Business Contexts in Japan

 Business protocols and practices in Japanese culture might look a little different from what we are used to in the United States. There are certain cultural and business etiquettes that are unique to Japanese culture. Punctuality is extremely important in Japan and being late can come off as disrespectful. This is why it's important to even arrive early to meetings of any sort. The most common form of greeting in Japan is done with a bow, but Japanese business people who are meeting foreigners often shake hands to greet instead. During business exchanges it is polite to use formal titles when meeting for the first time. Japanese culture highly values respect and harmony. It is also common to greet everyone in the room before the business meeting starts and allow for a period of socializing. During business meetings in Japan, tea is typically given out. Giving and receiving business cards is a crucial aspect of business practices in Japan. English speaking business people are advised to have one side of their business card in English and the other side translated to Japanese. Business cards are given and received at the beginning of a meeting in Japanese culture. One typically starts by exchanging business cards with the most senior members first. This continues in order of seniority among the Japanese business group. The business cards that one receives should remain on the table during the entire duration of the meeting. It's important to bring lots of business cards as it is considered rude to not offer one to someone . Professional appearance is also very important during business meetings in Japanese culture. It is expected that men wear dark colored well tailored suits due to lighter colored suits being seen as less professional. Women typically dress conservatively in dresses or pansuits . It is not uncommon for gifts to be exchanged during Japanese business meetings. It is important to note that the value of the gift should reflect the value of one's relationship with the person they are giving the gift to. Hierarchy also plays an important role in Japanese business meetings. It is typically that people of higher rank have more influence on decision making.

Japanese business meeting greeting

 

There are many potential challenges that an American business person could face while working in Japan. To start, nonverbal communication and language barriers could cause many challenges. Someone from America would need to be familiar with nonverbal language that is unique to Japanese culture. The American business person may also want to learn some basic phrases in Japanese for greeting and parting especially if there is no common language spoken or no translator present. Issues could also arise if the American business person is unfamiliar with business and cultural protocols and Japan. The American business person should be very punctual with time and bow to people of higher ranking. They should also understand the importance of respect in Japanese culture. Lastly, the American business person may face challenges if they don't understand the importance of business cards in Japan. It may come off as rude and disrespectful if business cards are not presented at the appropriate time.  

If I was a manager in the U.S working with someone that had just moved to the U.S from Japan then I would slowly attempt to teach them about business customs in America. There are a lot of similarities already when it comes to business protocols in the U.S and Japan. Punctuality is important in the U.S and so is a high respect for people of high ranking. One aspect I would like to note is differences in formality. In the U.S business people often use more informal language. There is also less emphasis on the importance of business cards in the U.S. It might take some time to adapt to how business operates in the U.S, but the similarities outweigh the differences.