Preparing for Japan: Exclusive Videos of Essential Cross-Cultural Insights for New Arrivals

We have compiled original cross-cultural videos for those who are about to relocate to Japan. When you start working in Japan, it is important to deepen your understanding of Japanese offices, culture, and Japanese gestures to alleviate the challenges of cultural adjustment after arriving.

Let's enhance our understanding beforehand to ease the transition upon arrival in Japan.

Japanese Body Language and Gestures

Not sure how to bow in Japan or what gesture to use when asking for a table for one in a restaurant? Rest assured! In this video, we will explain Japanese body language and bowing etiquette, which you can use in your daily life in Japan or when visiting this country. You will learn about the appropriate angle at which to bow, the meaning of various gestures, the two ways of counting with your fingers in Japan, and more.

Japanese Nonverbal Etiquette

Japanese society places a lot of importance on subtle body language cues, which can occasionally be difficult for people from Western cultures to understand in social situations. Be sure to watch this video to learn about Japanese non-verbal etiquette including eye contact, pointing, physical contact, etc. We will also talk about the art of reading the air (kuuki wo yomu), as well as reading between the lines of the Japanese “No” and “Yes”.

Japanese Business Card Etiquette

In Japan, business cards (meishi in Japanese) are treated with great care, and there are etiquettes for how to hand them over and receive them. Business card etiquette is one of if not the most important area of Japanese business culture. In this guide, we'll walk you through the business card exchange process as well as explain what you should never do when exchanging «meishi» in Japan to help you avoid costly mistakes.

You can also watch area guides and other videos from here.