The Blog for Culture Vultures

Working with the Japanese in a professional capacity can be tough.

For some cultures, such as for Americans, Canadians, Germans, Australians and British, the Japanese culture can seem a little alien.

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?

Off to Japan for business or working with Japanese colleagues? Then put your best foot forward and make a great impression by understanding Japanese business culture. 

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 Japanese 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.

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.

To understand Japanese business culture, it's essential that you first appreciate Japanese cultural values.

 Why? If you don't understand the underlying values, then it's very difficult to understand Japanese culture.

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.

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

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, causes confusion for the foreigner.

A distinct island culture, formed over thousands of years, with its own nuances and subtleties... it takes time to genuinelly understand the Japanese.

Being the helpful cross-cultural consultancy we are,  we have scoured the internet to find what we consider to be the best 3 videos on Japanese culture!

These videos will help make your relocation to Japan a little smoother, enabling you to learn about Japanese people and culture, so that you have a head start in terms of behaviour and how best to conduct yourself.

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!