One of the most essential means when having business in Japan or with a Japanese enterprise is meishi—the name card or business card. These cards are of paramount importance and they are frequently handed out in the course of initial introductions. 
The meishi holds very important data, like name, membership, position and contact information; membership and position are especially significant as such details will aid the receiver to define the level of language formality that is suitable to apply.
Different from the business cards usual to us, the meishi puts the greatest emphasis on the name of the company, then division, personal position and, lastly, name
revealing the significance of the three constituents.
The presenting and getting of the Japanese business card is an essential procedure, which should be handled with respect. The procedures associated with the exchange of business cards are vital.
The bowing, for instance, and the appropriate way of grasping the card on presentation are both experienced as a fundamental part of business introduction and new company personnel should become aware of the home style at instructing sessions right after they are hired.
As a common rule, a younger person (or lower in status) should offer his or her card to the older person, however, there may be some exceptions.
In purchaser-seller relations, for instance, the eldest member of the delegation should be the first to present a meishi.
As the culture in Japan puts less emphasis on the person and more on the group, social status straightforwardly equals with the size and reputation of the company pointed on the card. Therefore, the Japanese business card supplies a great amount of implicit information and a lot of important hints. In Japan, business people who have no meishi, have no face.
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