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Business Cards in Japan (stolen from wikipedia)

Interesting article about business cards in Japan. There must be a big stationery economy there.

“The presentation of one’s meishi to another person is more formal and ritualistic than in the Western world. The card should be held at the bottom two corners, face up and turned so that it can be read by the person receiving the meishi, who takes it by the top two corners using both hands. Placing one’s fingers over the name or other information is considered rude. Upon receiving the meishi, one is expected to read the card over, noting the person’s name and rank. One should then thank the other person, saying “choudai itashimasu” or “choudai shimasu”, and then bow.^[3] When meishi are being exchanged between parties with different status, such as between the president of a company and someone in middle management, it is proper that the person of lower status extend his or her business card in such a way that it is underneath or below the meishi being extended by the person in a higher position.A Japanese business card is called a meishi (名刺^?). It typically features the company name at the top in the largest print, followed by the job title and then the name of the individual. This information is usually written in kanji on one side and Latin characters on the reverse. Other important contact information is usually provided, such as business address, phone number and fax number.Meishi may also contain a QR code to provide contact details in a machine-readable form,^[1] but this has not yet become a widespread practice. According to a 2007 survey, fewer than 3% of Japanese people own a meishi with a QR code printed on it.^[2]

Meishi should be kept in a smart leather case where they will not become warm or worn, both of which are considered a sign of disrespect or thoughtlessness. A received meishi should not be written on or placed in a pocket; it is considered proper to file the meishi at the rear of the leather case. If the meishi is being presented at a table, the recipient keeps the meishi on top of the leather case until they leave the table. If several people are involved in the meeting and one receives several meishi, the one with the highest rank is kept on the leather case, and the others beside it, on the table.

The manner in which the recipient treats the presenter’s meishi is indicative of how the recipient will treat the presenter. Actions such as folding the card in half, or placing the presenter’s meishi in one’s back pocket, are regarded as insults.”