By Sakura
Japanese work hours and work ethics are very similar to American ones, but perhaps the most unique cultural component of work life in Japan involves the use of honorific language. This formal style is required when speaking to both superiors and customers or clients. There is an honorific form, when the subject of a sentence is a superior, and a humble form, when the subject is yourself. Let’s take the verb 行きます ikimasu, which represents the regular form of “to go”. If you want to say that a superior is going, you use the honorific form いらっしゃいます irasshaimasu. Conversely, if you want to tell your superior that you are going somewhere, you use the humble form 参ります mairimasu. The formal style can be quite tricky. For young people, just starting out in their professional careers, using the honorific form can be a humbling experience replete with embarrassing moments, making errors. Yes, even native speakers sometimes have to struggle with the Japanese language!
