Japan: Business Dress
From ExecutivePlanet.com
Business Dress
Before the turn of the century, I would have recommended very formal business attire with a white shirt and dark colored suit. In the banking and finance industries, this is generally still the norm. But times have changed and with those times so has appreciation for variations in material and color and fashion overall. Certainly, when meeting somebody the first time, I would still recommend wearing nothing that stands out too much. Many foreigners tend to sport a showy tie - once you get to know the partner/customer better, perhaps that will be fine, but not for initial discussions. It's not necessary, though, to start with a white shirt, as any other color that’s not too flashy would also be fine. "Casual Friday" has been implemented in many places, but unless you know the people well, don’t take a chance.
One of the recent prime ministers, Koizumi, had even advocated not wearing neckties in the summer, in order to save on air-conditioning costs, and this has continued! Thus you will find a good number of business people wearing short-sleeve business shirts with no tie and no jacket. Nevertheless, it's not recommended you try this on the first meeting, as some companies follow the policy and some don't. If they are not wearing a jacket, then after greetings are done and you sit down, you may politely ask if it's ok to remove your jacket as well. Don't take off the tie of course, unless they urge you to!
For women making visits to Japan, it would be wise to stick with a formal outfit in order to try to win over respect. Don't wear too much jewelry or makeup. Dressing too casually might catch the other partys' eye, but it won't have him respecting you, which is a challenge in itself in the Japanese culture. You want your Japanese counterpart to take you seriously, so dress as you would at a board meeting.
For social events, it totally depends on what kind of gathering and where it is. A formal party will have you sticking with the suggestions above. For a non-formal outing, dress conservatively, but relate your choice to the destination.
