1. Receiving visitors at reception and putting them through
The impression of the company is all but decided in the few dozen seconds between noticing a visitor and connecting them to the person they want. We turn into a pattern how to ask for their name, what to say when they must wait, and how to move when the person is out.
When you notice a visitor, stop what you are doing, stand up, look them in the eye and receive them with "irasshaimase" (welcome). What matters here is speed rather than content. Reacting only once they have spoken to you, or staying seated and settling for a light bow, remains, from the visitor's side, as "a few seconds of being ignored." Turning your whole body toward them the moment someone stands at reception, that alone all but decides the impression.
Next, confirm the company name and personal name, the business, and whether there is an appointment. Ask in the form of a request, after putting in a cushioning phrase, as in "osore irimasu ga, onsha-mei to o-namae o o-ukagai dekimasu desho ka" (excuse me, may I ask your company name and your name?). When they have given their name, repeat it back: "Marumaru Shoji no Sato-sama de irasshaimasu ne." Repeating back is the only means of erasing a mishearing in front of the person, and at the same time it signals "I have received that clearly." Whether there is an appointment is something to check after they have given their name; it must not be made a condition before they give it.
There are rules for the wording when you put someone through. When speaking to a person outside the company about a person of your own company, you treat that person as your own side, that is, as uchi, so no honorific title is attached. Rather than "Tanaka-bucho ga tadaima mairimasu," say "Bucho no Tanaka ga tadaima mairimasu." The Agency for Cultural Affairs' Guidelines for Honorific Language likewise state that when treating a superior as uchi you may call him "Tanaka" or "bucho no Tanaka," and that the form "Tanaka-bucho" is inappropriate because it is not a way of naming him as uchi. When you connect to the person on an internal line, tell them the visitor's company name, personal name, business, whether there is an appointment, and where they are waiting.
When the person is out, do not let the conversation end at "orimasen" (he is not here). When will they be back; would another person do; may you take a message; would a call back be acceptable. Setting these four out and letting the visitor choose is part of the handling. If you are entrusted with a card or documents, state that you are taking them into your keeping, give your department and your name, and then receive them. Showing the visitor who took them is itself where responsibility lies.
What to say at reception and what to do next, by the state of the person concerned
State of the person concerned
What to say to the visitor
What to do next
At their desk, with an appointment
O-machi shite orimashita. Tadaima mairimasu node, kochira e dozo
Show them to the reception room, then call the person on the internal line
At their desk, no appointment
Kakunin shite mairimasu node, shosho o-machi itadakemasu desho ka
Put it through to the department and ask whether they can meet
In a meeting
Ainiku Marumaru wa seki o hazushite orimasu. Nan-ji goro ni wa modoru yotei de gozaimasu
Give the return time and whether a call back is possible
Out and going straight home
Honjitsu wa gaishutsu shite ori, modoranai yotei de gozaimasu
Set out a stand-in, a message and a meeting another day, and let them choose
Connecting a visitor or a piece of business received at reception or on the phone to the person concerned inside the company. It includes conveying who came and why in a form the person can act on.
appointment
A meeting arranged in advance. Since reception acts differently depending on whether there is one, always check after the visitor has given their name.
cushioning phrase
Words placed before a request or a refusal to soften the impact, such as "osore irimasu ga" and "sashitsukae nakereba."
repeating back, fukusho (復唱)
Repeating on the spot the company name and personal name the visitor gave, to confirm them. A mishearing can be corrected in front of the person.
naming your own side
The way of naming a person of your own company to someone outside it without an honorific title, as in "bucho no Tanaka."
message note
A paper record of business for someone who is absent. Write the caller's company name, personal name, contact details, the business, the date and time it was taken, and the name of the person who took it.
Worked examples
A visitor asks "Tanaka-bucho wa irasshaimasu ka." How do you answer?
Answer and reasoning "Bucho no Tanaka de gozaimasu ne. Tadaima kakunin shite mairimasu node, shosho o-machi itadakemasu desho ka." When speaking to someone outside the company about a person of your own company you treat them as uchi, so call him bucho no Tanaka, not Tanaka-bucho.
A visitor without an appointment says they want to meet someone in the sales department.
Answer and reasoning Check the business and the company name, put it through to the sales department, and pass on their answer as to whether they will meet. If reception judges and turns the visitor away, there is a risk of sending back someone who should have been seen. Letting them into the building without permission is also a problem for entry control.
The person concerned is out and will not return today. How do you tell the visitor?
Answer and reasoning State the fact, "ainiku Marumaru wa gaishutsu shite ori, honjitsu wa modoranai yotei de gozaimasu," and then ask whether another person would do, whether you may take a message, or whether to set aside time another day. Telling them the bare fact and sending them away wastes the time the visitor spent.
Sources and basis: ※ There is no public regulation on this. It is an organized summary of widely accepted business practice
2. Showing the way in corridors, on stairs and in elevators
The principle of showing the way is "walk a little ahead of the visitor, but never block their view." Once you have settled where to stand and what to say in the four situations of corridor, stairs, elevator and door, no situation leaves you at a loss.
The basis of showing the way is to walk 2 or 3 steps ahead and to one side of the visitor. Ahead and to one side lets you show the direction with your body and still not block the visitor's view. Walking directly in front means keeping your back to them and blocking the path as well. Walking alongside is not leading, and from behind and to one side you leave the visitor to find the way. Look back now and then to match your pace, and just before a corner say "kochira de gozaimasu" (this way). When you indicate a direction, turn your palm up with your fingers together and show it with your whole arm. Gestures such as pointing with a single index finger or indicating with your chin are avoided when directed at a person.
Before you start, state the destination and the floor: "yon-kai no dai-ichi ousetsushitsu e go-annai itashimasu" (I will show you to Reception Room 1 on the 4th floor). This alone lets the visitor know where they are being taken, and the calm of the walk is quite different. On stairs, it is said to take care not to stand where you look down on the visitor, and many explanations say that going up the visitor goes first and going down the guide goes first. However, since explanations of that order differ by company and by training course, take it that the 2 things certainly common to all are stating the destination floor first and saying "ashimoto ni o-ki o tsuke kudasai" (please watch your step).
With an elevator, the movements differ between an empty car and one with people already in it. When it is empty, say "osaki ni shitsurei shimasu" (excuse me for going first), get in first as the guide, stand in front of the control panel and hold the doors. This is because letting the visitor in first leaves the working of the doors to the visitor. When people are already aboard, hold the door from outside with your hand and let the visitor get in first, then get in after them and stand near the control panel. Getting out, in either case, the guide presses the open button and holds the doors and the visitor gets out first. That the position in front of the control panel is the guide's also matches the fact that, in the thinking on seating order, the space in front of the panel is the end seat.
Doors reverse the movements depending on which way they open. With an outward-opening door that you pull toward you, the guide who opened it can keep holding it from that same position, so you stay on the outside and let the visitor through first with "dozo." With an inward-opening door that you push away from you, you cannot keep holding it while standing outside, so the guide says "shitsurei shimasu" and goes in first, holding the door from inside to let the visitor through. The criterion to remember is not "the visitor first" but "do not let the visitor touch the door." That one rule gives the answer for both directions.
Standing position and order in each situation
Situation
The guide
The visitor
Corridor
Walks 2 or 3 steps ahead and to one side
Walks nearer the middle
Elevator with nobody in it
Gets in first and holds the doors in front of the control panel
Gets in afterwards and moves to the back
Elevator with people already in it
Holds the door from outside and gets in afterwards
The position diagonally in front, relative to the visitor's direction of travel. The guide's basic standing position: it shows the direction without blocking the view.
the guiding hand
The gesture of turning the palm up, keeping the fingers together and showing the direction with the whole arm. Pointing with a single finger is avoided.
outward-opening door
A door you pull toward you. The guide pulls it, holds it and lets the visitor through first.
inward-opening door
A door you push away from you. The guide goes in first, holds it from inside and lets the visitor through.
control panel
The face of an elevator with the floor buttons and the open and close buttons. In seating order it is the end position, and it is where the guide stands.
upper seat, kamiza (上座)
The seat on the side far from the entrance. In a reception room you offer this one to the visitor.
Worked examples
You are showing a visitor along a corridor. Where do you walk?
Answer and reasoning 2 or 3 steps ahead and to one side of the visitor. Look back now and then to match your pace. Directly in front means keeping your back to them and blocking the path; alongside is not leading.
You ride an empty elevator with a visitor. Who goes first?
Answer and reasoning Say "osaki ni shitsurei shimasu," get in first as the guide and hold the doors in front of the control panel. Getting out it is the reverse: hold the doors and let the visitor out first.
The reception-room door opened by pushing away from you. How do you let the visitor through?
Answer and reasoning Say "shitsurei shimasu," go in first as the guide, and hold the door from inside to let the visitor through. With a door you pull toward you, hold it from outside and let the visitor through first. The criterion is not letting the visitor touch the door.
Sources and basis: ※ There is no public regulation on this. It is an organized summary of widely accepted business practice
3. Serving tea and seeing visitors off
The real work starts once you have shown them into the reception room. Offering the upper seat, the order of serving tea and where to place it, handling the saucer, and seeing people off until the doors have fully closed, all made into one continuous set of movements.
Once you have shown them into the reception room, indicate with your hand the seat on the side far from the entrance, that is, the upper seat, and offer it with "kochira e o-kake kudasai" (please sit here). The seat near the entrance is the lower seat and is not a seat you show a visitor to. If the visitor chooses another seat, do not press them. If they still have their coat on, offer with "o-azukari itashimasu" (may I take that for you). The handling extends as far as offering; whether to hand it over is for the visitor to decide. Going round behind them without a word and taking the coat off them is an act of touching their body and is not permissible.
When you carry the tea in, first get to a state where you can set the tray down on a side table or the like in front of the door, then knock, wait for an answer, say "shitsurei itashimasu" and enter. You wait for an answer so as not to cut off the visitor's and the staff member's conversation abruptly. As for the order of serving, start with the most senior person on the visitor side, and move to the most senior on your own side only after you have finished serving everyone on the visitor side. Serving your own department manager before the visitor puts your own group above the guest. As for where to place it, in front of the visitor and slightly to their right is the basis; when documents are spread out, do not move them without permission, but excuse yourself with "kochira ni okasete itadakimasu" (I will set it here) and place it in an empty spot.
Carry the teacup and the saucer separately, and put the cup on the saucer just before setting it down. If you carry them assembled, tea spilt by the tilt wets the saucer, and you end up putting a dirty saucer in front of the visitor. If the cup has a pattern, turn it so the pattern faces the visitor squarely, and handle it with both hands. It is also said that a saucer with a wood grain should be placed with the grain parallel to the visitor, but explanations of details of this kind differ by company and region, so first make firm the points of carrying them separately, serving with both hands, and serving the guest side first. When you have finished serving, hold the tray at your side, bow at the door and close it quietly.
How far you go in seeing someone off, ending in front of the reception room, going out to the elevator hall, going out to the entrance, or seeing them to their car, varies with your relationship and with company custom. Whatever the range, the way it ends is common to all. At an elevator, say "honjitsu wa arigato gozaimashita" (thank you for today) and wait with your head bowed until the doors have fully closed. Raising your head just before they close appears, to the visitor's eyes, as cutting things short. Before they leave, check that any coat or belongings you took have been returned and that nothing has been left behind. Once they have gone, it cannot be undone.
Hospitality in the reception room and the send-off, with the words for each moment
Situation
Action
What to say at that moment
Showing them into the reception room
Indicate the seat far from the entrance with your hand
Kochira e o-kake kudasai
Entering with the tea
Knock and wait for an answer before entering
Shitsurei itashimasu
Serving the tea
From the most senior on the visitor side, to their front right
Dozo
Documents are spread out
Do not move them without permission; choose an empty spot
Kochira ni okasete itadakimasu
Leaving the room
Hold the tray at your side, bow and close the door quietly
Go-yukkuri dozo
Seeing them off
Keep your head bowed until the doors have fully closed
The seat on the side far from the entrance. In a reception room you offer this one to the visitor.
lower seat, shimoza (下座)
The seat on the side near the entrance. Taken by the side that goes in and out and relays messages.
tea saucer, chataku (茶托)
The saucer laid under the teacup. Carry it separately from the cup and put the cup on it just before serving.
side table
A small table placed in a corner of the reception room and the like. Used as a place to set the tray down for a moment.
items taken into keeping
Coats, business cards, documents and the like entrusted to you by a visitor. They become the responsibility of whoever received them, so give your name before receiving.
seeing off, miokuri (見送り)
Accompanying a departing visitor and sending them on their way. You keep your head bowed until a clear end point, such as the doors closing or the car going out of sight.
Worked examples
There are 2 visitors plus your own department manager and the staff member handling it. In what order do you serve the tea?
Answer and reasoning The more senior visitor, the other visitor, your own department manager, then your own staff member. Move to your own side only after finishing everyone on the guest side, and within each group the more senior person first.
Documents are spread over the table and there is nowhere to put the tea.
Answer and reasoning Excuse yourself with "kochira ni okasete itadakimasu" and place it in an empty spot. Do not touch the visitor's documents without permission. Handing the cup over occupies their hands, and waiting until the discussion is over defeats the point of serving it.
You see a visitor off at the elevator hall. How far does seeing them off go?
Answer and reasoning As far as saying "honjitsu wa arigato gozaimashita" and waiting with your head bowed until the doors have fully closed. Turning back the moment the doors open is not seeing them off.
Sources and basis: ※ There is no public regulation on this. It is an organized summary of widely accepted business practice
Check quiz
Q1 | First words at reception
A visitor arrives at the reception desk. Which response is most appropriate?
Stop what you are doing, stand up, look at them and say 「いらっしゃいませ」 (irasshaimase — "welcome")
Carry on with what you are doing and wait for them to speak first
Give a nod from your seat and let them wait for their host to come
Say 「お待たせいたしました」 ("thank you for waiting") first, then ask their business
AnswerA. Stop what you are doing, stand up, look at them and say 「いらっしゃいませ」 (irasshaimase — "welcome")
The basic move is to stop, stand up and meet their eyes as soon as you notice a visitor. Waiting for them to speak, or settling for a nod from your chair, are both seconds of being ignored from the visitor's side. 「お待たせいたしました」 is for when you actually have kept someone waiting; saying it the instant you notice them manufactures the wait yourself.
Q2 | Asking for the company name
Which is the most appropriate way to ask a first-time visitor for their company and name?
恐れ入りますが、御社名とお名前をお伺いできますでしょうか ("excuse me, may I ask your company and name?")
どちら様でしょうか、お名前のほうを言っていただけますでしょうか ("may I ask who you are? could you say your name?")
あなたはどこの会社の方ですか ("which company are you from?")
お約束のない方については、お名前を伺うことができないことになっているのですが ("we are not allowed to take names from people without an appointment")
AnswerA. 恐れ入りますが、御社名とお名前をお伺いできますでしょうか ("excuse me, may I ask your company and name?")
The standard form places a cushion phrase, 「恐れ入りますが」, in front and asks as a request. 「お伺いする」 is formally a double keigo, but the Keigo Guidelines list it among the forms established by custom, so it is fine. 「言っていただけますか」 and 「どこの会社の方ですか」 sound like an interrogation. Whether there is an appointment is something to check after they have given their name, not a condition for giving it.
Q3 | Why read it back
A visitor says 「○○商事の佐藤です」. Which is appropriate to do immediately after?
Insist on a business card there and then, to avoid mishearing
Read it back: 「○○商事の佐藤様でいらっしゃいますね」
Give your own company and name again before asking their business
Keep taking notes in silence until you know who they are here to see
AnswerB. Read it back: 「○○商事の佐藤様でいらっしゃいますね」
Reading back is the one way to erase a mishearing in front of the person, and it also signals that you have taken it in. Demanding a card puts a burden on the visitor and is not for reception to ask. Silent note-taking makes people uneasy. Reception already stands as the face of the company, so confirm the visitor before re-introducing yourself.
Q4 | Wording for the handover
Which is appropriate for telling a visitor that Department Head Tanaka from your company will be right out?
田中部長がただいま参ります (Tanaka-buchō ga tadaima mairimasu)
部長の田中がただいま参ります (Buchō no Tanaka ga tadaima mairimasu)
田中部長様がただいま参ります (Tanaka-buchō-sama ga tadaima mairimasu)
田中部長がただいまいらっしゃいます (Tanaka-buchō ga tadaima irasshaimasu)
AnswerB. 部長の田中がただいま参ります (Buchō no Tanaka ga tadaima mairimasu)
When speaking to an outsider about someone from your own company, you treat them as your own side. The Keigo Guidelines say that calling him 「田中」 or 「部長の田中」 then presents no problem, but 「田中部長」 does not treat him as your own side and so is inappropriate. 「いらっしゃる」 is sonkeigo and cannot be used of your own people, and 「田中部長様」 piles an honorific on top of that.
Q5 | Asking them to wait
Which is the most appropriate wording when asking a visitor to wait briefly while you announce them?
ちょっとそこで待っていてください、こちらもすぐに戻ってきますので ("wait there a sec, I'll be right back")
呼んでまいりますので、そこから動かないでいてくださいますでしょうか ("I'll fetch them, would you not move from there?")
すぐに済みますので、そのままそこにいてくださいますでしょうか ("it won't take long, would you stay right there?")
確認してまいりますので、少々お待ちいただけますでしょうか ("I'll go and check, so could I ask you to wait a moment?")
AnswerD. 確認してまいりますので、少々お待ちいただけますでしょうか ("I'll go and check, so could I ask you to wait a moment?")
The pattern is to say what the wait is for (checking) and roughly how long (a moment), and to close as a request. 「ちょっと」, 「そこにいて」 and 「動かないで」 are all instructions, and none of them shows in its wording any regard for the burden of waiting.
Q6 | After a wait
Announcing the visitor took about 5 minutes. Which is appropriate as your first words on returning to them?
お待たせして申し訳ありませんが、まだかかります ("sorry for the wait, but it will take longer")
お待たせいたしました、こちらの都合ですみません ("sorry to keep you waiting, it's our situation")
大変お待たせいたしました ("I am so sorry to have kept you waiting")
少々お待たせしました、すぐ終わりましたので ("sorry for the short wait, it was quick")
AnswerC. 大変お待たせいたしました ("I am so sorry to have kept you waiting")
Put the acknowledgement and apology for the wait first. 「少々」 understates the wait and does not fit 5 minutes. If it will take longer, give the expected time before apologising and show them somewhere they can sit. "Our situation" is an excuse about internal matters that do not concern the visitor.
Q7 | A visitor with no appointment
A visitor with no appointment says they want to see someone in the sales department. Which is the appropriate response at reception?
Take the visitor to the sales department and hand them to whoever is free
Say that people without an appointment cannot be shown in, and send them away there and then
Give them a member of staff's mobile number and have them make contact directly
Confirm their business and company, pass it to the relevant department, and tell them whether they can be seen
AnswerD. Confirm their business and company, pass it to the relevant department, and tell them whether they can be seen
Even without an appointment, whether to see someone is for the relevant department to decide, not reception. Take the business and the company, pass it on, and relay the answer from reception. Refusing on the spot risks turning away someone who should be seen, and letting people into the building unannounced is a problem for access control. A staff member's mobile number is internal information and not for visitors.
Q8 | Telling them nobody is in
The person the visitor wants is out and will not return today. Which is the most appropriate way to tell them?
Say they will not be back today, and ask whether they would prefer a colleague to help, to leave a message, or to meet another day
Just say the person is out, and let them leave
Promise a date and time for the person's return on the spot and fix the next visit there and then
Show them the person's schedule and have them pick a free day
AnswerA. Say they will not be back today, and ask whether they would prefer a colleague to help, to leave a message, or to meet another day
Handling the visitor means not stopping at the news of the absence but laying out the options open to them and letting them choose. Reception cannot fix someone's schedule on their behalf, and an internal calendar is not a document to show outsiders. Stating the bare fact and letting them go wastes the time the visitor has spent.
Q9 | Something left with you
A visitor leaves a business card and documents for a member of staff who is out. Which response is appropriate?
Say you will take charge of them, giving your department and name before accepting
Accept only the card and ask them to post the documents
Check the contents on the spot and decide whether they need passing on before accepting
Put them on the person's desk and wait for them to notice
AnswerA. Say you will take charge of them, giving your department and name before accepting
Whoever accepts something becomes responsible for it, so give your department and name to show the visitor who has taken it. Leaving it on a desk invites loss or oversight. Sending something already brought in hand by post doubles the work, and reception is not in a position to judge on the spot whether the contents are needed.
Q10 | Announcing by internal line
When announcing a visitor to a member of staff by internal line, which set of information is neither too little nor too much?
The visitor's company, plus a detailed description of their clothes and what they are carrying
The visitor's company, name and business, whether there is an appointment, and where they are waiting
The visitor's business, plus reception's own guess at how important it is
The visitor's name, plus your own department and name and the time you dealt with them
AnswerB. The visitor's company, name and business, whether there is an appointment, and where they are waiting
It only counts as announcing a visitor once the staff member has what they need to decide: who has come about what, whether there was an appointment, and where to go to meet them. A name alone leaves the business unknown; clothing may help with recognition but is not the substance. A guess at importance is not reception's to add and can lead the staff member's judgement astray.
Q11 | Where to walk in a corridor
Which is the appropriate position to take when guiding a visitor along a corridor?
Walking alongside them
Behind and to one side, calling out directions as you follow
Directly in front of the visitor, leading at exactly the same pace
Two or three steps ahead and to one side, glancing back to match their pace
AnswerD. Two or three steps ahead and to one side, glancing back to match their pace
Diagonally ahead lets you show the way without blocking their view, and lets you look back and check the pace. Directly in front means keeping your back to them and blocking the way. Alongside is walking in parallel, not leading. From behind, you make the visitor find the way themselves.
Q12 | Indicating a direction
Which is the appropriate gesture for showing the way at a corner?
Turn your palm up with fingers together to show the direction and say 「こちらでございます」
Put a hand lightly on the visitor's back to turn them and guide them round
Point with an outstretched index finger, say 「あちらです」 and walk on
Indicate the direction with your chin and stride on ahead
AnswerA. Turn your palm up with fingers together to show the direction and say 「こちらでございます」
The standard form is palm up, fingers together, indicating with the whole arm, and it only lands when you add words. Pointing with one finger, or indicating with the chin, are gestures to avoid towards people. Touching the other person, however lightly, is not done when guiding.
Q13 | Saying where you are going
Where the reception room is some distance away, what should you tell the visitor before setting off?
What kind of meeting the person they are seeing is currently in
The distance you will walk and roughly how many steps it takes
Where you are heading and which floor it is on
The layout of each department and how many people are in each
AnswerC. Where you are heading and which floor it is on
Naming the destination and floor first lets the visitor know where they are being taken, which changes how settled the walk feels. The content of someone's meeting and the departmental layout are internal matters, not things to explain to a visitor. A step count means nothing if the destination is unknown.
Q14 | Guiding on stairs
Which should always be done when guiding a visitor on stairs?
Say which floor you are going to before starting up, and say a word about watching their step
Always walk several steps below the visitor, keeping a position looking up from directly beneath
Use the handrail yourself and have the visitor walk on the wall side
Always reach the top first and beckon from there
AnswerA. Say which floor you are going to before starting up, and say a word about watching their step
Companies and training courses differ on who goes first up and down stairs, but naming the floor and giving a word about footing are asked for in every version. Keeping a position looking up from directly below, or occupying the handrail yourself, both lack consideration. Reaching the top first and beckoning is abandoning the visitor rather than guiding them.
Q15 | An empty lift
Which is the appropriate movement when boarding an empty lift with a visitor?
Board side by side and both stand away from the control panel
Have the visitor board first, board last yourself and stand at the back
Say 「お先に失礼します」 ("excuse me for going first"), board first and hold the doors at the control panel
Have the visitor board first and stay out yourself, just telling them the floor
AnswerC. Say 「お先に失礼します」 ("excuse me for going first"), board first and hold the doors at the control panel
With an empty car it is safer for the guide to board first and take the control panel: nobody risks being caught by the doors and the floor can be selected. Letting the visitor board first leaves them working the doors. Standing at the back puts the panel out of reach, and by the rules of precedence the position in front of the panel belongs to the guide.
Q16 | People already inside
Which is the appropriate order for boarding a lift with a visitor when there are already people inside?
The guide boards first, moves to the back, and then beckons the visitor in
Hold the doors with your hand, let the visitor board first, then board yourself
Let that car go and wait with the visitor for an empty one
Just tell the visitor the floor and follow in the next car
AnswerB. Hold the doors with your hand, let the visitor board first, then board yourself
In an occupied car the spot in front of the panel is often taken, and if the guide goes in first the visitor is left waiting and squeezing in. Hold the doors from outside, let the visitor board first, then board and stand near the panel. Letting the car go wastes the visitor's time, and following in another car is abandoning the escort.
Q17 | Order of getting out
Which is the appropriate movement when the lift reaches your floor?
Press the open button to hold the doors and let the visitor out first
Have the visitor press the open button while the guide steps out first
The guide gets out first and beckons the visitor from the corridor
Everyone gets out naturally in the order they are standing
AnswerA. Press the open button to hold the doors and let the visitor out first
Getting out is the reverse of getting in: the guide, who can hold the doors, stays until last and lets the visitor pass first. If the guide leaves first the visitor has to hold the doors themselves, and making the visitor press the button is out of the question. Simply filing out risks the doors closing on the visitor.
Q18 | A door that pulls open
You are showing someone into a reception room through a door that pulls towards you. Which movement is appropriate?
Push the door open away from you, go in first and hold it from inside for the visitor
Have the visitor pull the door and greet them from inside the room
Pull the door open, hold it from outside and let the visitor go in first
Pull the door open, go in first yourself and wait for the visitor to follow
AnswerC. Pull the door open, hold it from outside and let the visitor go in first
With a door that pulls towards you, the guide who opened it can hold it from where they stand, so the visitor can go first. Going in first takes your hand off the door, and having the visitor pull it breaks the rule that they should not have to touch it. Pushing it open is the movement for a door that swings the other way and does not apply here.
Q19 | A door that pushes open
For a door that pushes away from you, which is the appropriate movement for the guide?
Push the door open, let go, and have the visitor go in first
Pull the door towards you and hold it from outside so the visitor goes first
Say 「失礼します」 ("excuse me"), go in first and hold the door from inside for the visitor
Fix the door fully open and go in side by side with the visitor
AnswerC. Say 「失礼します」 ("excuse me"), go in first and hold the door from inside for the visitor
A door that pushes open cannot be held from outside, so the guide goes in first and supports it from inside. Let go and it swings back into the visitor. Pulling it towards you is the movement for the opposite kind of door and will not work here. Doors wide enough to enter side by side are rare, and doing so leaves nobody holding it.
Q20 | Keigo when offering
Among these ways of directing a visitor to the lift, which uses keigo incorrectly?
「ご……する」 is the pattern that forms kenjōgo I, so using it of the visitor's action wrongly lowers them. The Keigo Guidelines mark 「御在宅する必要はありません」 as inappropriate for the same reason and say it should be corrected to sonkeigo such as 「御在宅なさる」. 「ご利用ください」 and 「お使いになってください」 are sonkeigo, and 「ご利用いただく」 is kenjōgo I but the person elevated is the visitor, so it is fine.
Q21 | Offering a seat
Which movement is appropriate when inviting a visitor you have shown into the reception room to sit?
Indicate a chair away from the door with your hand and say 「こちらへおかけください」 ("please take this seat")
Indicate a chair near the door with your hand and offer it
Leave the room saying nothing, so the visitor can choose a seat themselves
Sit down yourself first and then offer the visitor a free chair
AnswerA. Indicate a chair away from the door with your hand and say 「こちらへおかけください」 ("please take this seat")
The kamiza (上座), the seat of honour, is the seat furthest from the door, so that is the one you indicate and offer. Seats near the door are the shimoza and not what you show a visitor to. Leaving without a word tends to leave the visitor standing, and the guide sitting first reverses the order.
Q22 | Taking their coat
A visitor comes into the reception room still wearing their coat. Which response is appropriate?
Say 「暑いのでお脱ぎください」 ("it's warm, do take it off") and press them to remove it
Offer with 「お預かりいたします」 ("may I take that?") and, if you take it, hang it so it does not crease
Step behind them without a word, take the coat off them and receive it
A coat is the visitor's own affair, so say nothing about it
AnswerB. Offer with 「お預かりいたします」 ("may I take that?") and, if you take it, hang it so it does not crease
Offering is as far as your role goes; whether to hand it over is the visitor's decision. Say nothing and they are stuck for somewhere to put it. Removing it without permission means touching another person and is not allowed. Pressing them to take it off takes the decision away from them.
Q23 | Knocking on entry
Which is the appropriate procedure for entering the reception room with tea?
Both hands are full, so push the door open with your foot
Knock and open the door at once, stating your business as you come in
Go in quietly without knocking, set it down and leave without a word
Knock, wait for an answer, say 「失礼いたします」 ("excuse me") and then enter
AnswerD. Knock, wait for an answer, say 「失礼いたします」 ("excuse me") and then enter
Waiting for an answer after knocking avoids cutting abruptly across the conversation between visitor and host. Opening without waiting makes the knock pointless. Coming and going in silence startles the visitor. Handling a door with your foot is out of the question; you set the tray down on a side table first and then open the door.
Q24 | The saucer
Which is appropriate handling of the chataku (茶托), the tea saucer, and the cup?
Carry cup and saucer separately, and set the cup on the saucer just before serving
Do without the saucer and put the cup straight on the table
Keep the cup on the saucer, hold the saucer by its underside and offer it with one hand
Carry the cup on its saucer on the tray and set it on the table with one hand as it is
AnswerA. Carry cup and saucer separately, and set the cup on the saucer just before serving
Carrying them separately avoids tea spilt on the way wetting the saucer. Carried assembled, a stained saucer ends up in front of the visitor. Omitting the saucer is an abbreviated form and falls short for a visitor. One hand is unsteady, so use both.
Q25 | Order of serving
In the reception room are 2 visitors plus your department head and the staff member handling the matter. Which order of serving tea is appropriate?
Serve from the person nearest the door and finish with the person in the kamiza
Ignore the visitor/host distinction and work round from the person nearest the kamiza
Your department head, then the senior visitor and their colleague, then your staff member
The senior visitor, the other 1 visitor, your department head, your staff member
AnswerD. The senior visitor, the other 1 visitor, your department head, your staff member
Finish the guest side entirely before moving to your own, and within each side serve the senior person first. Serving your own department head first places your own people above the guests. Simply working round by seat mixes guests and hosts, and starting from the door reverses the order by beginning at the lowest seat.
Q26 | Where to set it down
Documents are spread across the table when you come to set down the tea. Which response is appropriate?
There is nowhere to put it, so hand it to the visitor on the tray
Move the documents a little first so the cup does not sit on them
Say 「こちらに置かせていただきます」 ("I'll put it here") and place it in a clear space
Wait until the meeting is over and serve everything afterwards
AnswerC. Say 「こちらに置かせていただきます」 ("I'll put it here") and place it in a clear space
Avoid touching a visitor's documents without permission; speak up and use a clear space. Moving the papers yourself means handling their materials. Handing it over occupies their hands and pushes the problem of where to put it onto them. Waiting until the end defeats the point of serving tea at all.
Q27 | Leaving the room
Which movement is appropriate when leaving the reception room after serving tea?
Hold the tray against your chest and leave the door wide open behind you
Back all the way to the door so as never to turn your back on the visitor
Hold the tray at your side, bow at the door and close it quietly
The conversation is interesting, so linger near the door a moment before leaving
AnswerC. Hold the tray at your side, bow at the door and close it quietly
Bowing and closing the door quietly is one continuous movement to the end. Lingering to listen is out of the question, and backing out is unsafe underfoot and looks unnatural. Leaving the door open lets in corridor noise and eyes, defeating the point of using a reception room.
Q28 | Ending a send-off
Which movement is appropriate when seeing a visitor off at the lift lobby?
Say 「本日はありがとうございました」 ("thank you for coming today") and bow until the doors have fully closed
Turn back as soon as the doors open and return to work
Ride down with them and keep talking all the way to the ground floor (1階)
Stand beside them until they board, then wave once they are in
AnswerA. Say 「本日はありがとうございました」 ("thank you for coming today") and bow until the doors have fully closed
The send-off lasts until the doors close; raising your head just before they do looks, from inside the lift, like cutting it short. Turning back when the doors open is not a send-off at all. Waving is a gesture for people you know well. Riding down with no reason to only makes the visitor feel obliged.
Q29 | Checks before they leave
Which is most appropriate to check in the reception room before a visitor leaves?
Whether the chair the visitor sat in is out of position
Writing the next visit into their diary on their behalf
Whether the visitor has finished all the tea served
Whether the coat or bag you took has been returned, and whether anything has been left behind
AnswerD. Whether the coat or bag you took has been returned, and whether anything has been left behind
Returning what you took and checking for forgotten items cannot be put right once they have gone. Chairs can be straightened after they leave, and unfinished tea is entirely their business. Writing in a diary is for the visitor to do themselves.
Q30 | Keigo at the send-off
Among these send-off phrases, which uses keigo correctly?
お足元にお気をつけてお帰りくださいませ (o-ashimoto ni o-ki o tsukete o-kaeri kudasaimase — "mind your step on your way home")
お気をつけてお帰りになられてくださいませ (… o-kaeri ni nararete kudasaimase)
AnswerA. お足元にお気をつけてお帰りくださいませ (o-ashimoto ni o-ki o tsukete o-kaeri kudasaimase — "mind your step on your way home")
「お帰りください」 is 「帰る」 in sonkeigo form and can be used as it stands. 「お帰りになられる」 stacks 「れる」 on 「お帰りになる」 — a double keigo, and not among the forms the Guidelines accept as established by custom. 「ご帰宅する」 applies the kenjōgo I pattern 「ご……する」 to the other person's action. 「お帰りいたす」 uses the humble 「お……いたす」, so it too cannot be used of a visitor's action.
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