Seventy-Two Foreign Students Fight Over Japan

[Mulboyne]

[floatr][/floatr]Yomiuri: Foreign students face off in inaugural Japan quiz
Foreign students studying at Japanese language schools have battled it out in an inaugural competition testing their knowledge of Japan in Tokyo. Seventy-two students from countries and territories across the world, including South Korea, Taiwan and Uzbekistan, represented 36 schools in teams of two in the Nihon Kentei Kuizu Taikai on Friday. Participating schools came from the Tokyo metropolitan area, as well as prefectures such as Nagano and Kyoto, to the event held at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Shibuya Ward. The Yomiuri Shimbun and several other organizations supported the event in cooperation with the Yomiuri Institute of Technology and other bodies. TOPA 21st Century Japanese Language School, located in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, emerged as champions and walked away with the top prize of 500,000 yen.

Here's a PDF (Japanese) of sample questions. And, before you tear your hair out, here are the answers (also Japanese). There are nine categories: Language, Current Topics, Geography, History, Show Business, Sports, Literature/Art, Manners and Japanese Life. Here's one from the Manners section:

[floatl][/floatl]Q: You are getting into a taxi with your boss and a customer. The diagram on the left numbers four possible seats. Which should you have the customer take?

A: The customer should sit behind the driver in position number one.

[herrejaevlar]

so it'd be wrong to put him in seat 3 with VIPs on either side?

[Greji]

so it'd be wrong to put him in seat 3 with VIPs on either side?

As anyone DBA an address in Japan will know, the customer, guest, or boss will always be seated behind the driver of whatever car. There are many stories about why, but the most common is that in the old days that seat was considered the safest seat in the car (now, none of them are safe).

[Charles]

As anyone DBA an address in Japan will know, the customer, guest, or boss will always be seated behind the driver of whatever car. There are many stories about why, but the most common is that in the old days that seat was considered the safest seat in the car (now, none of them are safe).

I was always told that spot would be the first person ushered into the car, showing their highest rank. There are similar rules for seating in meetings, etc.
I thought I had heard them all, until I saw a little etiquette test via a link that came up on FG a while ago. It asked what you're supposed to do if you meet the boss while he is descending the staircase and you are ascending. You are supposed to back down the stairs to allow him to pass, it would be considered most impertinent to walk up the stairs and pass him. I thought that was pushing etiquette rules a bit far.

[wuchan]

I hate to talk business here but whenever I go to a meeting with a new company I play a little joke on the natives. DON'T SIT!!! well at least until the boss decides to show up. It is funny as hell watching lower guys try to figure out how to please you. In many western countries when two companies have a meeting only essential staff will attend, here everyone from the local company will try to be there. The main man is usually the last one to show... it is always fun to fuck with the unimportant people.

so it'd be wrong to put him in seat 3 with VIPs on either side?

nope... customer or vip in first. The door next to #2 opens #1 is first in. #3 is the most dangerous "ejection" seat. Until recently many j-taxis did not have seat belts in the back.