Business card etiquette in Japan

There have been many books written on doing business in Japan but here are a couple of basics.

Business cards (Meishi)

Always have name cards on hand, they are very important in Japan. When you meet anyone you will be expected to swap cards. If 20 people from a vendor come to your offices for a meeting they will all want to swap cards with you. Generally when you meet someone you have your card ready to pass in your breast pocket or somewhere else handy. You will introduce yourself ,“I am X”, bow, and then immediately after you have both risen, will swap cards. Always pass your card across with two hands and accept their card in two hands. In order to do this one of you needs to go first and then the other. When you get their card make sure you take a good look at it as a sign of respect. Don’t just stash it in your pocket, make sure you put it in a card holder. If you are at a meeting table leave it face up in front of you on the table so that you can refer to it during the meeting. It is common to lay the cards in front of you in the same order as the seating so that you know who is who. Japanese will often bring many people to a meeting.

When you have had a business meeting, or have been invited to a business dinner, always make sure you send a mail to thank them. It is generally the vendor who will invite to and pay for dinner. However, if you have a fruitful relationship it is good to reciprocate from time to time.