Japanese Business Etiquette: Professional Customs

No. Native Japanese staff make keigo mistakes too. What matters more is that you use respectful language consistently (teineigo with です/ます forms as baseline), attempt sonkeigo/kenjougo where appropriate, and correct yourself quickly when you slip. Foreign colleagues are given a grace period for keigo that lasts roughly 6–12 months — use it. After that, sustained lower-than-baseline register starts creating friction. Our keigo guide linked below covers the core patterns you need.

Use both hands, present with the Japanese side facing the recipient, bow slightly as you offer it, and say "よろしくお願いします". When receiving, take with both hands, read the card, and never immediately put it in your pocket. Place received cards on the table in front of you in the order people are seated — this doubles as your name-matching crib during the meeting. Never write on someone's card in front of them; never slide a card across the table.

The kamiza (upper seat) is for the most senior person or the guest; the shimoza (lower seat) is for the junior person or host. In a meeting room this is usually the seat furthest from the door; in a car the kamiza is the seat behind the driver on the right; in a taxi the kamiza is behind the driver. As a junior or host, take the shimoza automatically — sitting in the wrong seat by mistake is embarrassing but being directed there by a host is expected.

Start with the recipient's name + さん or the company + title if unknown, then お世話になっております as the standard greeting, state your name + company, deliver the main message, and close with 何卒よろしくお願いいたします followed by your signature block. Keep paragraphs short. Never start with a cold "Hi" equivalent. The template section of this guide gives you three copy-paste versions.

Yes, but with nuance. Silence signals thought, respect for hierarchy, and space for nemawashi (consensus-building). Rushing to fill a 3-5 second pause — normal in Western meetings — can come across as pushy. Wait longer than feels comfortable before speaking again after you ask a question. However, extended silence can also signal disagreement or confusion; if silence lasts over 10 seconds, rephrase or offer an alternative.

Practically, yes, at least sometimes. Nomikai (飲み会) is where a lot of Japanese team bonding and decision-making actually happens. You do not have to drink alcohol — oolong tea or water is fine, and ソフトドリンクで (soft drink, please) is a well-understood order. Attend 2 out of every 3 nomikai in your first 6 months; after that, once a month is socially adequate unless you work in a particularly drinking-heavy industry.

Omiyage (お土産) are individually-wrapped regional food gifts you bring back for your team after any overnight trip or holiday. The expectation is mandatory for business trips and strong for personal holidays lasting more than 2-3 days. Pick something shareable (14-20 pieces for a small team), from the specific region you visited, with individual wrappers. Cost 1500-3000 yen is standard. Leave it on the communal table with a handwritten note.

Default: last name + さん. Never use first names in Japanese workplaces unless explicitly invited. Senior colleagues are last name + 部長 (department head) or last name + 課長 (section chief) — the title replaces さん. When speaking to someone else about a senior colleague, use last name + title. When speaking to someone outside the company about your own colleagues, use just the last name (no さん or title) — this is called uchi/soto humble-speech handling.