Exchanging business cards in Japan (meishi kokan) is a ritualized activity. For the Japanese, a person's business card is an identifying tool that does far more than conveniently convey a way to get in touch later. The position of the person and the status of the company he or she works for are vitally important as indicators of how others should comport themselves with him. For example, one might show greater respect to a junior executive of Toyota than to a senior executive of a smaller, less powerful company.
Cards are therefore exchanged at every opportunity and with a fair degree of ceremony. Make sure you have a lot with you on a trip to Japan; you may be surprised how quickly they disappear, and it is unacceptable to run out. Be sure to carry your cards wherever you go.
Some people in the United States are in the habit of inserting a few stray cards in their wallet. To the Japanese, however, reaching to your rear side for your credentials (or putting their card in your rear pocket) is thought to be crude. You should place your cards in a distinctive case and carry it in the front inside pocket of your jacket, or in a handy place in your purse for women. Remember that a card case is only for business cards–not money, credit cards, or family pictures.
If you are going to be meeting people for the first time, expect to exchange cards and have them ready so you don't have to search for them. Make sure they are clean, without pen corrections or notes. If you want to give someone your hotel number, have it handy, but don't have it written on your card.
Give your card carefully with your right or both hands and, by all means, don't deal your cards out like you were playing poker. Also, be careful not to cover your logo while proffering your card. Giving or receiving anything with two hands elevates the other person. Keep this in mind when meeting a Japanese of much higher rank than yourself or a potentially important customer. Even if you have not been able to use two hands during the exchange, it is polite to hold the other party's card with both hands or hold it on top of your card case with both hands.
After receiving a business card, you should then take time to read it carefully and comment on something contained in it, if you can (such as the logo, the address or person's position) before carefully putting it away. To not read it is to imply the person is not important. Also, by reading it, you may gain valuable information about the person's status, which will be a determining factor in how much respect you need to show. Far from being uncomfortable with status differences, Japanese will search for an element that clarifies who has a higher rank. If the person you have received a card from is of higher status than you (or is your customer) you should not put his card away before he puts yours away.
It is critical that you treat Japanese business cards with respect because to them, their card is a personal representation. DO NOT WRITE ON IT. Keep a small notebook for this purpose, such as noting something that is not translated into English. Later you may wish to make many identifying and incidental notes about the person, but don't deface the person's card in his presence.
It is important to hand your card so the receiver can read it without turning it around. If you’re speaking in English, proffering it with the English side up is just fine. They will probably check the Japanese side for pronunciation and title, not to mention just seeing if you cared enough to have it translated! Make both sides look like the “front” (meaning have a logo on both sides).
During a meeting, it's very acceptable and common in Japan, to place the cards you've received in front of you on the table to help you remember people's names. Japanese will line them up in order and often check the name and title of a person who speaks for the first time. When the Japanese collect the cards is a sure sign that the discussion is over. Be sure you don’t leave any cards behind!
