{"id":27275,"date":"2026-04-15T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/?p=27275"},"modified":"2026-04-15T16:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T07:36:11","slug":"8-things-about-japanese-work-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/blog\/8-things-about-japanese-work-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"8 things you may not know about Japanese work culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Updated April 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of what you hear about the Japanese work culture tends to focus on one thing: the long, unrewarding hours and the overwork. But there are actually so many unique aspects of Japanese work culture that are very interesting for foreigners, especially if you hope to one day work for a Japanese company in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note these examples are just some of the most common traditions and practices that you may find in a Japanese company, but each company is different and will have a different culture and way of operating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Senpai and k\u014dhai culture<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Senpai<\/i> \u5148\u8f29 and k\u014dhai<\/i> \u5f8c\u8f29 mean \u201csenior\u201d and \u201cjunior\u201d and these hierarchies permeate all relationships<\/b> in Japanese society, not just at work. A senpai is usually older and of higher ranking, or has been at the company for longer. They usually act as a mentor for k\u014dhai, although in reality not all senpai are as generous or genuine about mentoring junior colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This hierarchy dictates all sorts of unspoken rules in Japanese work culture, including where you sit at the meeting table, how you conduct yourself at drinking parties, and what level of politeness<\/a> you need to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an outsider to a Japanese company, all the etiquette surrounding senpai and k\u014dhai culture can be bewildering, but it\u2019s something that you will pick up quickly once you\u2019re in that environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Punctuality<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being on time in Japan is crucial<\/i>. You\u2019ll see this in your everyday life when you take public transport, where trains follow a strict timetable and even the slightest delay elicits profuse apologies. Being late is seen as a huge inconvenience<\/b> for the people who are left waiting, so when your boss says the meeting is at 9am, you actually need to be ready for the meeting by 8:50am (but you start right on time at 9am). The same goes for your work hours \u2014 you\u2019re on time if you arrive at least 10 minutes earlier than your official start time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that, paradoxically, this punctuality sometimes doesn\u2019t extend to the end of meetings and you could find yourself sitting in a meeting room for far longer than you hoped to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Exchanging business cards<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Knowing how to exchange meishi <\/i>\u540d\u523a is very important in Japanese work culture. Like many other aspects of work in Japan, the process of exchanging business cards depends on rank and order. This dictates who gives their card first i.e. those of higher rank will exchange their cards first and then move down the ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could write an entire book on all the intricacies of how to exchange business cards, but here are some important things to remember to never<\/i><\/b> do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n