Japanese Protocol
Three Paths Rooted in the Japanese SpiritThe Spirit of Japan
— Heritage for the Modern World
Japanese protocol is the philosophy of dignity and harmony unique to Japan, handed down across the centuries. Imperial ceremony, the etiquette of Japan, the tradition of hospitality — a way of being rooted in the Japanese spirit that, even today, remains among the most highly regarded systems of conduct in international society.
To acquire this system is not merely to learn ‘Japanese manners’. It is to gain the deep understanding and bearing to embody Japanese culture with sincerity, and to convey the Japanese spirit at the forefront of the world.
As with international protocol, ICPA’s Japanese protocol is organised across three domains — society, business, and diplomacy. The Yamato Elegance, The Bushido Code, and The Imperial Diplomacy — you will learn, from first principles, the Japanese distinction that each occasion requires.
Japanese Social Protocol
The system of dignified conduct, rooted in tradition, within Japanese society. The spirit of the tea ceremony, the manners of Japanese cuisine, the culture of gift-giving, and traditional greetings — the conduct, grounded in deep cultural understanding, that the distinctly Japanese social occasion requires.
The four seasons and their observances, the bearing of Japanese dress, conduct within the tatami room, how to partake of a kaiseki meal, how to take tea, and the spirit that dwells within a Japanese greeting — you will acquire, systematically and in the modern context, Japan’s own culture of hospitality and respect.
As one who is Japanese, or one engaged with Japan, this is study for those who would embody Japanese society with sincerity.
Japanese society
is the etiquette of the heart
Those who would learn Japanese society and culture as cultivation; Japanese people active abroad; and specialists overseas who wish to understand and convey Japanese culture accurately. Those who aspire to qualify as international specialists in etiquette and protocol have also chosen this course.
Japanese Business Protocol
A code of conduct for building trust, rooted in Japanese business culture. The manner of exchanging business cards, the conduct of negotiation, the philosophy of nemawashi, and the culture of formal entertaining — the conduct, traditional yet current, that builds relationships of trust in the Japanese business arena.
The particular hierarchies of Japan, the distinctions of honorific language, seasonal greetings, the culture of ochugen and oseibo, the ceremonial of the Japanese company, and the harmonious style of negotiation — we systematically unravel the language of Japanese business, required alike by those who engage with Japanese enterprises from abroad and by Japanese people active internationally.
In respect for Japanese business culture, this is study for those who would build relationships of trust in the Japanese way.
Trust in Japan
dwells in the smallest courtesies
Foreign executives engaged with Japanese enterprises, those who would study Japanese business culture systematically, and those active internationally from a base in Japan. We have welcomed many from the governments and distinguished figures of nations around the world.
Japanese Diplomatic Protocol & Ceremony
The highest system of Japanese diplomatic ceremony, crowned by imperial ceremonial. The reception of state guests, imperial observances, court banquets, and the ceremonial of Their Majesties — a system of diplomatic ceremony unique to Japan, unmatched in the world and reaching back more than a thousand years.
The traditions of the imperial house, the ceremonial of Japan, the reception of foreign guests, the philosophy of cultural diplomacy, Japan’s own usage of precedence, and the formal beauty of ceremony — we systematically unravel the exacting norms that exist within Japanese diplomatic ceremony, and the philosophy that underlies them.
For diplomats, embassy staff, those engaged in matters surrounding the imperial house, and those involved in the planning and conduct of international ceremonial — this is study for those who would present the Japanese spirit to the world at the highest distinction.
Japanese diplomatic ceremony
is the crystallisation of a thousand years of spirit
Diplomats, embassy staff, distinguished figures of governments around the world, those engaged in imperial observances and the reception of state guests, and those who seek Japanese diplomatic ceremony as the highest cultivation. Under the honorary patronage of Ambassador Ayman Kamel, officers of national governments have also studied with us.
Your First Step into
Japanese Protocol
Your first step into Japanese protocol
The Yamato Elegance · The Bushido Code · The Imperial Diplomacy
From three courses, choose the one that befits your purpose
Available for the individual and for the organisation alike
Begin with an online briefing, or by requesting the prospectus