One will notice if in Japan that the Japanese introduce themselves according to their company or department, rather than their specific job. The reason for this is that people in Japan are generally employed in relation to their general abilities, rather than to their work skills. A persons desires and skills are not usually taken into consideration. It is usually more important to fulfill the needs of different sections of a company. With white collar workers it is quite common to be transferred, due to a promotion or urgent project, to a position in which they have no training for. One can discern that there is little concept of job classification by skill. It is for this reason that a Japanese person will mention the name of his/her company and the section to which he/she is assigned, it does not mean that that is what they specialize in or wish to do.

Another aspect of Japanese introductions (in relation to work) is using ones official job title rather than their name. It has been a custom in Japan since ancient times to avoid the use of personal names out of politeness. To clarify this; it is considered rude when addressing someone that is older or of higher rank by their name. This is attributed to the Chinese influence in Japan. One can trace this back to Japan's oldest novel, The Tale of Genji, where the characters are referred to by title rather than name. Over time this became a Japanese custom. So, when one is speaking to a superior in a Japanese company, instead of using that persons name, ones uses either shacho (president), or bucho (general manager), as the case may be. If there are two or more managers present each may have a special title, or in some cases one can add the manager's name. E.g. "Manager Takaso." This system of addressing people is not limited only to the work place, the home is also a place of hierarchy. Elder brothers and sisters are refereed to as such.

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