“What is ho-ren-so?” “Why do we do morning exercises every day?”—Many foreign employees who have just started working at Japanese companies voice this kind of confusion right after joining. What makes it harder is that most of these rules are not written down and exist only as “unspoken understandings.” The points that surprise people also differ slightly depending on whether they come from Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines, or elsewhere. Here we carefully select 10 Japanese workplace rules that multinational foreign employees have actually found hard to understand, and explain each with a three-part set: why it confuses them, the cultural background, and how to respond.

Japanese workplace rules that surprise foreign employees ①: Communication with too much meaning behind the words

In Japanese workplaces, “what is left unsaid” is often valued more than the words themselves. For people from cultures that prefer relatively direct communication—such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Nepal—this indirect style is not uncommonly a major hurdle. Here we cover four situations that draw especially frequent expressions of confusion.

Treat “ho-ren-so” as a uniquely Japanese invention

“Ho-ren-so” (reporting, contacting, and consulting) is a concept every Japanese businessperson learns in new-hire training. Almost no other country has this system. In Vietnam, reporting to a supervisor is generally done “when a problem arises,” and in Nepal and Indonesia many people tend to think “if things are going smoothly, there is no need to report.”

So when foreign employees do not practice ho-ren-so, it is usually not laziness—they simply do not feel a cultural need for it. We recommend explaining with concrete examples “what the report is for” and “when, to whom, and what to communicate.” Breaking it down to the action level—for example, “Please check in once the work is about halfway done”—makes it easier to convey.

“Otsukaresama desu” is a greeting, not a check on how tired you are

The phrase “otsukaresama desu” flies around Japanese workplaces many times a day. There is no equivalent expression in English, Vietnamese, or Nepali. Stories are common of Filipino employees being puzzled: “I’m not tired—why is someone telling me I am tired?”

Because a literal translation does not make sense, it helps to explain that “it is a Japanese greeting used the same way as Hello in English.” It is also useful to note that in some workplaces “ohayo gozaimasu” is used not only in the morning but as a greeting whenever someone arrives at work, regardless of the time of day.

If you hear “we will consider it,” you are likely being turned down

In Japanese, “we will consider it” can mean literally “we will think about it,” or it can effectively mean “no.” Even Japanese people sometimes struggle to judge this ambiguity. In Indonesia and the Philippines, people tend to state reasons relatively clearly even when declining, so if nothing follows “we will consider it,” a foreign employee may keep waiting, assuming it is still under review.

That said, it is not realistic to abandon all indirect Japanese expressions. What works is sharing an internal awareness that, with foreign employees, you should lead with the conclusion. Adding just a few words—“We will consider it, but I think it will be difficult to make happen”—greatly reduces misunderstanding.

Expecting foreign employees to “read the air” is unrealistic

“Reading the air” is a communication style deeply rooted in Japanese culture. It is something people naturally pick up over years of living in Japanese society, so it is better to accept that expecting it of foreign employees who have only recently arrived in Japan is unrealistic. Vietnam has a concept of “te nhi” (attentiveness and sensitivity), but its scope and depth differ from Japan’s “reading the air.”

So it is important to revisit the assumption that “they will understand without being told” and build a habit of clearly putting into words what needs to be communicated. This benefits not only foreign employees but also Japanese staff by helping create a more open workplace.

Japanese workplace rules that surprise foreign employees ②: The common belief that taking time off equals something bad

Views on working hours and leave differ greatly by country. Japan’s “virtue of not taking time off” may be one of the cultures many foreign employees find hardest to understand.

Paid leave is a right, yet the atmosphere makes it hard to use

Under Japan’s Labor Standards Act, workers who meet certain conditions are granted paid leave. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “General Survey on Working Conditions (Reiwa 5),” the annual paid leave utilization rate reached a record high of 65.3%—which still means more than 30% goes unused. In Vietnam and the Philippines, paid leave is routinely planned and used for family events and trips home, so the idea of “having the right but not using it” is hard to grasp.

We have also heard of Nepali employees applying for extended leave for Dashain, their country’s largest festival, only to find the workplace atmosphere became awkward. Dashain is a Hindu festival so important that companies and schools close for about 10 days. For foreign employees to take leave with peace of mind, shift-adjustment rules need to be written down and a reality created in which “if you apply, you can take it.” Food culture and religious background for Nepali employees are also covered in detail in “A Guide to Nepali Food Culture and Dietary Restrictions Useful for Employing Foreign Staff.”

A culture that makes leaving on time hard to value

The idea that “people who work overtime are trying harder” is weaker than it once was, but it has not disappeared completely. In Indonesia and the Philippines, finishing work on time and valuing family time is common. In Vietnam, too, overtime is seen as a sign of “heavy workload,” not as a measure of “motivation.”

So it is important to build evaluation systems based on “what results were delivered,” not “how many hours were worked.” Results-based evaluation can be seen as something that raises productivity for the whole organization, not only for foreign employees.

Nomikai are supposed to be optional, yet hard to decline

Japan’s “nomi-nication” has long been valued as a way to deepen team bonds. Meanwhile, workplaces with Nepali or Indonesian staff often include Muslim employees who do not drink for religious reasons. Filipino employees are said to adapt relatively easily to drinking gatherings, but even they can feel uneasy about an atmosphere of “implicit mandatory attendance every Friday.”

Of course, opportunities to deepen workplace relationships matter. Still, we recommend also offering alcohol-free options such as lunch gatherings or sports events as alternatives to drinking parties. An environment where employees from diverse backgrounds can join without strain is what truly strengthens team cohesion.

Japanese workplace rules that surprise foreign employees ③: Distinctive rituals and etiquette

Japanese workplaces have many “rituals” and forms of etiquette not directly related to the work itself. They are mechanisms for maintaining organizational unity and order, but when their purpose is never explained and people are simply told to “just do it,” it is not uncommon for foreign employees to feel confused.

Business card exchange is the entry ticket to Japanese-style business

The etiquette of exchanging business cards—offering with both hands, presenting at a lower position than the other person, not putting the card away immediately after receiving it—is emblematic of Japanese business manners. Vietnam and Nepal also have card-exchange customs, but the detailed gestures are not as fixed as in Japan. In the Philippines and Indonesia, handing cards with one hand is also common.

Even so, first impressions in Japanese business culture can hinge on how a card is exchanged. For foreign employees, carefully explaining “why it is done this way” and then giving them a chance to practice in role-play form tends to be effective.

Morning meetings and radio calisthenics are devices for building unity

On manufacturing and construction sites, pre-shift morning meetings and radio calisthenics are sometimes part of the daily routine. Vietnamese factories may have habits similar to morning meetings, but a culture of everyone exercising together exists in almost no other country. Many foreign employees are said to wonder, “Why exercise before work?” and “Is this mandatory?”

The purpose of morning meetings and radio calisthenics is safety checks, information sharing, and building team unity. We recommend explaining this purpose in advance and also conveying the practical benefit that “moving the body helps prevent injuries.” When the purpose is understood, foreign employees tend to engage more positively.

Even where you stand in the elevator reflects hierarchy

In Japan, hierarchy is reflected in every spatial setting—the “upper” and “lower” seats in an elevator, seating order in meeting rooms, where you sit in a taxi, and more. Some sense of rank also exists in Vietnam under Confucian influence, but a culture that frets over elevator standing positions exists in almost no other country. For employees from Nepal or Indonesia, it may be a completely new concept.

That said, they do not need to learn everything at once. Start by sharing basics such as “in a meeting room, seats farther from the entrance are the upper seats,” and teach a little at a time as situations arise. Rather than demanding perfection, it is important to build a culture that values the attitude of “trying to be careful.”

Japanese workplace rules that surprise foreign employees ④: What companies lose by leaving “I don’t get it” unaddressed

The 10 rules introduced so far are all often treated as “common sense” in Japanese workplaces. From a foreign employee’s perspective, though, they are simply “rules that were never explained.” Leaving this perception gap unaddressed is a major risk for companies.

Skimping on explanation costs comes back as turnover costs

It is by no means rare for foreign employees who cannot understand workplace rules to accumulate stress and leave early as a result. From hiring through onboarding—status of residence procedures, arranging housing, and more—bringing in one foreign employee already takes substantial effort. Time spent carefully explaining “why this rule exists” after they join can therefore be seen as an investment that more than pays for itself over the long run.

In Vietnam and Nepal, information about job changes spreads instantly through fellow-national communities on SNS. A reputation that “that company forces rules without explanation” can hurt future hiring. Conversely, word of mouth that “they teach carefully” can become a force that attracts strong talent—a point not to overlook.

Workplaces that can answer “why” are easier for Japanese employees too

A foreign employee’s question—“Why does this rule exist?”—is also a valuable chance to reexamine the workplace. Among long-standing customs, some may no longer make sense in today’s work environment. The process of trying to answer “why” not uncommonly leads to dropping unnecessary rules and improving efficiency.

In other words, taking foreign employees’ questions seriously is also an effort that improves the organization as a whole. When leading a multinational team, the work of “putting the purpose of rules into words” has the effect of raising ease of work for everyone, including Japanese staff.

Conclusion

Many Japanese workplace rules have rationality cultivated over a long history. Without that background explained, though, they look to foreign employees like nothing more than “rules that make no sense.” What matters is not changing the rules themselves, but the stance of putting into words “why the rule exists.”

This is an era when employees from many countries—Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines, and more—join Japanese workplaces. By treating cultural differences not as a hassle but as a chance to reexamine the organization, workplaces emerge where Japanese and foreign employees can grow together. Respecting one another’s “normal” while building a better work environment will be the first step toward multicultural coexistence going forward.