TCJ Blog

The ultimate purpose of business is bringing benefits to yourself or your company. By using correct Japanese, let’s do delightful communication and think of nice ways to make a successful business.

The other day, I had a chance to talk with one of my students who owns a business. He said, “Answering a phone call is still challenging for me, so I always ask my employees to take them instead.” I was a bit surprised because he has lived in Japan for a long time and his Japanese proficiency is excellent. When I asked him what makes phone calls difficult, he explained, “Well, first, I can’t see the caller’s face. Second, it takes me some time to grasp what their intentions are. And lastly, I’m not sure how to respond appropriately.” In fact, even many Japanese people find phone calls challenging — around half of the population says they’re not good at them. One reason is that, compared to the past, people today have fewer opportunities to speak on the phone, as email and chat apps have become the main forms of communication. So today, let’s dive into everything about making phone calls in Japanese — from vocabulary related to phone calls, to important manners, and practical phrases that will help you handle calls smoothly at work or in business situations.

The way Japanese uses “yes” (hai) and “no” (iie) is quite unique. For example, to the question “Have you finished your meal?” the answer would be “Hai, I’ve finished.” But even to the opposite question, “Haven’t you finished your meal?” the reply is still “Hai, I haven’t finished yet.” In Japanese, “hai” can be used to answer both types of questions, even though their meanings are completely opposite.

In this article, we’ll introduce how Japanese is generally spoken in everyday life, using examples from anime. I believe you can enjoy anime even more after learning some important points about Japanese!

Learning keigo is critical for anyone looking to work in Japan. We go over what it is, important points, and useful words to use at the office.