Business card etiquette Japan: a simple guide for visitors

Business card etiquette Japan comes down to one idea: treat the card as a small piece of the person who gave it. In Japan a business card is called a meishi. You give it and take it with care, using both hands and a light bow. Do that, and you avoid the most common mistakes on a first visit.

Why the card matters so much

In many countries a business card is a quick way to share a phone number. In Japan it is more than that. The swap of cards is the formal start of a relationship. It also gives each side the name, company and job title of the other.

Because of this, the exchange is slow and calm on purpose. One language-training guide says there is no hurry and tells visitors to take it step by step. One guide to doing business in Japan says swapping cards is like shaking hands, and that it is awkward not to swap cards at a first meeting.

Sources: Living Language, "Japanese Business Card Etiquette," 23 April 2012, livinglanguage.com; Eurotechnology Japan, "Japanese business etiquette," eurotechnology.com/doing-business-in-japan/japanese-business-etiquette (archived 17 May 2018).

Prepare your cards before you fly

Good etiquette starts at home. Have your cards printed by a professional printer, and bring many more than you think you need. One guide for visitors suggests 500 or more, so you do not run out on day one.

Print your details in English on one side and Japanese on the other. The same guide advises using the standard Japanese size, 91 mm by 55 mm, so your card fits a local card holder. Keep the design simple. The same guide says to use a single side, not a folded card with a long list of jobs and honors.

A guide for visitors warns against turning a Western name into Chinese characters. It suggests the katakana script instead, which spells the sound of the name.

Source: Eurotechnology Japan, "Japanese business etiquette," eurotechnology.com/doing-business-in-japan/japanese-business-etiquette (archived 17 May 2018).

Carry them the right way

Bring a proper card case. Take cards out of the case and put them back in it. One guide puts it plainly: no card exchange should start or end in a pants pocket.

A pocket is the wrong place for a card. A clean case in a jacket or bag shows that you take the meeting seriously.

Source: Living Language, "Japanese Business Card Etiquette," 23 April 2012, livinglanguage.com.

How to give and receive a card

It is best to stand for the exchange. Hold your card up with both hands and give a light bow as you offer it. If you are meeting several people, use both hands for each card.

If someone hands you a card, accept it using both hands and bow lightly. Then pause and read it with care. Look at the name, the company and the job title. Many cards have Japanese on one side and English on the other, so read both sides.

Do not rush to stash the card. One guide says to treat each card like a winning lottery ticket.

What to do with cards during the meeting

At a meeting table, place the cards you received face up in front of you. One guide says this helps you remember who you are sitting opposite.

Leave them there while you talk. One guide says that after a period of time has passed, you can quietly move each card into your card case.

If a Japanese contact has run out of cards, do not be alarmed. One guide says they will often mail one the next day.

A short checklist for your first meeting

Before you go, check these points. They cover most of what a visitor needs to know.

Bring far more cards than you expect to hand out.
Print Japanese on one side and English on the other.
Keep your cards in a clean case, never in a pocket.
Stand if you can, bow lightly, and use both hands to give and to take.
Read each card you receive, on both sides.
Set the cards on the table during the meeting, then put them in your case.

None of these steps is hard. They only take a little practice. Try the exchange once or twice with a colleague before you travel, and it will feel natural when it counts.

Sources list: Living Language, "Japanese Business Card Etiquette," 23 April 2012, livinglanguage.com. Eurotechnology Japan, "Japanese business etiquette," eurotechnology.com/doing-business-in-japan/japanese-business-etiquette (archived 17 May 2018).