Globalization has increased our interactions and communications with colleagues around the world. It’s tempting to think that just because we have access to phones and teleconferencing platforms, communications are the same everywhere....

China is the third-largest country in the world after Russia and Canada, covering 3.7 million square miles (9.6 million square kilometers). Its massive geography stretches from the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet in the west to the Yangtze...

Overall, the quality of the Singaporean workforce is high. In addition to having positive attitudes, workers generally apply their skills. There’s been a tendency to be lured by higher wages and to job-hop, particularly when unemployment...

Singaporeans generally have a pragmatic, no-nonsense attitude toward business; there are rarely hidden agendas. In this respect, the style is more like that of the United States and Europe than of other countries in Asia. Merchants and...

As Japan’s capital city and the hub of Japanese business, government, and finance, Tokyo is the number one destination for foreigners relocating to Japan. Japan’s largest city, which became the capital in 1868, is a study in contrasts,...

The Japanese cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe rank just after Tokyo in popularity, and each is unique in its landscape, local culture, and lifestyle. In traditional Kyoto, the pace of life is less frenetic than in Tokyo, and people tend...

The island of Kyushu claims a long history of trade and interaction with Europe, evident in the numerous churches on the island, and with Korea and China, which has made the locals far more open to foreigners than other Japanese. It’s...

The Japanese use chopsticks for all varieties of Japanese food, although some restaurants that are used to tourists can provide knives and forks. Learn why you should never leave your chopsticks standing upright in your rice and other...

Explore cultural tips and etiquette for visiting people’s homes, especially when it comes to shedding your shoes and wearing guest slippers. Learn more about local practices for house slippers, toilet slippers, and even garden slippers....

In Japan, corporate entertainment is an ancient tradition, and good business relationships are dependent on good personal relationships. One of the most common ways business associates and clients develop personal relationships is by...

The Japanese love the physical pleasures in life, including drinking, dancing, and adult nightlife. Explore the range of entertainment options, from stylish bars and foreign-influenced pubs to movie-going and the arts. The Japanese enjoy...

Many of the values and basic assumptions the Japanese make about life have their origins in Buddhism and Shintoism. The primacy of the group or the collective good and the value placed on maintaining harmony are particularly strong and...

Explore the influence of religion on Japan over the centuries. Learn about Shinto, Japan’s indigenous religion, which is still practiced but serves mainly as a source of traditional customs and festivals. It has slightly more followers...

Do men and women in Japan still treat each other as they traditionally did in the past? Is the dramatically increasing number of women in the workplace affecting male-female relationships? Are Western influences undermining traditional...

The standard dialect of Japanese is spoken throughout the country, although there are some regional differences in accent. English is taught in many schools and is the most common language other than Japanese that is spoken in the...

The Japanese aren’t usually avid joke tellers, but put them in a group, and they’ll sometimes do humorous imitations of friends and colleagues. Such imitations aren’t considered rude; indeed, they’re often performed in front of the...

Along with many people around the world, the Japanese are becoming increasingly concerned about the environment. Among several environmental concerns being debated, garbage disposal has become, quite literally, a burning issue. Having...

Education plays such a key role in Japanese life, it's hard to overestimate its importance. Whether a child gets into the right school early on determines whether he or she will attend the right university—which, in turn, can determine...

Depending on what country you call home, Japanese cooking and food preparation may be very different from what you are used to. Food in Japan ranges from traditional Japanese dishes to a wide range of foreign cuisines from around the...

Japan has a population of approximately 126 million, more than twice that of the United Kingdom and less than half that of the United States. But with 333 people per square kilometer, Japan is one of the most densely populated countries...

The Japanese love to give gifts. The two main Japan-wide gift-giving seasons are July (Ochugen), when people wish each other summer greetings and good health, and December (Oseibo), to show appreciation for assistance offered during the...

The Japanese enjoy socializing as much as other people, but their behavior may seem formal and unfamiliar to someone from another culture. Learn key do's and don'ts to ensure that you behave appropriately in social and business...

One major difference between Japanese and Western companies is that in Japan, no one person is usually identified as the personality or power behind a company’s policy or business strategy. Instead, ideas and strategies usually are...

While Japan has long been considered extremely safe, no country, of course, is 100 percent safe. Economic problems have led to greater unemployment, and, according to the Japanese, relatively lower moral standards. A few years ago, any...