Japan

MAID JUGO

Capital City and Flag

Tokyo, Japan

Primary Language and Religion

Japanese
Shinto and Buddhism

Tourist Attraction #1
Mount Fuji
Probably one of the most well known mountains in

the world, Mt Fuji is a snow-capped haven for hikers,

sightseers, and climbers alike.

Tourist Attraction #2
Tashirojima (Cat Island)
A small relatively unpopulated island in North

Japan, Tashirojima is an island filled to the brim

with stray cats. A recent tourist phenomenon,
Tashirojima is a staple of Japanese culture.

National Cuisine
Rice
Sushi
Rice and sushi are the most common dishes in

Japan. Rice is typically simmered or boiled and then

eaten in combination with separate dishes (such as
sushi).

Stereotypes by Americans
1.) Japanese people are good at math
2.) They eat cats and dogs
3.) They only ever eat sushi and rice
4.) Japanese people are generally

more intelligent than other people

Superstitions
The unluckiness of the number four
The word Shi is spelled (( /
Which closely resembles the word for death

( / ).
As a result, gifts are always given in threes or fives,
never fours.
Additionally, clipping your nails at night is a sure way
to die because it summons evil spirits who are
disrupted by the clipping.

Hand gestures used in this country

Angry

Thank You

Victory, Peace

Business Culture
Etiquette
In Japan, business cards are a must have. Most people go through a

hundred business cards in a week.

Never flick, throw, lob, or otherwise play with a Japanese business
card. It is considered rude and demeaning.

BodyLanguage
Never pat a businessman on the back or shoulder,

especially when first meeting.

Sit upright and have perfect posture when meeting a
potential business partner.

Business Culture Contd

Relationship building
Relationship building is extremely important in

Japan. Social interaction is the foundation of any

relationship; as a result, the Japanese frequently
meet at bars, restaurants, and karaoke lounges after
work to relax and unwind.
Typically, if youre invited to a social outing after
work, it isnt really an invitation, its a requirement.

Business Culture Contd

Communication styles in decision making
In Japanese business, communicating efficiently and

accurately is a must. Because of the vagueness of the

Japanese language, its hard to be one hundred percent
fluent unless youre a native speaker.
In times of stress or difficulty in business meetings,
Japanese businessmen will often resort to silence in order to
release the tension in the room and allow people to move
away from the stress.
Compared to western culture where we feel uncomfortable
and awkward with silence, the Japanese are polar opposites.

Business Culture Contd

Powerstructuresindecisionmaking
Japanese people are very strong believers in never

attempting to do anything beyond or below their

status.
Due to this, there is an obvious hierarchy in Japan.
Hierarches for Japanese people are extremely vital in
maintaining the status quo and facilitating business
opportunities.

Internet penetration rate

Most popular social network sites in the

country
Twitter
Facebook
2channel
Line
Instagram
Social penetration rate over 115m internet users
(91.1% of population).

Individualism vs Collectivism
Japan scores 46 on the individualism dimension.
This is on the lower end of the scale, which lets us

know that Japan is more collectivist than most

countries, valuing the power of family and groups
rather than individualism.
Japan is almost a polar opposite of America. We
value individualism more than collectivism, landing
us a score of almost twice that of Japan.

Large/Small Power Distance

Japan has an intermediate score of 54 on the power

distance scale, a very similar score to the USA.

This means Japan is a borderline hierarchical
society.
Social hierarchies, as mentioned before, are very
important in Japan.

Strong/Weak Uncertainty Avoidance

At 92, Japan is one of the most uncertainty avoiding

countries on Earth. Compared to America, Japan is

widely seen as unsafe because of the amount of
natural disasters.
This is attributed to the fact that Japan is under
constant threat by natural phenomenons such as
earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcano eruptions.

Masculinity Compared to US
Japan most closely relates to the masculinity

dimension.
With a score of 95, Japan is one of the most
masculine societies in the world. This means Japan
is driven by competition, achievement, and success,
with success being defined by the winner.
This value system starts as early as elementary
school and continues throughout the rest of ones
life.

Current events in Japan

Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan,

recently erupted on 10/8/16, ejecting volcanic rock

and ash 7 miles high.

References
Sims, A. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2016, from

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/ja
pans-mount-aso-erupts-blasting-smoke-and-ash-7miles-into-air-a7352056.html
Country, B. (n.d.). Get the Global Edge. Retrieved
October 09, 2016, from
https://www.globalroadwarrior.com/