you say goodbye. If you’re leaving a client’s office, they might walk you to the door or elevator and see you out. Right as you’re leaving, turn around for one last bow at the door!
Name Calling
We all know Daniel-san but why did Mr Miyagi call him that?
-San is like saying Mr or Mrs/Miss/Ms in English. It goes at the end of the name rather than before it. When you first meet a Japanese person, they could introduce themselves in a few ways depending on if they’re doing it the Japanese or western way.
The Japanese way means saying their last name then their first name. When you’re addressing a Japanese person, the default is to use their surname and then add -san. Continue using this until that person instructs you to do otherwise. They might ask you to just use their first name, or they might say there’s no need to use -san. In the latter case, you still need to use their last name.
There is also the more formal -sama which is used for your superiors and customers, but it’s a bit tricky to know when and in what situation so just stick with -san!
Punctuality
Japan is a super punctual society. Always arrive early, and then wait for the correct time to officially arrive and let them know you’re there. If you’re late, call (if it’s less than 30 minutes until the designated time) or email to let them know as a courtesy.
If you are the person who invited the other for a meeting, make sure you’re early and arrive before them so that you can greet them properly.
Business Cards
This is a big one! When swapping cards with someone, hold your card in both hands, present it to the other person so that the text is facing them correctly, and bow a little as you present it and kind of “thrust” it forward at them. They will do the same to you at the same time. To correctly exchange, take one hand off your card and hand the cards to each other.
For extra bonus points, thrust your card under theirs. It shows that your status is lower, and you respect them (the same is done when ‘cheers’-ing glasses!)
Once you receive the card, look at both sides, confirm their name, and continue to hold it — don’t put it away while they’re in front of you. If you’re sitting, put it on the table (if there’s multiple people match the cards to the seating order) and if you’re standing just keep it in your hand or hold it on top of your business card holder if you have one.
If you receive cards from two people (one person + their boss), it’s ok to stack the cards up on top of each other, but try to put the most senior person’s card on top.
Having the card out the whole time you’re talking to someone might seem like a pain in the ass, but it can really help when you forget someone’s name!
After receiving someone’s card, you should send them a “nice to meet you” email within two days to re-introduce yourself and show off how polite and thoughtful you are. Include where you met, explain your company and position, and end with something like “it’d be nice to work together one day” or something similar.
Email etiquette is also a little different, and to be honest it’s a little more outdated and stiff than western emails. No matter how many times you’ve spoken to someone, a new email chain should always start with “Dear Mr/Mrs X” or “Dear X-san”.
From there on, every single email in the chain should still include “X-san,” at the top, and a sign off. This applies even if you’re emailing each other back and forth instantly.
When opening an email, don’t ask about the recipients personal life. This includes “how was your weekend”, if you ask it, the question will usually just be ignored.
Alternatives can include “I hope you’re well”, a comment on the weather for the week, “I hope you enjoyed x event” and so on. Similarly, there needs to be a sign off sentence. Common ones include “I’m looking forward to working with you”, “thank you for your hard work” and anything else you can think of along these lines.
Drinking
Here in Australia we have something called Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and it basically means bars strictly regulate the amount of alcohol in your cocktails and they will cut you off if they think you’ve had too much.
This does not exist in Japan.
You can drink as much as you want, throw up in front of the bartender, and if you ask for another drink you’ll get one. You’re an adult and can choose how much you want to drink, even if it’s too much. People passed out on the street or train at a night time is pretty regular. See Shibuya Meltdown for both proof and entertainment.
This said, drinking with coworkers and clients is normal as well. But, as a worker, you should not get drunk in front of your boss, coworkers, or clients.
If a client or potential client asks you to go drinking, this is actually a really good sign for your relationship with them — most unofficial business is conducted in bars and it’s essential for the relationship building. Declining a drinking invitation is almost looked down upon in Japan and people might think you’re antisocial.
Hangovers aren’t a good enough reason to skip the next day of work, though, so seriously, don’t drink too much. If you are drinking with your client, polite protocol would be to pay for their drinks, make sure they don’t get too wasted, and possibly get them a taxi home if they’re beyond getting themselves home.
Typical drinks in Japanese bars are usually in a large bottle and then everyone gets a cup and shares from the same drink. Protocol is to pour other people’s drinks, and then wait for someone else to pour yours. Instead of ‘cheers’ the Japanese word is ‘kanpai’ and you all clink glasses together.
Everyday Culture
Chopsticks
Chopsticks play a few different roles, one of which is actually in funerals. As such, avoid doing these things which have funeral connotations to them;
- Don’t stand your chopsticks up in your food
- Don’t stab food with chopsticks
- Don’t pass food from (your) chopstick to (someone else’s) chopstick
- Use communal chopsticks when you’re sharing dishes to put some on your plate
Humour
Australian humour usually revolves around either sarcasm or self deprecating jokes, but you won’t get any laughs from Japanese people using these tactics. Standup comedy in Japan is usually a two person show where one is the idiot and one is the smart person and the jokes are more based around slapstick and physical movements that are funny.
Sarcasm really doesn’t translate well into Japanese, and so I strongly suggest you avoid it at all costs — you will be taken literally.
Comedy is actually really popular in Japan though, and comedians do receive an almost superstar status. “Comedian” is a common dream job that students and workers fantasise about.
Naomi Watanabe (pictured above) is one of the current comedian superstars, most of her skits revolve around jokes about her weight, making funny faces, and impersonations of other celebrities. Fun fact: she’s also the most followed Japanese person on Instagram.
‘Aizuchi’
Aizuchi is a Japanese concept or value which basically includes a lot of head nodding and small phrases like “yes” and “is that so” that they say constantly while you’re talking to them. For westerners this can feel like being interrupted and might make you think that the person you’re talking to is rude, but it’s the opposite in Japan.
Aizuchi is used to indicate “yes I’m listening please continue”. If you use it, it will put the person you’re speaking to at ease and reassure them that you’re giving them your attention.
Extra bits and pieces
Blowing your nose is rude in Japanese culture — sniffling is not
Eating and walking is considered uncivilised
Just like business is done at bars, it’s also done on golf courses
If you’re really unsure of what to do, err on the side of caution. Never be afraid to ask questions about what is culturally appropriate, many people enjoy explaining and sharing their culture.
The most common concern I heard when doing these workshops was that people were scared of accidentally insulting someone of a different culture without realising.
Just remember that person from the other culture is probably scared of the same thing. If someone does something insulting in front of or to you, pull them aside privately and inform them that it’s not appropriate, they’re probably unaware and might be doing it to other people as well.
When I first started interacting with Japanese people, girls kept telling me I had a “big nose”. In western culture this is a bit rude, but in Japan, noses that stick out are more desirable. Neither I nor the person who said it to me knew the other’s perspective on it, so I couldn’t understand why they’d be so rude right to my face and they couldn’t understand why I didn’t react like they expected.
If you become known as someone who’s informative and open to this kind of cultural feedback, other people will clue you in when you do something that might not be appropriate.
