In Japan there are six parts to a business meeting: the pre-meeting preparation, the opening ceremonies of a meeting, the discussion itself, the conclusion, the departure and of course the follow-up procedures. All face various cultural points which can either spell success or disaster for your cause.

Before any meeting, in any culture, you must always prepare for your meeting. This includes calling the opposite party and arranging time and location details, preparing your notes and hand out material and of course your own personal appearance. In Japan, the arrangement of the meeting is generally the same, however your notes must always be made available in both Japanese and English in case there is a member of the opposite party which is not fluent in English. This will let the company your dealing with understand that you respect their language and have made the forethought to include everyone in the proceedings.

Second, which might differ between Japan and your own country is consideration for your appearance. In Japan you must always be well shaved, clean hair and smell good. If you are a male you must wear a dark colored suit (dark grey is acceptable) with a tie. Never wear a black tie, it is only appropriate at a Funeral. Your dress will indicate your station; the better your clothes the more respect you will garner. Women must try not to wear heels which make them seem taller than their male counter-parts as this can intimidate some Japanese Businessmen.

Third, you must not have any piercings. If you have an ear piercing as a male you must remove it before the meeting. Any piercing or visible tattoo is a no-no in the culture and will make your status much lower and disqualify you as an authority on whatever topic you are discussing.

Fourth, prepare Meishi or Business Cards. These will be critical in your meeting as we will see in the next section.

When you arrive at the Japanese Company you are dealing with it is important to call your contact and let them know you have arrived. They will generally meet you in the lobby and bring you to a conference room. When you arrive there they may or may not leave and get the remainder of the meeting participants from their workstations. At this time it is important NOT TO SIT DOWN! You must remain on your feet until everyone is present.

When everyone has arrived both companies will line up and exchange meishi or business cards between perspective members. Generally when you receive a business card you should bow and hold the card with both hands, it is a sign of respect. When you give yours it is polite to say your last name followed by "desu, yoroshiku onegai shimasu," loosely translated to "My name is <name> please treat me kindly."

Once this has been done you may sit down, here you must lay out all of the business cards you just received in a row in front of you (do not write on or put them in your pocket until the meeting is finished).

When the meeting begins it is polite to allow the meeting coordinator to introduce everyone. At this point their side may as well introduce the party members. Once this has been completed the meeting may start properly and is generally led by whomever is most senior.

In Japanese business there is often silent pauses and much consideration. Do not be alarmed if your counter-parties do not speak for long periods of time. In fact, it is a good sign if they do not have many questions (as long as you are sure they understand what is being said). However, smiling and lots of head nodding may be a sign of lack of understanding. Be careful.

Often elderly members of the counter party side will sleep during business meetings. This is perfectly acceptable and do not be alarmed, they are very tired and get little rest. Usually they are not needed in the meeting and take a nap, strange as it may seem.

Handouts should be given individually and with reverence, be careful not to throw paper aside or speak too quickly after giving the hand-out; give your audience a moment to skim the document over before speaking about it. Silence is OK in these types of meetings.

After the meeting topics have been discussed it is polite to ask for questions and assign 'next tasks' for everyone involved. Usually meeting minutes should be prepared by the meeting preparer and sent to everyone involved in the meeting. Wrapping up a meeting is generally quick and does not involve much ceremony but it is very important to remember one point.

If you say you will do something in a meeting, you will be held to that and not able to change your mind! Remember, you must follow through with whatever you say or there will be very steep consequences (generally an unhappy customer). You can look at meeting topics as verbal agreements which if broken is generally frowned upon as unreliable.

After the meeting has concluded you will generally pack your belongings and be shown to the elevator for departure. At this point your party will enter the elevator and the Japanese counter-party will stand in the hall and bow very low. Generally to the point where they are verticle with the floor depending on your status. You in turn should bow as low to show respect as the elevator doors close. This is a procedure followed by every company I've ever encountered in Japan.

Some final points to consider in a Japanese meeting is to be polite, courteousy and consider those around you. Do not make overly aggressive hand gestures, speak quietly and politely and make sure that you do not stand out in dress and attire too overtly as this will generally turn off your audience. In Japan the standard is to work with the group, the individual is not very appreciated. So keep that in mind when you deal with the Japanese Company and you should do fine.

As always if you have any questions or remarks please leave a comment below!