To the Japanese, there is a set formulaic approach to bowing. This is an unwritten formula, and it may prove challenging to master. Often, Americans are instructed not to bow when in Japan on business, but if you want to show respect to the culture, a bow is a good gesture.

For an American, here are a few quick tips:

• Back straight
• Hands firmly together, palm to palm, at chest level
• Keep your head in line with your back (don't look at the person you are bowing to)
• Bend smoothly at the waist, about as low as the person bowing to you

The depth of the bow is a sign of respect, with deeper and longer bows showing more reverence to the other party. The eyes are averted because eye contact is generally shows disrespect in Japan.

Some Japanese will offer to shake hands. Take the hand if offered. They realize that the ceremony of the bow is unique to Asia, and tend not to expect foreigners to be familiar with it.

In Japanese culture, eloquent speaking and writing are held in much lower esteem than in the west. Indeed, a person who communicates very eloquently is often seen as dishonest. In place of words, the Japanese culture values silence. As a result, the communication style of the Japanese is much more subtle. Conversations in Japan are often interspersed with periods of silence. This is not seen as bad.

The Japanese preference for silence comes from Taoism, the dominant philosophy of the island country. In taoism, more emphasis is placed on the soul of a person than on what they present. This yields a society where it is believed that talking to someone is not necessarily the best way to truly understand and know that person. This also leads to more poetic and contextually dependant conversations.

The Japanese also tend to be perceived as "cold" by westerners, as they do not speak as much and tend to keep more interpersonal distance. In general, Japanese are uncomfortable with public displays of affection and with touching in general.