Japanese Business
Etiquette & Protocol
The Bushido Code
Meishi · Nemawashi · Hierarchy · The Conduct of Trust
The cultivation expected of the international professional
Where business becomes the art of trust
Not a set of rules
but a cultivation
Japanese business possesses a code of conduct unlike any other in the world. In a single exchange of business cards, in the choice of where one sits in a meeting room, lies meaning that has been transmitted across centuries.
Yet this programme is not designed to teach the correct gestures. It is designed to teach the reasoning that lies beneath them — the cultivation expected of the international professional. Why do the Japanese practise nemawashi? Why does silence become eloquence? Why is hierarchy held in such regard? Only when one understands the reasoning does Japanese business become truly intelligible.
This programme is offered principally to international executives — those engaging with Japanese enterprises, those posted to Japan, those entering the Japanese market. For them, this cultivation becomes the firm foundation upon which trust is built.
Equally, it is a discipline that the Japanese themselves would do well to know in depth. We practise these forms daily, yet when asked why, we rarely find the words. For Japanese professionals who represent their nation on the international stage, this programme becomes the means to articulate their own culture with confidence.
In Japanese business,
trust is built through conduct.
The spirit
beneath the conduct
Japanese business etiquette does not arise from a single set of forms. A spirit rooted in Bushido — Integrity, Respect, and Trust — flows quietly through the conduct of modern Japanese business. The Bushido Code begins with understanding this spirit.
The resolve to uphold what is right. Faithfulness in Japanese business, the keeping of one’s word, and the preference for enduring relationships over short-term gain — the very root of Japanese commercial ethics.
The spirit that begins and ends with courtesy. The exchange of cards, the bow, the order of seating — conduct that gives form to respect, embodying a regard for the standing of the other.
The trust that is understood without words. Nemawashi, the culture of ma (the eloquent pause), the tacit understanding — the essence of trust between persons, built before any contract is signed.
Unlike
any other
Courses in Japanese etiquette exist the world over. What distinguishes ICPA is not the subject, but the depth, the authority, and the perspective from which it is taught.
Taught by Japanese experts with genuine international experience
Japanese business conduct, explained through a global lens. Our instruction is delivered by Japanese specialists who have lived and worked internationally — able to translate not only what is done, but why, in terms the international professional understands.
The reasoning, not merely the form
Other institutions teach the gestures. We teach the philosophy, the history, and the organisational logic beneath them — so that you may adapt with confidence to any situation, rather than merely imitate.
A proprietary academic corpus
Our instruction draws upon original academic materials exceeding three thousand pages — the product of years of research into Japanese protocol, culture, and intercultural communication. This is not a borrowed curriculum.
The authority of Japan’s sole LEPSW-accredited academy
ICPA is the only institution in Japan accredited by LEPSW, partnered with The English Manner of Britain, and honoured by the patronage of an ambassador decorated with the Order of the Rising Sun.
Those who choose
The Bushido Code
This programme is for those who wish to acquire the cultivation of Japanese business not as a set of gestures, but as a form of intelligence. We welcome international executives foremost, though for Japanese professionals too it offers a rare opportunity to understand their own business culture in depth.
Executives engaged in transactions, joint ventures, and acquisitions with Japanese enterprises. A deep understanding of Japanese business culture becomes the decisive difference in negotiation and the building of trust.
Those leading Japanese subsidiaries or entering the Japanese market. Knowing the reasoning behind Japanese business conduct strengthens trust with local teams and Japanese partners alike.
Japanese executives engaged in international business. To articulate the reasoning behind the conduct one practises daily is to help foreign counterparts understand Japan — and to build deeper trust.
Consultants, lawyers, accountants, and financial professionals with Japanese clients. To serve high-net-worth and executive clients well, the cultivation of Japanese business conduct is required.
Diplomats, international officials, and government representatives engaged with Japan. An understanding of Japanese business protocol in formal settings is the foundation of smooth relations.
Those who wish to study their own business culture anew, with academic rigour — deepening the cultivation of the international professional, and becoming one who can articulate Japan to the world.
An academic
curriculum
Japanese business culture, systematised not as surface conduct but as an academic study of the reasoning beneath. Against the background of Japanese history, philosophy, and organisational theory, we examine deeply the meaning of each form.
Meishi & the Spirit of First Encounters
The most consequential first ritual in Japanese business. The presentation, reception, and handling of the card — and the distinctly Japanese spirit of honouring the other’s person and standing that lies beneath the gesture.
Nemawashi & the Culture of Consensus
The distinctly Japanese culture of preliminary consultation. How decisions are truly made, the role of consensus, and the spirit of harmony that explains why overt confrontation is avoided.
Hierarchy & the Senpai-Kohai Spirit
Understanding hierarchy in Japanese organisations. The senpai-kohai relationship, age and rank, and how the spirit of order — rooted in Confucian thought — shapes conduct at every turn.
Meetings & the Aesthetics of Ma
The protocol of Japanese meetings. Seating order, conventions of speech, and the culture of ma — where silence becomes eloquence. The unspoken codes of the Japanese boardroom, with their reasoning.
Settai — Hospitality as the Ground of Trust
The culture of Japanese business hospitality. Restaurant selection, the etiquette of sake, and the essence of relationships built beyond office hours — the meaning of “nominication”.
Correspondence & the Cultivation of Keigo
Japanese business correspondence. Email conventions, seasonal greetings, the system of keigo (honorific language) in writing, and the regard for the other embedded in every formal word.
Articulating Japan — As a Bridge on the World Stage
Negotiation with Japanese enterprises, communication in international settings, and the response to the question “why does Japan do this?” The practice of articulating, in one’s own words, the spirit and conduct one has learned — to become a bridge between Japan and the world.
What you will
carry forward
The confidence to act, not merely imitate
Because you understand the reasoning beneath each form, you adapt with assurance to situations no manual could anticipate — the mark of true command.
Trust built faster, and held longer
Japanese counterparts recognise those who understand. The respect you convey through informed conduct shortens the path to genuine partnership.
The ability to articulate Japan to the world
Whether explaining a Japanese practice to your own team or representing Japan abroad, you gain the words to make the unspoken intelligible.
A credential of distinction
Certification from Japan’s sole LEPSW-accredited academy — a mark of authority recognised internationally, and rare even among seasoned professionals.
A record
of trust
As Japan’s sole LEPSW-accredited academy, ICPA is entrusted by state institutions, international organisations, and distinguished executives the world over.
LEPSW
The Etiquette and Protocol Schools of the World — ICPA is the sole accredited member in Japan, formally recognised since 2020.
Ambassador Ayman Kamel
Former Egyptian Ambassador to Japan, current Ambassador to Slovakia, recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun (2024), who graciously serves as ICPA’s Honorary Patron.
The English Manner
A strategic partnership with The English Manner of Britain and its founder, William Hanson — among the most distinguished names in protocol.
United Nations · US Forces
United Nations · United States Forces Japan · AFSOC Chief of Protocol officers — a record of instruction for international and state institutions.
Netflix · Toyoda
Protocol supervision for Netflix’s “10DANCE” and corporate training for Toyoda Trike Corporation, among other distinguished engagements.
Europe · Americas · Middle East · Asia
From Dubai and Monaco to the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom, executives across the world have studied with ICPA.
Where learning
takes place
Learning at ICPA unfolds in settings that embody the dignity of Japan. The setting itself becomes part of the education. The heart of Tokyo, within sight of the Imperial Palace, offers an incomparable stage upon which to feel the spirit of Japan.
Within sight of the Imperial Palace — the very symbol of Japan — lies the heart of Tokyo. Encircled by deep moats and ancient stone, this is a place where the history and spirit of Japan are distilled. To study here is an experience beyond compare.
Japan’s sole Neo-Baroque palace, where heads of state are received. To learn in a place that embodies the dignity of the nation is to experience international protocol at its highest.
For over 130 years, a symbol of Japanese hospitality that has received the world’s distinguished guests. Practical instruction in a setting where Japanese omotenashi meets international grace.
Overlooking the Imperial Palace moat, the height of refinement. Here, where Japanese aesthetics meet contemporary grace, we conduct instruction in table manners and the art of reception.
Course
structure
ICPA is an academy for executives, those who move in the highest circles of international society, and the elite — devoted to the formation of true specialists. Led principally by the Specialist Qualification and Bespoke programmes, taught personally by the Founding Principal, we guide you according to your standing and interests. Admission is selective.
The specialist qualification, accredited by LEPSW, taught personally by the Founding Principal. You will master the conduct and spirit of Japanese business in depth, and study the methods of instruction and systematisation required of one who teaches. Graduates may, as ICPA-certified instructors, teach the general courses and deliver their own programmes in corporate training.
For busy executives and professionals, a programme composed according to your interests and circumstances. Concentrated study of negotiation, of settai, or an intensive course before posting to Japan — composed with care. No certificate is issued, but the essential learning is conveyed in full.
For those who would learn step by step from the foundations, the general courses are also available. You may begin at the stage suited to your standing and experience. Instruction is conducted by certified instructors, formed under the Founding Principal and qualified by ICPA. Upon completion of each stage, an ICPA certificate is conferred.
For those who would savour refinement and society at leisure, the ICPA Group also offers The Elegance Academy and The Gentlemen’s Academy.
Study within
your organisation
Beyond individual enrolment, ICPA welcomes study at the organisational level. For the Japan operations of international firms, pre-posting training for Japanese enterprises, executive training, and organisations engaged in international transactions, we compose the curriculum according to the purpose of the organisation and the responsibilities of its participants.
For details of group programmes, curriculum composition, and estimates, please see our corporate training page.
In their
own words
A reflection from a protocol specialist of the United States Forces, who undertook this programme.
I work in the protocol field and work directly with U.S. and Japanese relations. I signed up for the virtual protocol Japanese etiquette and basic training for myself and my team. They were a wonderful team to work with. They assisted in designing the course that fit our needs and provided very professional training.
The instructor was very knowledgeable and passionate about protocol etiquette and the influence that it has on developing trusting intercultural relationships and partnerships. The topics reviewed have given me the confidence to adapt and move forward in social and business situations. I would highly recommend attending this course and other courses that the Academy offers.
The ICPA Group
— Connected Institutions
ICPA, as a members-only academy of international protocol at the highest level, carries the systematic transmission of cultivation — including Japanese culture. Its sister institution, IPAA (the International Protocol Accreditation Association), serves as an independent body that certifies ICPA’s qualifications, preserving objectivity and international credibility.
The ICPA Letter
— Stay Informed
From ICPA, we send writings of an academic character — on Japanese culture, international protocol, the social, the business, and the diplomatic — at a measured frequency. Notices of briefings, columns from the Founding Principal, media appearances, and news of cultural projects: the official communications of ICPA, the members-only academy at the highest level, delivered to those who wish to receive them.
Master the conduct
of Japanese business
Where business becomes the art of trust
The Bushido Code is for those who would learn the reasoning beneath Japanese business conduct,
and acquire the cultivation expected of the international professional.
We welcome international executives foremost,
though for the Japanese too it offers a rare means to articulate their own nation.
Specialist qualification · Bespoke programme · General courses
— chosen according to your standing and aspiration.
Admission is selective.
We invite you to begin with a private online briefing.