1. Grooming and presentation, midashinami (身だしなみ) (a clean impression and TPO, suits and accessories, dressing for work at home)
Fashion, oshare (おしゃれ), is for yourself; grooming, midashinami (身だしなみ), is for the other person. Using the two yardsticks of a clean impression and TPO, you learn to prepare so that the first few seconds of a meeting never cost you.
Someone meeting you for the first time forms an impression from your hair, clothes, shoes and belongings before you say a word. The important point here is that grooming (midashinami) and fashion (oshare) are two different things. Fashion expresses your own taste, and you are the one who decides whether it is good. Grooming is consideration shown so that you do not make the other person uncomfortable, and it is the other person and the occasion that decide whether it is good. So "I like it myself" is not a reason that works for grooming. When you cannot decide, rephrase the question as how it looks from the other person's side.
In practice, look yourself over from top to bottom before you leave for work. Is your hair out of your eyes, and is there no bed hair? Are you shaving, or if you are growing a beard, is it neatly shaped? Are the collar and cuffs of your shirt free of grime, and are the creases pressed out? Is a button about to come off? Are your nails cut short and even? Are your shoes clean, and are the heels not worn down? Smell is hard to notice on yourself, so keep perfume and hair products light, and be careful that the smell of food or tobacco has not stayed on you. Avoid re-wearing yesterday's shirt on the grounds that the smell does not bother you. Your own nose is the least reliable judge of all.
What you wear is decided by TPO, that is, by time, place and occasion. First of all, if your workplace has a dress rule, that comes before everything else. The expression "office casual" has no nationally shared definition, and the range that is permitted differs from company to company, so check your own company's standard and match it. When you are unsure about a point that no written rule covers, leaning toward the more formal side rather than the more relaxed side will not let you down. On a day with visitors or a client visit, dress one step more carefully to match them; on a day when you tour a factory or a work site, follow the conditions the other party specifies for protective gear and footwear. In this way the very same clothes can be appropriate or not, depending on the occasion.
With a suit, the fit matters more than the price. If the shoulder line and the sleeve length are right, it looks well put together even if it was not expensive. The basic rule for accessories is to keep the number down; adding a wristwatch or a ring does not add trust. For a bag, choose one large enough to hold A4 documents without folding them and able to stand up on its own on the floor, so your movements do not become awkward at a client's office. The thinking is the same on days when you work from home and join online meetings. Even though only your upper body shows on screen, you may stand up partway through, and sudden errands do happen. Change into clothes that would cause no trouble if someone outside the company saw them, and before the meeting starts, check the area the camera captures, the background, and the direction of the light so that your face is not in shadow.
Grooming check before leaving for work
What to look at
In good order
Common mistake
Hair
Out of the eyes, no bed hair
Hiding bed hair under a hat and going to work
Shirt
Collar and cuffs white, no creases
Re-wearing yesterday's shirt after judging it by smell
Nails
Cut short and even, no dirt
Left long, standing out when you point at a document
Shoes
No dirt, heels not worn down
Tidying only the upper body and never looking at the feet
Putting your appearance in order so as not to make the other person uncomfortable. The standard of judgment lies not in your own taste but in the other person and the occasion.
a clean impression, seiketsukan (清潔感)
Being actually clean, plus a state that also reads as clean to the eye. Hair, nails, shoes, collar and cuffs, creases and smell are the main things to check.
TPO
The initials of time, place and occasion. The idea that the very same clothes can be appropriate or not once the occasion changes.
dress code
The rule on clothing required at a given occasion. At ceremonies and formal meals the host side may state one, and when it is stated you follow it.
office casual
A general term for commuting wear more relaxed than a suit. There is no nationally shared definition and the acceptable range differs by company, so check your own company's standard.
consideration about smell
Holding back smells from perfume, hair products, food, tobacco and the like. You grow used to your own and hardly notice it, and tastes differ from person to person.
dressing for work at home
Preparation that includes the area shown in an online meeting and the background. The idea that only the upper body needs attention collapses the moment you stand up.
Worked examples
At a workplace with no dress rule, you cannot decide what to wear. How do you decide?
Answer and reasoning When unsure, lean toward the more formal side. First look at what people generally wear in the office to learn the standard, and on days with visitors or a client visit, dress one step more carefully. Matching the most relaxed person in the office is mistaking the standard.
Working from home, a sudden online meeting comes up in the afternoon. How do you prepare?
Answer and reasoning Change into clothes that would cause no trouble if someone outside the company saw them, and check the area the camera captures and the background. The assumption that only your upper body shows collapses the moment you stand up.
You are going to tour a client's factory. How do you decide what to bring?
Answer and reasoning Check with them in advance about conditions for protective gear and footwear, and follow their instructions. In places where clothing is directly tied to safety, the host side's rules normally apply to visitors as well.
Sources and basis: ※ There is no public regulation on this. It is an organized summary of widely accepted business practice
2. Greetings, facial expression and bowing (eshaku, keirei, saikeirei)
First, looking at the person, in a voice that carries. You learn the basics of greeting and the three kinds of bow used for different occasions, right down to the order of the movements.
At work there are many chances to greet people in a single day. What makes the difference here is not the content but going first. Simply saying it yourself before the other person does changes the impression. In a voice that carries, looking the person in the eye, and if possible with your hands stopped. Answering while still looking at your computer screen is little different from not answering at all. In the morning it is "ohayo gozaimasu" (good morning); to people outside the company, "osewa ni natte orimasu" (thank you for your continued business); to someone going out, "itterasshaimase" (see you when you return); to someone who has come back, "okaerinasaimase" (welcome back); when you leave first, "osaki ni shitsurei shimasu" (excuse me for leaving before you), and those staying answer "otsukaresama deshita" (thank you for your work). Note that "gokurosama" is regarded as a way for a senior to thank a junior, so not using it to a superior is a widely shared practice.
Your expression reaches the other person before your words do. When you listen, raise the corners of your mouth and turn your whole body toward them. If holding eye contact is hard for you, rest your gaze not on the eyes themselves but around the eyes or the eyebrows, and it will still come across as looking at them. If you keep looking at the papers in front of you, it is taken as not listening. In situations where you are wearing a mask, your mouth is hidden, so pay conscious attention to the expression around your eyes and the tone of your voice.
Bows fall broadly into three kinds. The light bow, eshaku (会釈), is the lightest; it is used when you pass someone in a corridor, when you enter or leave a room, and when you walk past a visitor. The standard bow, keirei (敬礼), also called futsurei (普通礼), is the standard for formal moments such as receiving a visitor, greeting people at a place you are visiting, and exchanging business cards. The deepest bow, saikeirei (最敬礼), is the deepest of all and is used for a serious apology, deep thanks, or a formal send-off. The angle at which the upper body is bent is generally said to be around 15 degrees for eshaku, around 30 degrees for keirei and around 45 degrees for saikeirei, but these figures vary between schools of etiquette, and it is not a matter of having to hit an exact number of degrees. Rather than measuring the angle, it matters more that the depth matches the strength of the feeling.
What you should get right as form is posture and order. Stand with your heels together and bend your upper body from the waist while keeping your back straight. Bending only your neck looks unsettled. Rest your hands lightly one over the other in front of you, or let them fall naturally at your sides. Pause once at the bottom, come back up slowly, and look at the person once more at the end. Speaking first and then lowering your head, gosen-gorei (語先後礼), is regarded as more polite than dojirei (同時礼), where the words and the bow happen at the same time. In a situation where you and the other person bow at the same time, starting to lower your head before they do and coming up after they do conveys respect. In a send-off, the point is that you are still seeing the person off if they turn around, so do not straighten up the moment they turn their back; see them off until they are out of sight.
The three kinds of bow and when to use each
Kind
Mainly used for
Commonly cited guide
eshaku (light bow)
Passing in a corridor, entering or leaving a room, walking past a visitor
Upper body around 15 degrees (varies between schools)
keirei (standard bow)
Receiving a visitor, greeting at a place you visit, exchanging business cards
Upper body around 30 degrees (varies between schools)
saikeirei (deepest bow)
A serious apology, deep thanks, a formal send-off
Upper body around 45 degrees (varies between schools)
Speaking up yourself before the other person does. Compared with passively only answering, the impression changes greatly.
light bow, eshaku (会釈)
The lightest of the three kinds of bow. Used when passing someone in a corridor, when entering or leaving a room, and so on. Generally said to be around 15 degrees.
standard bow, keirei (敬礼), also futsurei (普通礼)
The bow that is standard for formal moments. Used when receiving a visitor, greeting people at a place you are visiting, and exchanging business cards. Generally said to be around 30 degrees.
deepest bow, saikeirei (最敬礼)
The deepest bow. Used for a serious apology, deep thanks, or a formal send-off. Generally said to be around 45 degrees.
words then bow, gosen-gorei (語先後礼)
The form of speaking first, looking at the person once, and then bowing. Regarded as more polite than dojirei (同時礼), where the words and the bow happen at the same time.
eye contact
Directing your gaze at the other person. If holding eye contact is hard for you, it is good to rest your gaze around the eyes or the eyebrows.
gokurosama (ご苦労さま) and otsukaresama (お疲れさま)
"Gokurosama" is regarded as a way for a senior to thank a junior, so the practice is to use "otsukaresama deshita" to a superior.
Worked examples
You pass a visitor you do not know in the corridor. What do you do?
Answer and reasoning Stop or slow your pace and give a light bow, eshaku. From the visitor's point of view every employee is a person of the same company, so whether they are your responsibility is beside the point. There is no need to bow deeply.
You speak to a superior who is leaving for the day. Which words do you use?
Answer and reasoning "Otsukaresama deshita." "Gokurosama" is regarded as a way for a senior to thank a junior, so it is not used to a superior.
At a place you are visiting, you and the other person end up bowing at the same time. How do you move?
Answer and reasoning Start lowering your head before they do, and come up after they do. If you come up first, you end up watching them while they are still bowing.
Sources and basis: ※ There is no public regulation on this. It is an organized summary of widely accepted business practice
3. Time, reporting and a word when you leave your desk (the basics of conduct as a working adult)
Being ready five minutes early, delivering bad news fastest of all, and the one line "I am stepping away from my desk." Trust is built by stacking up these three.
First, time. The start-of-work time is not "the time you arrive at the company" but "the time you can be at your desk and start working." Travel, changing clothes and booting your computer are finished before it. A common guide is to be seated five minutes before a meeting and to check in at reception five minutes before an appointment when visiting; arriving too early is also to be avoided, because it rushes the other side's preparations. The moment you realize you are going to be late, telephone right away. There is no guarantee the other person is looking at email or messages. What you convey is the fact that you will be late, the reason, and your expected time of arrival. Only once they know the expected time can they rearrange their schedule.
Next, reporting. When you receive an instruction, repeat the main points back, confirm the deadline and the form of the deliverable, and write them down. When you report, state the conclusion first, then what happened, and last your own view, keeping each separate. Mixing fact and conjecture leads the listener to a wrong judgment. On work that takes a long time, put in an interim report at each break point. Even if the direction has drifted partway through, it is hard for the person doing it to see, and the earlier you notice the smaller the correction. And the most important thing of all: the worse the news, the faster you tell it. Reasoning such as "after I have recovered it myself," "when the boss is in a good mood," or "after I have looked into the cause" all delays the report, and in the meantime the available options shrink.
When you leave your desk, add a word. If you tell the people near you where you are going and when you plan to be back, they can respond to any calls or visitors that arrive in the meantime with "he/she is expected back around such-and-such a time." An open computer screen is no proof that you are at your desk. Long absences and trips out are reflected in the schedule or on the shared board. When you leave for the day, speak to the people still there before you go.
Last, conduct in a shared space. As a basic rule, a mobile phone in a meeting is set to silent mode before the start, placed on the desk and not touched. Even with the sound off, if you look at the screen or operate it the speaker can tell. If you have a call you cannot avoid, say so beforehand and step out. Do not write information you learned through work on your private social media. Even if you withhold the company name, the other party can sometimes be identified from the date or the place, and even if you narrow who can see it, you cannot stop it being reposted. Continuing to talk about a case in a train or a cafe on the way is the same danger. Smoke only in the designated places, and do not slip away many times during working hours. On passive smoking in the workplace, Article 68-2 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (労働安全衛生法) requires employers to endeavor to take appropriate measures suited to the actual circumstances, in order to prevent workers from being exposed to passive smoking indoors or in an equivalent environment. Consideration about smells and noise is likewise part of caring for the people working in the same space.
Timing guides and the reason for each
Situation
Guide
Reason
Start of work
Ready to start at your desk at the start-of-work time
Because the start-of-work time is the starting time, not the arrival time
Internal meeting
Seated 5 minutes before
So that materials and connections are ready and it starts on time
Visiting a client
At reception 5 minutes before the appointment
Because arriving too early rushes the other side's preparations
When you may be late
Telephone at once, as soon as you know
Because the earlier it is, the more the other party can rearrange
Leaving your desk
After telling people where you are going and when you will be back
So the people around you can respond to calls and visitors
Managing time so that you are seated 5 minutes before a meeting and at reception 5 minutes before a visit. Arriving too early is also avoided, as it rushes the other side's preparations.
horenso (報連相), report-inform-consult
The initials of hokoku (report), renraku (inform) and sodan (consult). A report tells what is finished, informing shares facts that others need, and consulting raises what you want a judgment on.
speaking conclusion first
A way of speaking in which you state the result first and give what happened and your own view separately afterwards. It makes the next judgment easier for the listener.
interim report
Telling people how far along you are partway through the work. It lets a drift in direction be corrected while it is still small. The longer the work takes, the greater the effect.
a word when leaving your desk
Telling the people around you where you are going and when you plan to be back. It keeps calls and visitors from being left unattended.
prevention of passive smoking
Preventing exposure to other people's tobacco smoke. Article 68-2 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (労働安全衛生法) places on employers a duty to endeavor to take appropriate measures suited to the actual circumstances.
Worked examples
You find your own input error in work you were entrusted with. When do you report it?
Answer and reasoning Report the facts as they are, immediately on noticing. Reasoning such as "after I have fixed it myself" or "after I have looked into the cause" only delays the report, and in the meantime the moves available shrink.
You will be away from your desk for about 15 minutes for a discussion. What do you tell people?
Answer and reasoning Tell the people near you where you are going and when you plan to be back. Calls and visitors come regardless of your own convenience, so if they know your return time they can respond.
On the train back from a meeting, a senior colleague keeps talking about the case. What do you do?
Answer and reasoning Wrap it up by saying something like "I will hear the rest once we are back at the office." Even at a low voice, company names and case names carry to the people around you. Even when the other person is a senior, suggesting a change of place is not rude.
Sources and basis: ※ There is no public regulation on this. It is an organized summary of widely accepted business practice
Check quiz
Q1 | Personal presentation
Which is an appropriate explanation of the difference between midashinami (身だしなみ), presentable grooming, and oshare (おしゃれ), personal fashion?
Midashinami means wearing expensive things, and it is judged by price
Midashinami means keeping up with trends, and it is judged by the season
Midashinami is the effort to express your individuality, and it is judged by your own taste
Midashinami is care taken so as not to make others uncomfortable, and it is judged by the other person and the setting
AnswerD. Midashinami is care taken so as not to make others uncomfortable, and it is judged by the other person and the setting
It helps to sort it as: midashinami (身だしなみ) is for the other person, oshare (おしゃれ) is for yourself. The option that makes your own taste the standard simply applies the definition of oshare to midashinami. Price and fashion trends are measures separate from how the other person receives you.
Q2 | Checking your clothes
Which is NOT appropriate when checking your clothes before leaving for work?
Look at the shirt collar and cuffs in good light for stains
Wear yesterday's shirt again if the smell does not bother you
Check the wear on the heels of your shoes and dirt on the toes
Check the jacket for creases and for loose or half-detached buttons
AnswerB. Wear yesterday's shirt again if the smell does not bother you
You grow used to the smell of your own sweat and skin oils and stop noticing it, so using your own nose as the standard leads you astray. Changing your shirt daily is basic. The other three are all checks that keep you looking clean.
Q3 | Standards for dress
Which is an appropriate way to decide how to dress at work?
Treat the rules handed out when you joined as out of date, and don't bother checking them
Look around and match whoever is dressed most casually
Follow the company's rules if there are any, and where there is no rule and you are unsure, err towards the smarter side
Dress is a personal freedom, so you may put your own judgement above the rules
AnswerC. Follow the company's rules if there are any, and where there is no rule and you are unsure, err towards the smarter side
Standards for dress are set first by your workplace's rules. Where nothing is written down and you are unsure, erring towards the smarter rather than the more casual side goes wrong less often. Taking the most casual person as your benchmark pushes the idea of "just fit in" to an extreme.
Q4 | Office casual
Which is an appropriate explanation of the term "office casual"?
It means you may wear anything as long as it is not a suit
It means you may dress exactly the same on a day with visitors as on a day spent working in the office
There is a clear nationwide standard that holds across all industries
What is allowed differs by company and workplace, so check and match your own employer's standard
AnswerD. What is allowed differs by company and workplace, so check and match your own employer's standard
Office casual has no nationwide definition, and the range differs from company to company. "Anything as long as it is not a suit" takes the phrase too literally. On days with visitors or client calls, dress one notch smarter to match the other party.
Q5 | Nails and hair
Which is NOT appropriate as daily upkeep for looking clean?
Hide your bed hair under a hat and go to work as you are
Trim your nails short and even, and check that no dirt remains
Shave, or, if you keep facial hair, keep its length and shape trimmed
Arrange your hair so it does not fall over your eyes
AnswerA. Hide your bed hair under a hat and go to work as you are
Hiding and grooming are different things: the moment the hat comes off, you are back where you started. Looking clean is not about "keeping it out of sight" but about actually being in order. The other three are basics of upkeep.
Q6 | Smell
Which is appropriate consideration about smell in the workplace?
Go easy on perfume and hair products, and watch that food or cigarette smells are not lingering on you
Smell is a matter of personal taste, so there is no need to think about it at work
As long as you find a scent pleasant, others will find it just as pleasant even if you apply a lot
If someone's smell bothers you, tell a client rather than the person and have them deal with it
AnswerA. Go easy on perfume and hair products, and watch that food or cigarette smells are not lingering on you
You grow used to your own smell and stop noticing it, and tastes differ, so restraint is the rule. "If I like it, so will they" simply applies your own standard to someone else. Telling someone outside the company is entirely misdirected; if it needs raising, consult your manager internally.
Q7 | Choosing accessories
Which is an appropriate way to choose the items you carry with a suit?
The more watches and rings you wear, the more trust you earn
The colour and material of your shoes have nothing to do with your clothes, so anything goes
Choose a bag whose contents are visible from outside, and fold documents up small to carry them
A bag that takes A4 documents without folding them and stands up on its own on the floor is easy to handle
AnswerD. A bag that takes A4 documents without folding them and stands up on its own on the floor is easy to handle
At a client's office you often set your bag down on the floor, and one that stands by itself keeps your movements tidy. Whether A4 documents fit without folding is another practical test. Keep jewellery to a minimum; there is no relationship between quantity and trust.
Q8 | Dress when working from home
Which is NOT appropriate when getting ready for an online meeting while working from home?
Sit where light falls on you from the front so your face is not in shadow
Join in the loungewear you woke up in, since only your upper body is on screen
Check in advance what the camera shows, so personal belongings are not in the background
Change into clothes an outsider could see without difficulty, even if less formal than at the office
AnswerB. Join in the loungewear you woke up in, since only your upper body is on screen
You may stand up mid-meeting or go to fetch a document and your lower half will be seen, and you cannot respond to a sudden need to go out. Getting ready on the premise that "only my upper body shows" collapses the moment that premise fails.
Q9 | What TPO means
Which is an appropriate explanation of TPO in dress?
It is the idea that there is no need to change how you dress whoever you are meeting
As long as you always dress the same way, you are observing TPO in every situation
T is time, P is place and O is your own mood
It is the idea of choosing clothes according to time, place and occasion, so the same outfit can be inappropriate depending on the occasion
AnswerD. It is the idea of choosing clothes according to time, place and occasion, so the same outfit can be inappropriate depending on the occasion
TPO stands for time, place and occasion — the O is the occasion, not your mood. So the same outfit can be fine on a day of desk work in the office and inappropriate at a ceremony or a funeral.
Q10 | Dress on site
You are to tour a client's factory. Which is appropriate for what you wear and bring on the day?
You are only touring and will not be working, so you need not wear the protective equipment specified
Put ease of movement above everything and go in comfortable sandals and casual clothes
Deliberately wear dirty work clothes so as not to stand out more than your host
Check in advance the conditions specified for protective equipment and footwear, and follow those instructions on the day
AnswerD. Check in advance the conditions specified for protective equipment and footwear, and follow those instructions on the day
In places like factories, clothing and footwear bear directly on safety, and the host has rules. These normally apply to visitors too, so check in advance and follow them. Dirty clothes and sandals are a problem both for safety and for the impression you make.
Q11 | Greetings
Which is an appropriate way to greet people at work?
Reply while still looking at your screen, without pausing your work
It is more polite to make no sound and simply give a slight bow
Only reply when the other person greets you first
Speak first, look the person in the eye, and use a voice they can hear
AnswerD. Speak first, look the person in the eye, and use a voice they can hear
Greeting first is the basis, and it only lands when a voice that carries and eye contact come together. "It's enough to reply" and "a nod alone is polite" mistake passivity for courtesy. Answering while staring at the screen is barely different from not answering at all.
Q12 | Acknowledging effort
Which phrase is generally appropriate when seeing off a manager who is leaving for the day?
Go-kurō-san (ご苦労さん)
Go-kurō-sama deshita (ご苦労さまでした)
O-tsukare (おつかれ)
O-tsukare-sama deshita (お疲れさまでした)
AnswerD. O-tsukare-sama deshita (お疲れさまでした)
Go-kurō-sama (ご苦労さま) is regarded as what a senior says to acknowledge a junior's effort, so the widely shared convention is not to use it to a manager. Clipped casual forms are not used for workplace greetings either.
Q13 | When to use a nod
In which situation is eshaku (会釈), the light bow, most commonly used?
Seeing a client's president off at the entrance
Passing a colleague in the corridor
Greeting a visitor in the reception room for the first time
Apologising for a serious mistake
AnswerB. Passing a colleague in the corridor
Eshaku (会釈) is the lightest of the three bows and is used when passing someone in the corridor or entering and leaving a room. For an apology or a formal send-off you use saikeirei (最敬礼), the deepest bow; for greeting a visitor, keirei (敬礼), the standard bow, is usual.
Q14 | The deepest bow
Of the three kinds of bow, in which situation do you use saikeirei (最敬礼), the deepest one?
Entering and leaving a meeting room for a discussion
Returning to your desk after hanging up the phone
Meeting a colleague from your own department when you arrive in the morning
Apologising to someone you have greatly inconvenienced
AnswerD. Apologising to someone you have greatly inconvenienced
Saikeirei (最敬礼) is for the moments that express feeling most strongly: a deep apology, warm thanks, a formal send-off. A greeting to a colleague or entering a room is covered by eshaku (会釈). As a principle, the depth of the bow matches the strength of what you want to convey.
Q15 | Posture when bowing
Which is NOT appropriate as posture for a bow?
Keeping the back straight and folding the upper body from the waist
Resting the hands lightly one over the other in front, or naturally at the sides
Bending only the neck to look downwards
Standing with the heels together and pausing once at the bottom
AnswerC. Bending only the neck to look downwards
Bending only the neck looks unsettled and comes across as offhand. Fold the upper body from the waist, hold still for a moment, then rise slowly — that reads as polite. The pause and the posture matter more than the exact angle.
Q16 | Words first, bow after
Which describes the greeting style called gosen-gorei (語先後礼)?
Omitting the words and repeating a deep bow twice
Saying the words first, looking at the person, and then bowing
Saying the greeting and bowing at the same time, from start to finish
Bowing first and saying the greeting after raising your head
AnswerB. Saying the words first, looking at the person, and then bowing
Gosen-gorei (語先後礼) is literally "words first, bow after": you deliver the words and then lower your head. It is considered more polite than dōjirei (同時礼), bowing while speaking, and is used on formal occasions. Reversing the order or dropping the words gives you a different form.
Q17 | The send-off bow
Which behaviour is appropriate when seeing a visitor out to the entrance?
Turn your body towards the direction they are leaving, bow, and see them off until they are out of sight
Hold the bow and walk backwards all the way to your desk
Look up in the middle of the bow and leave before they do
Raise your head the moment they turn their back and go straight back to your desk
AnswerA. Turn your body towards the direction they are leaving, bow, and see them off until they are out of sight
The point of a send-off is that if the visitor looks back, you are still there seeing them off. Returning the instant they turn away changes the impression entirely if they do look back. Walking backwards is dangerous and looks unnatural.
Q18 | Facial expression
Which is NOT appropriate in the expression you present to others?
When wearing a mask, be conscious of the expression around your eyes and the tone of your voice
Since eye contact is hard for you, look at the papers in front of you throughout the conversation
If holding eye contact is hard, rest your gaze around the person's eyes
Turn the corners of your mouth up and face the person with your whole body while listening
AnswerB. Since eye contact is hard for you, look at the papers in front of you throughout the conversation
Looking down the whole time reads as not listening. Even if it is difficult, resting your gaze on the upper half of the face comes across to the other person as eye contact. Avoidance becoming the goal in itself defeats the purpose.
Q19 | Passing in the corridor
You pass a visitor walking along the corridor. What should you do?
You do not know them, so walk past in silence
Overtake at a run and get your own errand done first
Stop or slow down and give a light bow
They are not your responsibility, so avoid eye contact
AnswerC. Stop or slow down and give a light bow
To a visitor every employee looks like a person from the same company, so whether they are your responsibility is beside the point. Passing in a corridor calls for eshaku (会釈), the light bow; a deep bow is not needed.
Q20 | Bowing at the same time
You and the person you are visiting end up bowing at the same time. Which movement conveys more courtesy?
Start to bow before they do and rise after they have risen
Do not wait for them to rise; look up partway through and start talking
Bow less deeply than they do and rise before they do
Start to bow after they start, and rise before they do
AnswerA. Start to bow before they do and rise after they have risen
Going down first and coming up last means that when they raise their head you are still bowing, which conveys respect. Rising first leaves you looking at them while they are still bowing.
Q21 | Start-of-work time
Which is the right way to think about the official start-of-work time?
It is enough to be inside the company building by that time
You can start changing and preparing once that time arrives
Even after that time, there is no problem as long as you are seated before your manager arrives
By that time you should be at your desk and ready to begin work
AnswerD. By that time you should be at your desk and ready to begin work
The start time is the time work begins, not the time you arrive. Entering the building, changing, booting up the computer and the like are done before it. Whether your manager is there is not the standard.
Q22 | Reporting lateness
A train delay means you will be late to the office. What should you do?
Explain everything once you have arrived and are back at your desk
Send just a short message to a colleague and say nothing to your manager yourself
Call your manager as soon as you know, giving the reason and your expected arrival time
The delay looks short, so tell neither your manager nor your colleagues
AnswerC. Call your manager as soon as you know, giving the reason and your expected arrival time
The sooner you make contact, the sooner your manager can rearrange the work. An explanation after you arrive gives them nothing to act on, and telling a colleague is no guarantee it reaches the manager. Adding your expected arrival time is the key part.
Q23 | Order of a report
Which is an appropriate way to speak when reporting the outcome of a task to your manager?
Give the good results first and mention the bad ones only if asked
Combine the facts and your guesses and tell it as one continuous story
State the conclusion first, then give the course of events and your own view separately
Tell the whole story in time order and leave the conclusion until the very end
AnswerC. State the conclusion first, then give the course of events and your own view separately
Your manager is listening in order to decide what comes next, so putting the conclusion first makes it easier to give instructions. Mixing fact with speculation leads to poor decisions, so keep them separate. Withholding the inconvenient parts is not really a report at all.
Q24 | Bad news
You notice your own mistake in work you are responsible for. Which is the appropriate way to report it?
Wait a few days and pick a moment when your manager is in a good mood
Finish investigating the cause first, so the blame does not fall on you
Report the facts as they are to your manager the moment you notice
You think you can recover it yourself, so report after you have fixed it
AnswerC. Report the facts as they are to your manager the moment you notice
The rule is that the worse the news, the faster you pass it on; the longer you wait, the fewer options remain. Fixing it yourself first, waiting for a good mood, and nailing down the cause first are all rationalisations for delay, and they widen the damage.
Q25 | Interim reporting
You have been given a task that will take a week. Which is the appropriate way to handle it along the way?
Say nothing until it is finished, then report everything at once when it is done
Consult only once the delay is certain
Answer briefly on the spot only when your manager asks how it is going
Report progress at each milestone, and give early warning if it looks like slipping
AnswerD. Report progress at each milestone, and give early warning if it looks like slipping
On long tasks it is hard for the person doing the work to see that the direction has drifted. Interim reports at milestones let corrections be made while they are still small. Consulting only once a delay is certain is usually too late.
Q26 | Before leaving your desk
You are leaving your desk for about 15 minutes for a meeting. Which is NOT appropriate as a way of telling those around you?
Tell someone sitting nearby in advance, adding the time you expect to be back
Leave your computer screen open so it looks as though you are at your desk
Tell someone sitting nearby in advance where you are going and what for
If it may run long, reflect it in the department schedule or shared board as well
AnswerB. Leave your computer screen open so it looks as though you are at your desk
An open screen is no proof you are there, and it leaves colleagues unable to handle a call or a visitor. If you have said where you are going and when you will be back, they can answer with "he/she should be back around such-and-such a time".
Q27 | Phones in meetings
Which is NOT appropriate handling of a mobile phone during a meeting?
Since the sound is off, checking an incoming message on screen during the meeting
Leaving it on the table and not touching it for the duration
Setting it to silent before the meeting starts
Excusing yourself and stepping out if there is a call you cannot avoid
AnswerA. Since the sound is off, checking an incoming message on screen during the meeting
Even on silent, looking at the screen or tapping it is immediately obvious to whoever is speaking and reads as not taking part. If you must be reachable, say so beforehand and step out rather than checking in silence.
Q28 | Social media posts
You are about to post about the day you visited a client on your personal social media. Which is the appropriate judgement?
You may write about the discussion as long as you leave the company name out
You may post a photo with documents visible as long as you limit visibility to friends
Post neither the client's name, nor the content of the discussion, nor a photo of the meeting room
You may name the person you dealt with as long as you write it as your own impression
AnswerC. Post neither the client's name, nor the content of the discussion, nor a photo of the meeting room
Even without the company name, the date and place can identify the client. Visibility settings cannot stop reposting or a screenshot. The safe rule is to keep information learned at work out of personal posts.
Q29 | Smoking at work
Which is correct about smoking and passive smoking in the workplace?
Smoking is a personal freedom, so however often you leave your desk during working hours it is no issue for the work
Preventing passive smoking is a matter for smokers' own conscience, and nothing is asked of the company
Indoors is fine too, since opening a window means there is no effect on those around you
Employers have a duty to endeavour to take measures preventing workers' passive smoking, and smoking is done in designated places
AnswerD. Employers have a duty to endeavour to take measures preventing workers' passive smoking, and smoking is done in designated places
The Industrial Safety and Health Act, Article 68-2 (労働安全衛生法 第68条の2) requires employers to endeavour to take appropriate measures, according to the circumstances of the employer and the workplace, to prevent workers' passive smoking indoors or in equivalent environments. Opening a window does not remove the effect, and smoking is done in the designated places.
Q30 | Work talk outside the office
On the train back from a meeting, the senior colleague who came with you keeps talking about the work. What should you do?
Lower your voice, since then the content cannot be heard, and carry on
Say something like "I'll ask you once we're back at the office" and close the topic
Check that nobody you know is nearby, then carry on
They are senior, so keep the conversation going in the same vein
AnswerB. Say something like "I'll ask you once we're back at the office" and close the topic
On a train or in a café, company names and project names carry to the people around you and reach outsiders unintentionally. Suggesting you change the setting is not rude even to a senior colleague. Speaking quietly or scanning for familiar faces does not prevent the leak.
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