Trade-show etiquette in Japan and South Korea
Prepare names, technical material and written next steps for clearer business conversations.
Ask how your counterpart wants to meet before deciding on cards, presentations or interpreters. Business customs can help with introductions, but nationality does not tell you how an individual buys. Follow the company’s preferences for language, titles, hosting and gifts.
Confirm people and purpose before the show
Send your company, product application, participants and roles, agenda and requested duration. Offer two times, a stand number and a reachable contact. Ask whether Japanese or Korean interpretation would help. Reading an English email does not establish comfort with technical negotiations in English.
Prepare business cards and product sheets that work on a phone. The US International Trade Administration’s Japan guide notes the continuing role of cards and the usefulness of bilingual versions; its Korea guidance also discusses cards and job titles. Verify translated names and roles without inflating anyone’s seniority.
In Japan: support the internal review
Introduce your name, company and responsibility clearly. Read an exchanged card, check pronunciation if necessary and put it away respectfully. Respond naturally to greetings rather than performing unfamiliar gestures. Establish who handles technical matters, procurement and coordination.
Prepare a concise pack with specifications, test conditions, quality records, lead times and support arrangements. If material will circulate internally, ask what is missing and when to reconnect. Silence or a promise to consider something is not a purchase commitment. The Japan guide describes decisions involving several people; ask how this particular company works.
In South Korea: agree titles and ownership
Start with the name and role supplied by your counterpart; offering and receiving cards with both hands is a courteous approach. Clarify name order or a preferred English name if unsure. Explain who can quote and who can resolve technical questions.
Repeat back price, quantity, payment and delivery conditions and invite corrections. Send concise updates when meeting arrangements change. Ask which channel the counterpart prefers for documents, while keeping important commercial terms in writing.
At either destination
Allow time for badges, security and finding the correct hall. Give the interpreter one point at a time. Check models, units, currencies and quantities on paper or screen. Record uncertain questions rather than asking an interpreter to invent a commitment.
Ask before photographing products or meetings and keep other companies’ quotations private. Check gift policies and individual dietary preferences. An expensive gift or drinking alcohol should never become a condition of doing business.
Send a short record afterwards
As a working target, send notes within two business days: agreed points, open questions, owners and the next contact date. Attach only relevant documents. Remind the counterpart at the agreed time and allow them to pause the conversation. Accurate information and fulfilled promises matter more than a memorized etiquette routine.