AllExperts > Japanese Culture 
Search      
Japanese Culture
Volunteer
Answers to thousands of questions
 Home · More Japanese Culture Questions · Question Library  · Free Encyclopedia ·
More Japanese Culture Answers
Question Library

Ask a question about Japanese Culture
Volunteer
Experts of the Month
Expert Login

Awards

About Us
Tell friends
Link to Us
Disclaimer

 
 
 
About Tai Yamanaka
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
I can answer questions regarding Japanese business culture, business etiquette, corporate society, as well as provide know-how on how to research industries, corporations and communicate with business contacts.

Experience
I have over 20 years of experience working in Japanese corporations as well as for American corporations doing business with Japan. I have served as a representative as well as a go-between for American and other corporations with Japanese businesses, industry and scholarly associations as well as government agencies

   

You are here:  Experts > Cultures > Japanese Culture > Japanese Culture

SubjectDate AskedExpert

Bell as gift11/10/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I'm going on a school trip in which I will meet youths from a Japanese School. I've already bought ...
  A: A bell is a good gift. We Japanese like bells - smalls ones, big ones. The sound of bells is how we ...
Wedding gift11/5/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I have a corporate customer who is a Japanese National on assignment in the USA. He recently eloped ...
  A: There is nothing in our tradition that would suggest any type of gift in this situation. Any gift ...
Phone interview with US subsidiary of Japanese firm11/2/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I have a phone interview with a US subsidiary of a Japanese company and I was told that cultural fit ...
  A: Not knowing the subject of your phone interview, I can only provide general pointers, but here goes: ...
gift giving10/7/2009Philip Lafeber
  Q: I am living in Okinawa and feel a little confused with the gift giving cycle! A neighbor helped ...
  A: It is a nice question you are asking. I didn't know much about Okinawa (well, I still don't) but I ...
Gift of money9/29/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: Over 20 years ago we hosted a Japanese exchange student. Today I received a check (large amt) from ...
  A: The problem seems to lie with her family, rather than with Japanese culture. The reason for this is ...
Gogyo, Mitsubishi9/20/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I have been having trouble getting definitive answers to the following questions and do not want to ...
  A: What you’re referring to is called the gogyo-setsu theory in Japanese, which comes from the ancient ...
にvsで9/12/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: ん I know it's the wrong category, but the expert on the Japanese language is currently ...
  A: The difference in the use of "ni" and "de" that are particles that show place happens with the ...
protocol with Japanese guests9/6/2009Jewel
  Q: The mother of our son's girlfriend is in the US visiting from Japan. She speaks no English. Her ...
  A: Not knowing the mother is difficult, but I think a dinner at home would be the best option here ...
Meaning of a gift received from a client8/12/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I am an executive chauffer and one of my clients from Japan who was in the states for about 1 yr. ...
  A: Not everything has a deep meaning. It seems that the two pieces of cloth are what are called ...
Teaching in Japan7/28/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: a read many of your answers regaurding the school year in Japan but I read elsewhere that during the ...
  A: Students are not required to attend school regularly during their summer vacation, but they have ...
Japanese School Vacations7/6/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: How many vacations do Japanese schools get, and how long are they?
  A: There are some Japanese schools with two semesters and others with three semesters, but the length ...
Family6/19/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: How many children can a couple have? Also can they adopt a child from other countries? Can they ...
  A: Unlike in China, there is no limit to the number of children Japanese couples may have. There are ...
JAPANESE THANK YOU GIFT6/12/2009Philip Lafeber
  Q: I HAVE BEEN WORKINIG WITH A GENTLEMAN FROM JAPAN HE IS NOW TRANSFERRING BACK AND I WOULD LIKE TO ...
  A: If it were me, I would give something that is particular to my own culture or region. It is somewhat ...
First and last names6/6/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I would want to know about the first names and last names in Japan, is last name then first name?? ...
  A: Yes, the Japanese convention is to state the family name (i.e., surname or "last name") first, ...
Introductions6/2/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: How would someone be introduced and/or introduce themselves in Japanese schools and businesses? What ...
  A: A person being introduced or introducing oneself in Japanese schools and businesses would do so just ...
Japanese school uniforms5/15/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: What do high school students wear to school? What do private school students wear to school?
  A: In Japan, there are more schools that have some sort of uniform, than those without, unlike the ...
Gift for Japanese Friends Moving Away4/29/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: Japanese friends who have lived here in the US for several years will be moving soon. What would be ...
  A: In Japan, there are cases when money is presented as parting gift, but in the case of friends, a ...
Education and age taboos4/24/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: Hi I was just wondering if you could tell me if there were any taboos in Japan relating to education ...
  A: Taboos are items that certain communities are not supposed to do or to discuss, so that by their ...
Nursing Considerations4/17/2009Philip Lafeber
  Q: I am in nursing school and was wondering if there is any special nursing considerations for Japanese ...
  A: Though I do not know so much about this, there is a little personal experience that I can share. ...
Colors and types of flowers appropriate for Japanese funerals4/17/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: On 4/26/09, our Aikido dojo will be celebrating the anniversary of our founder's death (Morehei ...
  A: In Japanese funerals, right after the person has passed away, decorative flowers are chosen in white ...
Honorifics in business situations3/4/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I recently have been communicating frequently with a Japanese customer, and have been addressing him ...
  A: In the business context, the highest honorific is "sama." You would use this form for anyone higher ...
Namban-jin3/3/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: The word Namban-jin is currently translated by "barbarians from the south", but it is likely that ...
  A: "Nam" is the phonetic reading of "minami," which is the South. "Ban" means "savage" or "barbarous." ...
Japanese Business Expressions2/26/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: Can you give me the Japanese words for the expression "big company disease"? Also, do you have a ...
  A: "Dai kigyo byo" is the direct translation of "big company disease" and is normally used to refer to ...
Gift for male business client2/10/2009Tai Yamanaka
  Q: Are flowers an appropriate gift for a Japanese male business client? If so, are there any ...
  A: There is nothing in Japanese culture that says flowers shouldn't be sent to male clients. Assuming ...
ShiShi1/15/2009Tim Clark
  Q: My name is also Tim. When I was stationed in Okinawa in 2006, I became fascinated with the Shi SHi ...
  A: Well, many shrines used to have many different versions. Today most shrines have the two shishi, and ...
kami1/14/2009Jewel
  Q: Can you please tell me, what is the plural of "kami"--such as in Shinto's "Five Kamis ~five Kamies ...
  A: It's really difficult to know a lot of time if someone is using kami for singular or plural because ...
Gifts for a baby before the birth1/11/2009Philip Lafeber
  Q: I have a Japanese friend who is pregnant. She lost their first through miscarriage but is beyond ...
  A: There is no problem in giving the gift before the birth. As for what to give; I would suggest ...
questions on geishas1/3/2009Jewel
  Q: I was just courious as to why they paint their backs and leave those 2 or 3 points of skin on the ...
  A: Answer 1: For the geisha, the back of the neck and back is very sexy (sort of like short skirts or ...
Student ages in Japanese schools12/4/2008Tai Yamanaka
  Q: how old are the students when they enter high school? how old are are the students when they enter ...
  A: Japanese students typically spend 1 year in kindergarten, 6 years in grammar school, 3 years in ...
Japanese Education12/4/2008Tai Yamanaka
  Q: What is the Taditional Customs of How Japanese people educated.
  A: Japanese typically go through one or two years of pre-school (kindergarten), followed by six years ...
materialism11/29/2008Tim Clark
  Q: are japanese cultures more hierarchy than the united states? how could you interact with japanese ...
  A: Well as far as materialism goes, it is a difficult thing to answer. In the US, many people are ...
Appropriate New Baby Gift11/17/2008Tai Yamanaka
  Q: We are close friends with the Sushi Master at our favorite place. We would like to give a gift for ...
  A: There is no special gift for sushi chefs that would be more appropriate than another. Also, there ...
Gifts for parents and relatives11/6/2008Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I will be traveling to Tokyo for my son's wedding soon. I have met his fiance but not family. I ...
  A: There are no rules for determining what is appropriate as gifts for parents and relatives of your ...
Lesbianism10/26/2008Tim Clark
  Q: Is Lesbianism accepted or condemned by Shintoism? ANSWER: Hi Alex. Well, since Shinto has no ...
  A: Well, the oldest written history of Japan was around 600 AD, called the Kojiki. In it it details the ...
Lesbianism10/23/2008Tim Clark
  Q: Is Lesbianism accepted or condemned by Shintoism?
  A: Well, since Shinto has no theology, no doctrine, it really does not condemn very much. There is no ...
Ronin10/22/2008Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I have a Japanese friend who has been disowned by her family and considers herself Ronin. I am ...
  A: What happened can happen in any society, and not just in the Japanese culture. Disownment is an ...
Addressing female business executive10/21/2008Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I am unsure of how to address a female business executive I work with primarily by email. She ...
  A: Yes, as an American, it is okay for you to use -"san" and that would not sound contrived. It would ...
Addressing female business executive10/21/2008Tai Yamanaka
  Q: I am unsure of how to address a female business executive I work with primarily by email. She ...
  A: Here's a two-part answer to that question. The really uptight, proper consideration is that (1) ...
Modesty10/20/2008Philip Lafeber
  Q: I have heard that the Japanese have a great deal of modesty about blowing the nose. Do they try go ...
  A: It's true that I can't remember seeing a Japanese person blowing the nose. Then again, I am not into ...
School Culture9/3/2008Philip Lafeber
  Q: Now I've been watching some old japanese drama shows about bullying, also read, and I've read ...
  A: After all I did find out about the meaning of flowers on a desk; If the flowers are roses, someone ...

Page:   1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  |  Next      All


Questions by
Active Experts:
Tai YamanakaPhilip LafeberJewel
   

Email this page
     
User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy | Help
Copyright  © 2006 About, Inc. AllExperts, AllExperts.com, and About.com are registered trademarks of About, Inc. All rights reserved.