Couples may spend many hours of the day apart from one another, in contrast to American households. Children may live with their parents, especially young women, until they are married, rather than leaving after they depart for university. Children often have many outside academic and extracurricular commitments that keep them away from the home, although when at home they are more likely than American children to be responsive to the will of their parents.
Hospitality
The Japanese rarely entertain at home. If your hosts to entertain you at home, this is a great honor. Make sure to bring a gift for the household if they do. In Japan, the wrapping of the gift is of equal importance to the gift itself, so make sure that the presentation is striking. Style is tantamount. "The gift itself is of little importance, the ceremony surrounding it is very important." (Williams, "Behavior, 2003) However, do not use white to wrap the gifts, as it symbolizes death.
Ethical considerations
Do not attempt to impose one's values about pluralism, feminism, or other issues while in Japan -- one is unlikely to change a society such as Japan through argument. Remarks about the treatment of ethnic minorities in America or Japan, or of the hostile relationship between Japan and America during World War II are best avoided.
Legal and Government Considerations
Japan's form of government is that of a parliamentarian democracy under the rule of a constitutional monarch. The Prime Minister is its chief government officer. (Williams,...
Government regulations remain fairy pro-business.
Codes
For the Japanese, it is the employees who are members of the corporation, not the stockholders, as in the United States. "This reflects the reality of the structure of corporate control in Japanese companies." (Yamakawa, 1999)
Labor regulations
The "employee community" model, or the sharing of many common interests by management and workers, "can explain a number of the distinctive behaviors of large Japanese corporations. One such feature is the policy of long-term employment," even when profits are down. (Yamakawa, 1999) it may be more difficult to fire employees, thus, in Japan, than an American employer may be accustomed at home.
Works Cited
Williams, D. "Japan." Global Edge. [6 Oct 2007]
http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/offsite.asp?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecyborlink%2Ecom&ResourceCategoryID=17&CategoryTitleText=Reference%3A+Culture&ResourceLinkText=Business+Etiquette+Around+the+World&GRPage=GR%5FCulture%2Easp&ResourceCategoryDataID=2185
Yamakawa, Ryuichi. "The Silence of Stockholders: Japanese Labor Law from the Viewpoint of Corporate Governance." Special Topic. JP Bulletin. Vol.38-No.11
November 1,1999. [6 Oct 2006] http://www.jil.go.jp/bulletin/year/1999/vol38-11/04.htm
