The Other Side of Japanese Punctuality

Some time ago, I talked with a colleague about the different forms Japanese thoughtfulness can take. She then remembered her manager at a previous company, who would do everything to show up precisely on time when having meetings at a client’s place. “If you’re late, it’s rude. If you’re too early, it can be troublesome for the other person. So even if we arrive early, we would spend time at a café or walking around and show up at the door at the exact scheduled time. That’s typical Japanese thoughtfulness for me,” she said.

The Japanese are famous for their sense of punctuality. Facts such as “Japanese rail company apologizes after train departs 20 seconds early “become global news. Foreign readers are amazed both at the apology and the mere concept of a train leaving earlier than expected. It is true for business meetings. Only exceptional circumstances would allow you to be forgiven if you are late.

However, in a casual setting, things are different. When I had my first dates with Japanese friends, I was surprised to find that they were often five to 10 minutes late. My naive self expected them to show up with a Shinkansen’s regularity.