Book excerpt: A concise guide for business people or tourists, Japanese Etiquette Today contains vital information for navigating tricky Japanese social interactions. Japan today "looks" more and more Western, principles governing social and business relations become harder to see. Most foreigners know that Japanese etiquette differs from that of other countries, but few people know the extent of the differences. It is this diversity that first attracted the authors of Japanese Etiquette Today, a book written to make working and living in Japan enjoyable and rewarding experiences. The authors look at a variety of formal and informal occasions governed by subtle rules--visiting a Japanese office and home, giving and returning gifts, attending weddings and funerals, and much more. The result is an informal overview of Japanese society and a manual of practical advice on getting a long in that society. Complete with essential vocabulary and phrases, this handy guidebook explains what to do and perhaps more important what not to do, what to say, what to wear, indeed, whatever you need to observe the complex rules of modern Japanese etiquette.