Japanese Business Manners Essentials

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet seven different customers over 2 days together with a former banker who has kindly been mentoring me.

Ahead of the meetings, he gave me a short refresher on Japanese business manners—
bag handling, coats, business cards, seat placement, and more.

As a foreigner who has never worked at a Japanese company, this was particularly helpful.
The last time I had consciously learned these rules was back in 2019, when I was job-hunting in Japan.

Revisiting them now, with real customer meetings in mind, made the learning much more practical.

1. Bag etiquette

• Use a bag that can stand on its own
• Place it on the floor
• Avoid putting it on a chair
• Never place it on the desk

2. Coat etiquette

• Take off your coat before meeting the customer
• Hold it neatly when entering the room

3.Kamiza

The concept of Kamiza (上座) was one of the first business manners I learned after starting work in Japan.

It was during my first few days, with many orientation sessions in meeting rooms. I entered one room early and sat down at a corner seat. Shortly after, my dōki (同期) came in and pointed out that this wasn’t the right place for a new joiner.

In general, new employees are expected to sit at Shimoza (下座) — the seat closest to the door.

I remembered this basic rule, but recently, while preparing for a business trip, a mentor who previously worked as a banker explained that there are more variations and context-dependent interpretations than I had realized.

What I found helpful was viewing these manners not as strict hierarchy, but as a way to show consideration for roles and situations.

The mentor who kindly visualized each case on the whiteboard did mention that expectation is not to get everything right. (Even among Japanese people) Rather to utilize the knowledge when possible to make things smoorhter.

If you’ve worked with Japanese customers, feel free to share any etiquette lessons that stood out to you.