Page 1 of 1

Consensus and Japanese business etiquette

Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2025 6:12 am
by sumonasumonakha.t
It is best to have an agenda for a meeting established in advanced and translated into Japanese. Always take a company profile and any product brochures that you have with you when you meet executives for the first time.


On entering the meeting room, wait to be seated as there are customs regarding where each person sits based on their position in the company. The Japanese tend to take plenty of notes during meetings as this is seen as good business etiquette. This note taking indicates greater interest in what the other party is saying.


Less is certainly more in business meetings. Don’t speak too loudly when pitching and allow time for greece mobile database questions which can be incredibly detailed in nature. Silence can be golden and is certainly valued over excessive talking. Silence is thought to be indicative of wisdom and self-control.



Japanese society is group-orientated, and this culture extends to business practice. Internal consensus must be achieved before decisions are made and so you should not expect or push for any on the spot decisions.


Japanese executives are unlikely to respond well to pressure. Similarly, you should not single out individuals for praise as this would cause embarrassment. Give credit to the entire group instead.


Building relationships
Trust is fundamental to success when doing business in Japan. The Japanese will only trade with you if they feel that they can trust both your company and you as an individual. For this reason, it is crucial to build relationships effectively.

Building relationships