Need some advice on Japanese business etiquette.
My company is hosting a dignitary from Japan later this week. The meeting would be right after lunch, and our contact suggested water & coffee would be nice to have offered.
I would like to go the extra mile, given the status of our visitor, and also include some light refreshments. In the US, that might include some nice cookies or petit fours, but I don’t know if that would be “gracious hosting” or “overkill” from a Japanese perspective. Would a snack component to a business meeting be appropriate? And if so, what would be the type of snack that would be a delightful surprise and indicate respect and attention to detail to our Japanese dignitary?
We do have a very good Japanese confectioner a few blocks from the office, so I could pick up some mochi. Would that seem “trying too hard?” Kind of like hosting a visitor from San Francisco and serving them sourdough?
by GamerEdie