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Review focus: business introductions, Meishi, business card, rank, prescribed manner of exchanging name card
Asian Business Code Words Index NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company Asian Business Strategy & Street Intelligence Ezine
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Relative rank between individuals in particular enterprises and organizations and to a lesser extent between them and outsiders determines not only the behavior but also the rights, privileges, responsibilities, and obligations of the individual Japanese. It is therefore very important to all Japanese business people to know the rank of everyone with whom they come into contact. They must know not only their personal rank but also the rating of their organization. One consideration here is that a section chief in a large, powerful company "outranks" a department head from a smaller, less important company. This vital need to know the other's rank is the reason for the universal use and importance of the meishi (may-e-she) or "name card" in business. Cards tell about the rank of the individuals and the stature of the company they represent. Recipients receive business cards with both hands while bowing slightly. They take several seconds to look closely at the name of the other person's company, its address, and the individual's title, before beginning any conversation. Besides revealing which of the two persons is subordinate to the other, they thereby establish the level of language each will use. Name cards often reveal common areas that can be quickly utilized to strengthen the new relationship - office addresses in the same area, a relative who works for the other company or a subsidiary, and other such personal links. Foreigners doing business with the Japanese should be aware of the function and importance of the name card and know how to use it. Since there is a prescribed manner for exchanging name cards, the card should be presented while the very first stages of the introduction are taking place, so the Japanese recipient will be able to determine your position and rank and know how to respond to you. The normal procedure is for the Japanese to hand you their name card and accept yours at the same time. They read your card and then formally greet you - traditionally by bowing and making appropriate remarks. It is now also common for all parties to shake hands, as well as bow to each other. This process is naturally facilitated if one side of your name card includes Japanese translations of your name, title, and company - and, of course, you should present your card "Japanese side up". It is surprising how many foreign business people go to Japan or greet Japanese visitors in their own offices without having Japanese-language name cards ready to pass out. It is not only a matter of courtesy. It is a reflection of your business sense, your personal image of yourself and your company, your attitude toward Japan, and more. Besides the role of the name card itself often being misunderstood and misused by uninitiated foreign business people, the Western habit of immediately shaking hands upon meeting someone frequently messes up meetings with Japanese. The formal order is to exchange name cards before bowing and shaking hands. While not too serious, especially if the handshake is quickly followed up by the presentation of name cards, this is an area where the foreigner can gain a few points by demonstrating an awareness and appreciation of Japanese customs. As a result of Japan's vertical society, rank pervades the lives of Japanese business leaders, wherever they may be. They joke among themselves that when they play golf it is customary for them to tee off in accordance with their salaries (it used to be based on the capital of their companies). In any meeting, the Japanese business person is bound by rules of the superior-subordinate ranking system and by the additional necessity of maintaining harmony. What people say, how they say it, and when they say it is determined by their rank within the group. Another graphic indication of the attention paid to status is the common practice of making careful arrangements to seat individuals according to their rank at formal dinner parties and other official functions.
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Boye Lafayette de Mente is one of our regular monthly columnists at the 
| This month's column is excerpted from Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, by Boye Lafayette De Mente available from NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company |
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