# Japan Business Etiquette Training > Practical Japan business etiquette training: meeting conduct, meishi exchange, seating, written communication, hospitality. Delivered by Takashi… - **Source:** https://www.silkdrive.com/training/japan-business-etiquette - **Cluster:** cross-cultural training Takashi Kawatani, Diversity Management Institute, lead trainer for Japan business etiquette training Japan Business Etiquette Practical preparation in the visible protocols that shape Japanese business interactions: meeting conduct, meishi exchange, seating hierarchy, written communication, dining, and gift-giving. Delivered by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute, 35+ years) and Silkdrive. [Book a Discovery Call](/book-a-call) [View Curriculum](/training/japan-business-etiquette#curriculum) Teams trained by Kawatani-sensei across 35+ years include - Toyota, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Sony, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Panasonic, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Nokia, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Mitsubishi Electric, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - MUFG Bank, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - NEC, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Fujitsu, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - All Nippon Airways (ANA), teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - - - - - - - - - Takashi Kawatani, President of Diversity Management Institute Silkdrive is the preferred European delivery partner of Diversity Management Institute (Tokyo). Takashi Kawatani-sensei leads the Japan-side curriculum and trains directly; Silkdrive scopes engagements, contributes European-side context, and runs delivery. Co-delivery in Europe began in 2023. [More on the partnership →](/about-us#partnership) When teams commission this ## Japan business etiquette training is usually milestone-driven Most teams commission etiquette training ahead of a specific event rather than as ongoing development. Below is when the buying conversation typically starts. ### Before a first Japan trip A two to four-person delegation preparing for the first round of meetings with a Japanese partner, customer, or prospect. Half-day virtual session in the week before the trip is the most common format. ### Before hosting a Japanese delegation in Europe The European team is hosting Japanese visitors and wants to set the visit up so the Japanese side feels properly received. Covers agenda design, hospitality, dining, gift conventions, and conference reception conduct. ### Before joining a long-term Japanese account The account team is taking on a Japanese customer and the engagement runs across months or years. The etiquette training is the entry-level layer before deeper culture and negotiation training. ### Before a posting to Japan A staff member is being posted to a Japanese office or subsidiary. Etiquette training covers the office and meeting protocols they will encounter from day one, ahead of broader cultural integration. Curriculum ## What the training covers Five topic areas. Each can be covered at half-day depth or expanded into role-play and real-deal practice in longer formats. ### The first meeting - Greeting protocol, bow depth, handshake convention - Meishi (business card) exchange: presentation, receiving, placement on the table - Seating hierarchy (kamiza and shimoza) in the meeting room and at dinner - Order of introductions and who speaks first ### Meeting conduct - Opening pleasantries, when to skip them, when not to - Reading silence as response, not absence of response - How honne and tatemae shape what is said and what is meant - Closing the meeting: confirmation, next steps, follow-up timeline ### Written communication - Keigo (honorific language) basics for written English to Japanese counterparts - Email opening, closing, and signature conventions - Document formatting expectations: bilingual, JCT-explicit, fiscal-year aligned - When to write in Japanese, when English is preferred, when a translator is needed ### Hospitality and dining - Hosting a Japanese delegation in Europe: agenda, dinner, gift expectations - Being hosted in Japan: nomikai protocol, sake pouring, taxi seating - Gift-giving (omiyage): what to bring, what to avoid, presentation conventions - Conference, trade fair, and reception conduct ### Hierarchy signals - Reading rank from business cards, seating, and order of speaking - Addressing senior and junior counterparts correctly (-san, -sama, role titles) - Senpai-kohai dynamics in mixed teams - When to defer, when to lead, how to ask without losing face Expert Trainer ## Meet Takashi Kawatani, 河谷隆司 35+ years helping professionals succeed in Japanese business culture, in partnership with Silkdrive on the EU↔Japan corridor. Takashi Kawatani, Diversity Management Institute, Japanese cross-cultural training expert ### Today - President, Diversity Management Institute (1989 to present) - Founder, Success Japan Initiative - Host of 'Japan Spirit', English-language internet show - Trains Fortune 500 clients, business associations, and government bodies across 20+ countries ### Publications & Recognition - Author of 13 books, incl. Winning Together at Japanese Companies (Beyond-Global, 2015) and titles published by Nikkei, PHP, and SANNO - Creator of 10 e-learning products on Japanese business culture - 13,000+ students enrolled across Udemy courses, 4.4★+ ratings - Global HR Excellence Award, World HRD Congress 2011 ### Background - Lecturer in international business, Sanno Institute of Management - Special Advisor, Japan Overseas Enterprises Association - Visiting researcher, ISIS Malaysia (Institute of Strategic and International Studies) - Doctoral studies, Human and Organizational Development, Fielding Graduate University (USA) Pricing & Formats ## Indicative pricing for Japan business etiquette training Priced per group session, never per participant, so the per-person figure follows from the group size rather than being a rate. Sessions cap at ten because they are interactive; a larger team runs as more groups. Starting figures, excluding VAT, with travel and accommodation billed separately, and the final amount confirmed in writing after the intake call. Most Common Multi-session programme From €7,600 4 sessions, 2 groups of 10, over 2 to 4 weeks - €380 per person for the whole programme - Typical engagement €11,400 to €19,000, three to five groups of ten - Online, the format most programmes run in - The sum of its sessions, with no separate minimum Full day on-site From €3,500 6 to 7 hours, one group of up to 10 - €350 per person - Travel and accommodation separate Half-day on-site From €2,700 4 hours, one group of up to 10 - €270 per person - Travel and accommodation separate Half-day online From €1,900 3 hours, one group of up to 10 - €190 per person [Book a Scoping Call](/book-a-call) FAQ ## Frequently Asked Questions Common questions about Japan business etiquette training. ### What is Japan business etiquette training and who needs it? ### How long does the training take? ### What is the difference between Japan business etiquette training and Japan business culture training? ### Who delivers Silkdrive's Japan business etiquette training? ### What does Japan business etiquette training cost? ### Is the training delivered in English? ### Can we run etiquette training right before a Japan trip? ### Further Reading - [Japanese Business Etiquette: The Working Reference](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) , the full written guide that the training expands on. - [Japanese Business Culture Training](/training/japan-business-culture) , the deeper programme on what underpins the etiquette. - [Cross-Cultural Training for Japan](/training/cross-cultural-training-japan) , the full programme catalogue. - [Honne and Tatemae: Reading What Japanese Partners Actually Mean](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) - [Nemawashi: How Japanese Companies Actually Make Decisions](/insights/nemawashi-japanese-decision-making) ## Brief Your Team Before the Japan Trip Tell us the trip, the meetings, and the cohort. We will come back with a programme proposal, named trainer, and a clear budget. [Book a Discovery Call](/book-a-call) [See Cross-Cultural Training for Japan](/training/cross-cultural-training-japan) Insights ## From our insights Deeper reading on this topic from the Silkdrive team. [Japanese Business Etiquette: The Manners and Protocol That Matter](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) [Cross-Cultural Training](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) ### [Japanese Business Etiquette: The Manners and Protocol That Matter](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) [Japanese business etiquette protocol by protocol: greetings and bows, meishi exchange, meeting seating, gifts, dining, correspondence, and dress, with an EU-country delta table for Dutch, German, French, and UK executives.](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) [Apr 28, 2026](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) [Patric Sawada](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) [18 min read](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) [japanese business etiquette](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) [business etiquette in japan](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) [japanese business manners](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette) [Japanese Etiquette for European Executives: The Country-by-Country Delta](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) [Cross-Cultural Training](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) ### [Japanese Etiquette for European Executives: The Country-by-Country Delta](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) [What changes for European executives specifically in Japan: how far Dutch, German, and French baselines each have to move on greetings, directness, hierarchy, decision pace, gifts, and dining, with a country-by-country delta table.](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) [Jun 22, 2026](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) [Patric Sawada](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) [21 min read](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) [japanese business etiquette](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) [japanese business greetings](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) [meishi exchange](/insights/japanese-business-etiquette-european-executives) [Honne and Tatemae: What Japanese Partners Really Mean](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) [Cross-Cultural Training](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) ### [Honne and Tatemae: What Japanese Partners Really Mean](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) [Honne (本音) is the real opinion. Tatemae (建前) is the public position. Here's how to read the gap between them in Japanese business settings, and why pushing for directness makes it wider.](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) [Apr 28, 2026](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) [Patric Sawada](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) [14 min read](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) [honne tatemae](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) [japanese communication](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) [japanese business culture](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication)