Japanese business etiquette video: Exchanging meishi kokan or business cards

If you are planning a business trip to Japan, this short video from JapanTravelTV about giving and receiving business cards or meishi kokan in Japan is well worth watching. As the narrator explains, there are some subtle manners and etiquette to follow.

The video begins by showing the proper angle of bowing and the proper angle of the feet while doing so. The narrator then describes the proper procedure for exchanging business cards. This includes holding the corners of the business card and not covering up the company name or logo as this is considered bad manners. When giving the business card, hold the corner of it and when receiving one, be sure to hold it in both hands over your business cards or meishi kokan case and display respect by carefully reading over it rather than quickly putting it away.

Keeping these tips in mind will greatly aide you in making a good first impression on your next business trip to Japan or when dealing with your Japanese business counterparts.

Useful video to learn some basic Japanese survival phrases

Should you be visiting Japan soon, you may want to visit the Travel Linguist site on YouTube as it contains numerous resources to help you learn some Japanese. In this video, you will learn the following useful Japanese survival words:

Hello - Konnichiwa

Goodbye - Sayonara

How are you? - Ogenki desu ka

Very well, and you? - Genki desu anata wa?

Thank you - Arigato

You're welcome - Do itashimashite

Do you speak English? - Eigo ga hanasemasu ka?

What is your name? - O namae wa nan desu ka?

Excuse me - Sumimasen

Where is the bathroom? - Ote arai wa dochira desu ka

Knowing the above Japanese phrases will make even a short trip to Japan much more easier!

Dress codes in Japan

If you are traveling to Japan, you may be wondering how to dress appropriately and how the dress code in Japan compares with other countries you have visited. Hence, the Conde Nash Dress Code Guide (which is available on the Conde Nash website and is also downloadable in pdf format) offers a very handy and useful reference guide for how to dress appropriately in a number of countries around the world.

According to the guide, the Japanese word for a dress shirt is “wai shatsu” which literally comes from the English word “white shirt.” This in and of itself should give you an idea of the range of colors worn in the Japanese workplace. And although the Japanese government has launched a Cool Biz initiative that is intended to lower the cost of air condition, the initiative has largely been met with resistance.

On the other hand and on the street, nothing is considered “over-the-top” while the casual (aka sloppy) American look is generally not acceptable. Hence, men should be clean shaven and spend time on their hair while women should be seen wearing makeup, heels and plenty of frills.

And should you be attending a party, remember that the Japanese love labels like Agnès B. and Louis Vuitton while stylish designs by local designers like Yohji Yamamoto are also popular.

And remember: Japanese sizes tend to be significantly smaller than their counterparts in the USA. In other words, someone who needs a medium in the USA might need to wear an extra large in Japan.

Interesting Tokyo videos

Tokyo can easily be described as one of the most fascinating cities in the world and this Lonely Planet video entitled “Tokyo Moods” does a great job of capturing the essence of the city:

However, and before you think of relocating to Tokyo, this Cost of Living in Tokyo video is a must watch. In it, a westerner residing in Tokyo goes through his monthly bills and will give you a good idea of just what you are in for!

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Beautiful All Nippon Airways anime commercials

The Japanese are the true masters of animation or anime. In fact, they have used anime to produce some beautiful commercials. One such commercial was produced by All Nippon Airways and was showed at the recent New York Anime Festival. It shows "the art of arrival" on ANA:

In this second ANA commercial, ANA 747-400Ds celebrate the opening of the new Terminal 2 at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo a few years ago:

ANA is also a member of Star Alliance and hence, the aircraft formation in this third commercial is the Star Alliance’s trade mark:

Useful travel videos about Japan

Should you be planning a trip to Japan in the near future, GeoBeat Productions has produced two short and very useful videos about Japan that are well worth watching. The first video gives important local etiquette tips such as not blowing your nose in public and not counting your change in public (its not even necessary as the Japanese are very honest!):

The second video covers important Japanese phrases that would be useful for first time foreign visitors to Japan to learn in order to make their stay in the country an easier and more pleasant experience:

Tipping in Japan

If you are traveling to Japan, you may be wondering how much of a tip to leave and how tipping there compares with other countries you have visited. Hence, the Conde Nash Traveller Tipping Guide (which is available on the Conde Nash website and is also downloadable in pdf format) offers a very handy and useful reference guide for tipping in more than 35 countries around the world.

According to the guide, Japan is still a largely non-tipping society although the providers of certain services may appreciate a tip. Hence, tour guides might be given a tip of 2,500-5,000 yen in an envelope why a private driver will expect to have you buy his lunch – usually around 1,000 yen. Room attendants at a traditional Japanese inn or ryokan will usually receive 5,000 yen for one or two nights (and again, in an envelope). As for concierges, porters, waiters and cabdrivers, don’t be surprised if they decline your offer of a tip (although you can always round up for a short taxi ride).

And remember that if and when you do tip in Japan, only tip in yen. Hence, a handy rule of thumb is to estimate that 100 yen is equal or close to equaling the dollar.

2009 Business Travel Awards: Top 10 best international airports

Conde Nash Traveler has recently released their twelfth annual business travel survey which included a section ranking the best international airports around the world. Frequent travelers to or around Asia will not be surprised to learn that Singapore’s Changi came out on top in all survey categories followed by Hong Kong International (Chek Lap Kok). Other Asian airports making it into the top 10 included Seoul’s Incheon and Tokyo’s Narita.

Top 10 Best International Airports

The world's best alternative subway maps: Tokyo

Treehugger.com has created an interesting slide show entitled the World's Best Alternative Subway Maps and these included two slides showing various perspectives on the Tokyo subway system map – which easily turns into the world’s densest and most complex subway map that can easily confuse newcomers to the city. In the version done by Korean design studio Zero per Zero (which can also be viewed and purchased from their website), a more abstract approach was taken and the map is meant to be easier to use by tourists and newcomers to find their way around the city. In addition, the design is also meant to be a work of art as the center of the map is left somewhat open to show how subway lines circumvent the ground beneath the Imperial Palace with the subway lines running in a circle around the complex to evoke the national flag of Japan.

On the other hand, the Vollmer Design map (which is also available for purchase on their website) attempts to make the Tokyo subway map a little neater and simpler to understand. It also incorporates important geographic information like islands and parks in relation to each other and attempts to do away with information that confuses newcomers – such as referring to Tokyo Station as Tokyo which often leads some newcomers to believe the map is a regional train map rather than a city subway map.

Thus, if you are planning a visit to Tokyo and wish to not be lost in translation when it comes to using the city subway system, purchasing either of these maps before you go may be a very good idea.

Finding a proper cup of coffee in tea-drinking Japan

For any expatriate or business traveler who is a coffee drinker and is also planning a visit to tea-drinking Japan, you may think that your options are limited to machine made caffe lattes at local coffee shops or something ubiquitous from a large international chain such as Starbucks. However, should you desire the traditional slow brewed cup of gourmet coffee, there are an increasing number of options available in Tokyo.

In fact, the New York Times travel section recently reported about the growing trend of specialty gourmet coffee shops opening around the city and profiled the following coffee shops that are well worth checking out by any true coffee lover:

• Macchinesti – Just a one minute walk from the Hiroo subway station, this cafe was started by a Japanese architect who had lived in Seattle. Expect to pay 450 yen (US$4.25) for a shot of espresso to 600 yen (US$6.35) for a cappuccino while eggs Benedict with your coffee will set you back 1,500 yen (US$15.90).
• Bar Del Sole – With a branch in the Roppongi district that is a three-minute walk from the Hibiya Line subway stop, this Italian restaurant also offers a full coffee menu. Expect to pay 350 yen (US$3.70) for a macchiato and 630 yen (US$6.70) for a cappuccino.
• Zoka – With three locations in Tokyo and one just 100 yards from the Akasaka-Mitsuke subway stop, Zoka offers a bit of Seattle. Expect to pay 380 yen (US$4) for a small iced caffè latte.
• Café de l’Ambre – Located in Ginza, this shop opened in 1948 and specializes in aged specialty coffees. Hence, expect to pay up to 1,360 yen (US$14.40) for a single cup.
• Tajimaya Kohiten – Just south of the west exit of the Shinjuku Station, this coffee shop opened in 1964 and offers 13 types of straight coffee. Expect to pay 750 yen (US$7.95) for a Cuban Mountain coffee and 650 yen (US$6.90) for Grade 1 Sumatra.  

Hence, if you are a coffee lover and will soon be visiting or living in tea-drinking Japan, rest assured that you will find a growing number of options to choose from for that caffeine fix.

Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward: In the heart of the City

In densely populated Tokyo, Chiyoda (千代田区) is unique among the city’s 23 special wards as it is the least populated one and yet, it is at the center of Toyko and contains a significant amount of open space. The reason for this is the fact that the Imperial Palace complex occupies the central area of the ward along with many government institutions such as the Prime Minister’s residence, the Diet, the Supreme Court and fifteen embassies. Other important landmarks in the area include the Yasukuni Shrine, the Nippon Budokan (a popular rock concert venue) and Tokyo Station – one of the busiest train stations in Japan and the starting point or terminus of many of Japan’s high speed bullet trains. In addition, the area also contains Hibiya Park – a popular venue for open-air concerts that is also known for its tennis courts.

Chiyoda also contains a number of residential neighborhoods (a number of which are considered to be upper class) and commercial districts. Among these neighborhoods and commercial districts is Marunouchi, which also happens to be located next to the Tokyo Station just opposite of the Ginza district and was recently profiled in a New York Tines article as an up and coming district worth exploring. Other areas worth mentioning include Uchisaiwaichō which is home to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel and a number of bank headquarters and Ōtemachi, also home to a number of Japanese financial institutions.

For business travelers and expatriates seeking long term accommodations in the area, Bureau Kioicho offers studio apartment type accommodations and is only a few minutes walk from several subway station. It also happens to be near the Imperial Palace grounds – a great location for early morning or evening jogs.

So if you need a centrally located neighborhood to call home that also has the added benefit of open space, a rare commodity in densely populated Tokyo, look no further than Chiyoda.

Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward: Where a foreigner will feel at home

For a neighborhood that is not only a major commercial center but also a place where a foreigner will more likely feel at home, Tokyo’s Shinjuku (新宿区) ward is well worth considering as it has the highest number of registered foreigners of any neighborhood in the city. Furthermore, it also the home for the metropolitan government of Tokyo and the Nishi-shinjuku skyscraper business district which contains several of the city’s tallest skyscrapers. For these reasons, its Shinjuku Station is considered to be the busiest train station in the world while in its immediate vicinity are numerous department stores and specialist electronic and camera shops that Tokyo is known for along with plenty of entertainment venues (such as cinemas, bars and restaurants). In addition, located nearby is the Koenji neighborhood which was recently profiled by the New York Times as the area is considered to be the birthplace of Japanese punk rock and a laboratory for local musicians.

For long term business travelers and expatriates who wish to stay in the area, the Oakwood Apartments Shinjuku is conveniently located near the Shinjuku Station and the the office towers of Nishi-Shinjuku. The 140 unit Oakwood offers a high-tech Business Center, a spectacular Sky Lounge with expansive views of the city and stylish apartments equipped with 37" LCD TVs and Bose stereos complete with iPod docking stations. And for business travelers seeking serviced offices, the Shinjuku Nomura is located in the heart of Shinjuku and includes restaurants on the 49th and 50th floors offering spectacular views of the city and even Mount Fuji. In addition, the Regus centre located in the Shinjuku Park Tower is also well situated as the building is situated next to the Shuto Expressway Number 4 and there is a complimentary shuttle bus service to Shinjuku station.

So if you are looking for a neighborhood in Tokyo where you can live, work and feel at home while being at the center of action, look no further than Shinjuku.

Sampling risotto in Tokyo

Business travelers coming to Tokyo may be surprised to learn that the city is a major center for Italian cuisine. In fact, Tokyo has an estimated 1,500 plus Italian restaurants (plus another 1,000 that claim to be Italian or Italian inspired) and the Michelin Guide has awarded one star to no less than seven Italian restaurants and two stars to one. Hence, these awards give credence to the claim that Tokyo’s Italian cuisine has a generally higher level of quality than that of Rome’s. However, this should be no surprise given the Japanese passion for rice and noodles – staples of Italian cuisine.

Hence, the Asian Wall Street Journal’s Life & Style section recently had an excellent article about finding the best Risotto in Tokyo and recommended several restaurants that also happen to be located in major districts frequented by business travelers to the city. For business travelers staying in serviced apartments or using serviced offices in Minato-ku, there is the more casual Vino Hirata (phone: 81-3-3456-4744) where you could easily spend US$200 on some of the best Italian cuisine you have ever sampled and then there is the more upscale Piatto Suzuki (phone: 81-3-5414-2116) with its one Michelin Star. In the famous Ginza district and also convenient to serviced offices in Chuo-ku, there is Enoteca Pinchiorri (phone: 81-3-3289-8081) which (17 years ago) became one of the First Tokyo branches of a well known Michelin three-star restaurant in Florence. In Chiyoda-ku (where there are more limited serviced apartment options but a couple of serviced office choices), Elio Locanda Italiana (phone: 81-3-3239-6771) is run by a Calabrian native while Luxor (phone: 81-3-6212-6901) offers more affordable but nevertheless excellent cuisine. And finally, Passo a Passo (phone: 81-3-5245-8645) located in Koto-ku is a small neighborhood style restaurant run by a Japanese chef trained in Italy who also happens to be passionate about risotto. Average prices at the above listed restaurants range from US$50 to US$100 for a full set lunch for one person (excluding wine).

Thus, should you wish to sample some of the best best Italian cuisine and risotto in particular outside of Italy, then look no further than stopping by one of Tokyo’s top Italian restaurants on your next business trip to Japan.