Although myth indicates that Japan was founded in 660 BCE by Emperor Jimmu, the first clear records concerning Japan are provided by the Chinese almost one thousand years later, in the third century CE. Since its beginnings, Japan has...

By Western standards, the way the Japanese make decisions may seem slow and tedious. The Japanese tend to be cautious and thorough, with a tendency toward kiken kaihi, or risk avoidance, and prefer to conduct business by using a group of...

Corporate Japan has been going through a significant transition. Overall, the Japanese business culture is characterized by formal interpersonal relations, group orientation, structured processes, and defined protocols with a...

The unit of currency in Mexico is the peso, which is equivalent to 100 centavos. Notes are available in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 pesos, and coins are available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 pesos. Coins worth...

As Japan’s capital city and the hub of Japanese business, government, and finance, Tokyo is the number one destination for foreigners relocating to Japan. Japan’s largest city, which became the capital in 1868, is a study in contrasts,...

Explore cultural tips and etiquette for visiting people’s homes, especially when it comes to shedding your shoes and wearing guest slippers. Learn more about local practices for house slippers, toilet slippers, and even garden slippers....

The standard dialect of Japanese is spoken throughout the country, although there are some regional differences in accent. English is taught in many schools and is the most common language other than Japanese that is spoken in the...

Education plays such a key role in Japanese life, it's hard to overestimate its importance. Whether a child gets into the right school early on determines whether he or she will attend the right university—which, in turn, can determine...

While Japan has long been considered extremely safe, no country, of course, is 100 percent safe. Economic problems have led to greater unemployment, and, according to the Japanese, relatively lower moral standards. A few years ago, any...

Located off the east coast of Asia, Japan consists of four main islands and a chain of several thousand islands that goes from north to south. A little larger than Italy and a little smaller than the state of California, the country is...

In Japan, it is generally expected that women will work for a few years after graduation until children are born. Those with school-age children may go back to work part-time, usually for a low hourly wage. Slowly, however, attitudes are...

The Japanese tend to be very cautious and thorough in their decision-making and have a relatively low willingness and ability to tolerate risk. Kiken kaihi, or risk avoidance, is a key principle in Japanese diplomacy and bargaining....

Maintaining harmony is an essential aspect of Japanese business culture, including negotiations. To the Japanese, negotiations are a fluid process based on diligent preparation and mutual respect. Learn more about how indirect...

Gift-giving is a key cultural tradition in all aspects of Japanese life. Accordingly, it is taken very seriously in Japan, and much care goes into choosing an appropriate gift—whether it’s for a first meeting, the close of a business...

Did you know that business meetings in Japan tend to be more formal than in many other countries? Developing trust is absolutely key. Learn more about specific protocols for business meetings, including when to arrive, appropriate...

The Japanese love to give gifts. The two main Japan-wide gift-giving seasons are July (Ochugen), when people wish each other summer greetings and good health, and December (Oseibo), to show appreciation for assistance offered during the...

The Japanese currency is the yen. Coins are available in 1, 5, 10, and 100 yen, whereas notes are valued at 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen. Japan is still mainly a cash society, and many small businesses even pay salaries in cash. Unless...

Mexicans are usually warm and gentle toward strangers, including foreigners. They’ll sometimes stare at them, especially if the foreigners don’t look like Americans, whom they’re used to seeing. Curiosity and wonder quickly vanish once...

The Japanese cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe rank just after Tokyo in popularity, and each is unique in its landscape, local culture, and lifestyle. In traditional Kyoto, the pace of life is less frenetic than in Tokyo, and people tend...

The island of Kyushu claims a long history of trade and interaction with Europe, evident in the numerous churches on the island, and with Korea and China, which has made the locals far more open to foreigners than other Japanese. It’s...

The Japanese use chopsticks for all varieties of Japanese food, although some restaurants that are used to tourists can provide knives and forks. Learn why you should never leave your chopsticks standing upright in your rice and other...

Many of the values and basic assumptions the Japanese make about life have their origins in Buddhism and Shintoism. The primacy of the group or the collective good and the value placed on maintaining harmony are particularly strong and...

Explore the influence of religion on Japan over the centuries. Learn about Shinto, Japan’s indigenous religion, which is still practiced but serves mainly as a source of traditional customs and festivals. It has slightly more followers...

The Japanese aren’t usually avid joke tellers, but put them in a group, and they’ll sometimes do humorous imitations of friends and colleagues. Such imitations aren’t considered rude; indeed, they’re often performed in front of the...