Japan is also known as the Land of the Rising Sun which is located in Asia. It is a place where East meets West and the Traditional convenes with Modernity. More so, it has a collectivist culture wherein the concentration is on the welfare of the majority rather than of a single person (Pearson Education, Inc).
Japanese usually put first the interests of others instead of their own by showing respect and imposing regulations that would benefit the greater good.
For example, former Prime Minister Koizumi proposed the “not wearing of neckties during the summer” to provide relief too many employees and at the same time to save energy which reduces the cost of the daily operations of many business establishments. Moreover, as a sign of respect, Japanese bow to people they encounter whether they are natives or foreigners. They also add the word “san” to the last name of person that they have just met.
Another Japanese practice of showing respect is giving more valuable gifts to individuals who have higher and more senior position. By doing so, it signifies ones’ respect for a person’s position in the company. Also, in handing out business cards, senior level employees are given the privilege to give first and then the card must be received using both hands. Putting of the card in the wallet of shirt or pants pocket is a taboo in Japanese culture. The weird part is that when you “drop the calling card on the floor,” it immediately shows disrespect.
The Term Paper on Japanese Culture
Japan is known for its very good and very beautiful entertainers called geisha. Geisha in Japanese means “artist. The history of geisha began during the 11th century when two women created a new kind of dance to entertain warriors. They wore white dresses to represent the court dresses of warriors. They also wore hats, long white gown and sword. The dance attracted many people and the dress was ...
For me, this belief is a little bit absurd because respect is earned and not commanded. More so, a piece of paper like the calling card cannot fully measure the competence and a vehicle to compel people to show respect. I think that the Japanese are a conservative and traditional people who give great importance to their elderly and superiors, which is an admirable characteristic but simple a act such as accidentally “dropping a calling card” should not be perceived as an act of being ill-mannered (Executiveplanet. com).
