✨Stars — Indicate the difficulty level of the book content.
★☆☆ 1 Star: Easy to read and understand.
★★☆ 2 Stars: Moderate difficulty with some specialized terms.
★★★ 3 Stars: Advanced content with complex ideas and terminology.
About the Book
■Title: Business Manners (ビジネスマナー)
■Edited by: Japan Management Association Management Center (JMAM)
■Publisher: Japan Management Association Management Center (JMAM)
The Japan Management Association (JMA) is one of Japan’s leading educational institutions, dedicated to supporting personal growth and talent development. Its core focus lies in two key areas: designing learning and designing time. Their corporate message, “Enjoy your growth!”, strongly resonates with the values I pursue on this blog.
A key subsidiary of JMA, the Japan Management Association Management Center (JMAM), specializes in publishing and educational content, particularly in self-development and business training. In this post, I’ll introduce a book that covers the essential business manners every professional working in Japan should know.
Summary
This book offers a clear and beginner-friendly explanation of the essential business manners needed for working in a Japanese company, using helpful illustrations to make the content easy to understand. It covers key areas such as proper attire, greetings, communication, handling phone calls, and customer service—everything you need to navigate most business situations in Japan.
As a Korean who has worked in Japan for many years, I found myself relating to many of the points mentioned in this book. I highly recommend it to new employees or anyone starting their first job in Japan, especially those from abroad adjusting to Japanese workplace culture.
Notable Quotes
■仕事は、社内の人はもちろん、取引先、お客様など多くの人たちとの関りで成り立っています。社外の人にとって、「会社の顔」は目の前にいるあなたです。
Work is built on relationships—not only with colleagues inside the company, but also with clients, business partners, and many others. To those outside the company, you are the face of the organization.
■会社は学校などと違い、力不足の社員を雇い続ける理由はありません。上司や先輩は、あなたが会社に必要とされる人材になれるように、成長を促すために注意しているのです。
Unlike schools, companies have no reason to keep employees who don’t meet expectations. When your managers or seniors correct you, it’s to help you grow and become someone the company truly needs.
My Thoughts
We often see how one person’s rude behavior or careless words can damage the reputation of the entire company they belong to. Personally, there are times when I’m so exhausted that I can’t even manage a smile — yet the other person usually has no idea what I’m going through. That’s why I believe it’s important not to let my personal state negatively affect others.
Sometimes, I ask myself:
“What if this company were my own? How would that change my words and actions?”
Simply viewing things from that perspective can bring about a surprising change in how we carry ourselves.
Moreover, while it would be ideal to start your first job already familiar with all the necessary business manners, for newcomers, making mistakes is a natural part of the process.
What truly matters is having the mindset to reflect on those mistakes and avoid repeating them. And when a senior or supervisor points something out, if you can see it not as criticism but as advice for your growth, you’ll be able to accept it with gratitude rather than frustration.
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