Paper short abstract:

The business etiquette training is one of the basic educations for the newly hired employees in Japanese companies. It is rites of passage because of the gateway for them to the business society. Japanese companies evaluate that the well trained businessmen themselves are the additional value.

Paper long abstract:

The business etiquette training is one of the vocational training which spreads widely in Japanese business society. This training program is supplied especially for the newly hired employees who are fresh from the school education. Therefore, it is also called "the social training" and considered as a gateway for the students to become a member in the companies. This is regarded as the one of today's Japanese rites of passage. In these days, this training is also applied for the job hunters and in the career education for the university students.

The business etiquette training is conducted strictly and hard by the specialized instructors. They instruct, for example, how to behave and talk with the honorific expression in business, the proper way of wearing the business suits, how to exchange the business cards, etc. Why Japanese companies consider such performances are so important? How does the skill become a driving force on business? I would like to introduce the case study through the participation observation as an instructor in the training course.