The Blog for Culture Vultures

Ever wondered why in some parts of the world people wear masks?

We are often asked by people to travelling to Japan, China, Korea and Thailand why it is so common.

Does Japanese culture fascinate you?

Exploring what people in a country do or how they behave is a great way of learning more about their culture.

If you’re off to Japan for business or working with the Japanese, then it’s important to understand the business culture as this will help you put your best foot forward!

In this blog we'll be taking a glimpse into the unique Japanese business environment and explore some tips for foreigners doing business with the Japanese.

Whether for business or pleasure, if you’re travelling to Japan, it’s important you know how to address people.

Etiquette is an important part of Japanese culture and getting things wrong could result in you being perceived as rude or ignorant – not a good footing in which to start your trip to Japan.

Unless you’re well acquainted with Japanese culture, then it’s unlikely you have come across the word freeter before.

However, if you want to understand Japanese culture, this word can give you some great insights into the people's values and attitudes.

With Taiwan the first country in Asia to legalise same sex marriage, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the acceptance of homosexuality was new to Asian culture.

However, homosexuality was generally an accepted part of the culture in many Asian countries until the West introduced its puritanical Christian religious ideology and played an influential role in bringing an end to the long-standing traditions in this part of the world.

Every now and again the business world hands the cross-cultural training world some great examples of cultural difference in action!

One such case study is that of Carlos Ghosn, ex-CEO of the Japanese car giant, Nissan.

News of the abdication of Japan’s Emperor Akihito has made the Japanese monarchy the biggest trending online search term today.

As the ‘father of the nation’, the monarch is an essential part of Japanese culture, so if you know very little about Japanese royalty, but want to be part of the online buzz, then here are some quick and easy insights to get you going:

The global nature of commerce means today's businesses are always looking for opportunities outside of their domestic markets.

Acquiring, or merging with, a foreign company is common way to achieve this.

The 1st of May will mark the start of a new era in Japanese history.

Emporer Akihito is making way for his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, in Japan’s first imperial abdication in over 200 years.

Doing business or working in Japan can be tough for foreigners.

The cultural differences for some can be vast and it takes a while to get used to how the Japanese like to do things.

Values are a useful way of trying to understand another culture.

It is often a combination of the values held close by a culture that shape and drive much of their beliefs and behaviours.

If you're doing business in Japan or working with the Japanese culture, it's crucial to get your head around some key language phrases.

The Japanese have a way of using words to beautify their communication.

Did you know the Japanese have over 20 ways to say 'sorry'?

If you plan to do business in Japan, you need to get up to speed with how apologies work in Japanese culture.

The BBC recently published a great little artice that examines the Japanese culture of apologies and politeness on the island nation.

During a two-day visit to Israel last week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a meal created and served by celebrity chef Moshe Segev at Israeli PM Netenyahyus residence.

All was going well, and the meal proved to be outstanding until desert arrived, rather curiously, in a metal decorative shoe.

Relocating to a foreign country for work is a big deal. New home, new language and new culture! There is a lot to get your head around.

Without doubt Japan is one of those countries that, culturally speaking, does cause confusion for the foreigner.

Shinto is regarded as the religion indigenous to Japan and is thought to predate all reliable historical records.

Literally translated the word 'Shinto' is composed of two words from the original Chinese Shêntao: 'shin' meaning gods or spirits and 'to' meaning the philosophical way or path.

Shinto has no fixed dogma, moral precepts or sacred scriptures but many shrines ('jinja') around the country which have often been bases of power with ties to Imperial and Shogunal rule throughout the ages.

As part of the 2014 Export Week, Commisceo trainer Joyce Jenkins was invited to speak at UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) Women in Export event.

Different cultures have different food traditions, even at the Christmas table.

Fed up with the traditional Christmas roasts, pudding and chocolates? We have selected a number of food traditions that might inspire you to spice things up a bit this Christmas!