JavaScript is required
Skip to main content
☄️💫 60% OFF for Cosmic Comprehension!60% OFF for Cosmic Comprehension! 💫☄️Click here!

1 day

16 hours

25 minutes

56 seconds

💫☄️

Learning Business Japanese? Check Out These Manga, Anime, and Dramas

Last updated: September 10, 2025

A group of four Japanese salaryman at an izakaya—the place you go to immerse in Japanese after you've managed to learn business Japanese

Learning business Japanese doesn’t have to mean endless hours of textbooks and grammar drills. Here at Migaku, we’re all about blending language learning with entertainment by introducing the best Japanese manga, anime, and Japanese dramas to learn business Japanese.

From corporate battles in anime to office dramas and manga that unpack the unspoken rules of Japanese work life, we’ll break down key scenes, expressions, and moments tp increase your vocabulary and understanding of Japanese business culture.

Along the way, we’ll dive deep into keigo—explaining when and how to use it—and practical examples straight from the screen or page. Let’s get to business:

~
~

What is business Japanese?

A Japanese salaryman standing on the streetcorner with his suit and suitcase, about to head to the office, where he'll need to use business Japanese

If you’re planning to work in Japan, understanding business Japanese (ビジネス日本語) isn’t optional—it’s essential. Unlike English, where politeness can often be achieved by tone or simply adding “please,” Japanese requires a completely different set of vocabulary, grammar, and speech patterns when used in professional settings.

The way you speak with a boss, a client, or even a colleague is fundamentally different from how you’d speak with a friend.

In Japanese, this shift in language isn’t just about being polite—it’s about demonstrating social awareness. This is where the concept of wakimae (わきまえ) comes in. As linguist Sachiko Ide explains in her paper on wakimae, adjusting your speech according to the social context is an expected part of communication in Japan. It’s not something you can choose to opt out of because of personality; it’s simply how language works in society.

Mastering business Japanese, including keigo (honorific language) and things like the proper usage of honorifics, demonstrates respect and cultural fluency. It’s a core skill, not an extra. Whether you're job hunting, networking, or just trying to get along in a Japanese office, the way you speak can open doors—or close them.

Kenjougo (謙譲語) – Humble language

A photograph of an open door that says 'stay humble', which is fitting, because learning proper keigo will definitely open doors in Japan

Kenjougo is used to lower your own status or the status of someone in your in-group (e.g., your team or company) in relation to the listener. It’s a way of showing humility and respect toward the person you’re speaking to.

When to use it:

  • When talking about your own actions to a customer, client, or superior
  • In emails or meetings when you’re offering help, making a request, or reporting your actions
  • To defer to the listener and maintain proper social distance

And a few examples of kenjougo in use:

Polite: 私は今朝、部長に会いました
I met with the manager this morning.

Kenjougo: 今朝、部長にお目にかかりました
I (humbly) met with the manager this morning.

→ お目にかかりました is the humble version of 会いました (to meet), and puts the emphasis on your feels of having the honor to have met the manager. Rather than just having “met them,” you were lucky enough to lay your eyes on them. #Blessed.

Polite: この資料を持ってきました
I brought these documents.

Kenjougo: この資料をお持ちしました
I (humbly) brought these documents.

→ As above, the idea here is to lower yourself and show humility. This is done by using the stem form of the verb and adding the honorific ~お prefix, taking you from 持って to お持ち. In this example, you’re trying to say that you have completed an act without bragging that you were the one who did it.

Kenjougo (謙譲語) – Humble verbs you need to know! 🙇

Let’s take a look at the everyday, polite verbs and how they change for the kenjougo form.

Regular verb

Meaning

Kenjougo form

Notes

行く / 来る
to go / to come
参る
Very common in formal settings
いる
to be
おる
Humble equivalent of いる
言う
to say
申す 申し上げる
"申す" is common for self-intro
見る
to see
拝見する
Used when viewing someone’s work, etc.
聞く / 尋ねる
to ask / to hear
伺う
Also means "to visit" humbly
食べる / 飲む
to eat / to drink
いただく
Also used when receiving (from others)
知っている
to know
存じている 存じ上げている
存じ上げている” is for people you know
する
to do
いたす
Very commonly used in service settings
会う
to meet
お目にかかる
Formal and polite
あげる
to give
差し上げる
Used when giving something to a superior

Sonkeigo (尊敬語) – Respectful Language

A guy wearing a sweater that says 'respect', which is exactly what sonkeigo, japnese honorific language,is used to show

Sonkeigo is used to show respect by elevating the status of the person you’re speaking to or about. You’ll use it when talking about a client, boss, or anyone of higher social or professional standing. It is used to describe the actions of others, not yourself.

When to use it:

  • When referring to the actions of a customer, manager, teacher, or senior colleague
  • In formal business emails, meetings, or phone calls
  • To show humility and deference in hierarchical relationships

And some examples of it in use:

Polite: 部長は会社に行きました
The manager went to the office.

Sonkeigo: 部長は会社にいらっしゃいました
The manager (respectfully) went to the office.

While the first sentence is perfectly polite, it doesn’t raise the manager up to their deserved position as the respected manager. As you’ll see from the sonkeigo verb table below, いらっしゃる is the respectful form of 行く (to go), 来る (to come), and いる (to be). いらっしゃいました is the past respectful verb, meaning that they went.

Polite: 社長はこの本を読みました
The president read this book.

Sonkeigo: 社長はこの本をお読みになりました
The president (respectfully) read this book.

Here’s another common sonkeigo sentence structure you’ll need to know: お〜になる.

  • You take the stem form of the verb 読む and add the honorific お before it, turning it into お読み
  • Then, add になる and make past tense: になりました
  • Now, you have a sentence that pays full respect to the president.

Sonkeigo (尊敬語) – Respectful verbs you need to know! 🧑‍💼

Let’s take a look at the everyday, polite verbs and how they change for the sonkeigo form.

Regular verb

Meaning

Sonkeigo form

Notes

行く
to go
いらっしゃる おいでになる
Also applies to "to come" and "to be"
来る
to come
いらっしゃる おいでになる
いる
to be
いらっしゃる
言う
to say
おっしゃる
見る
to see
ご覧になる
食べる / 飲む
to eat / to drink
召し上がる
知っている
to know
ご存知だ
Nominal form, not a verb
する (suru)
to do
なさる
聞く / 尋ねる (kiku/tazuneru)
to ask / inquire
お聞きになる
Less common than kenjougo counterpart
読む (yomu)
to read
お読みになる
Verb in "o + stem + ni naru" form

Can you actually learn Japanese from anime?

To actually improve your Japanese by watching TV shows, two things are essential:

  • You need to spend enough time watching Japanese content (this is called input).
  • You need to understand what you’re watching—without relying on English subtitles.

You don’t need to catch every word, and it won’t feel as effortless as watching something in English. At first, it’ll take real effort just to get the gist—and yes, you’ll miss a lot. That’s normal and totally fine.

As long as you can follow the general meaning, you’ll start to absorb patterns and vocabulary naturally. And as your Japanese improves, understanding will take less effort, and more content will become accessible to you.

~
~

3 manga for learning business Japanese

1. Kacho Kosaku Shima (課長 島耕作)

The cover of Kacho Kosaku Shima, a popular manga about a mid-level manager at a Japanese electronics company

This long-running series follows Kosaku Shima, a mid-level manager at a Japanese electronics company, as he navigates office politics, promotions and international business dealings.

Why it's great for learners:

  • Packed with authentic corporate dialogue, including emails, meetings and negotiations.
  • Shows the evolution of Japanese workplace roles and keigo usage across ranks.
  • Offers realistic exposure to hierarchical relationships, social protocols and workplace etiquette.

Excerpt from the manga:

An excerpt from the manga Kacho Kosaku Shima, demonstrating how to enter the office of a superior

In a Japanese workplace, 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu) is a common phrase used when entering someone else's space, such as an office or meeting room. It literally translates to “I’m being rude” or “Excuse me,” and it's a humble way of acknowledging that you’re interrupting or intruding.

When entering a room:

  • If you're entering a superior's office or a meeting room, you typically:
  • Knock first (usually 2–3 times).
  • Wait for a response, like どうぞ (douzo), meaning "please come in").
  • Open the door and say: 失礼します, often with a slight bow.
  • Then enter the room.

It softens your entry and follows Japanese workplace etiquette.

2. Salaryman Kintaro (サラリーマン金太郎)

The cover of Salaryman Kintaro, a manga about a bike gang leader who joins the corporate world

Kintaro, a former biker gang leader, enters the corporate world and challenges its rigid norms with heart, loyalty and boldness—while still climbing the corporate ladder.

Why it's great for learners:

  • Features conversational business Japanese from both formal and informal perspectives.
  • Highlights contrast between traditional corporate culture and more rebellious personalities.
  • Useful for hearing workplace speech in both structured (keigo) and emotional settings.

An excerpt from the manga:

An excerpt from the manga Salaryman Kintaro, showing a scene in which Kintaro enters a room for an interview
  • 履歴書は拝見しましたが・・・お名前をどうぞ。
    We have seen your resume, please tell us your name.

As featured in the Kenjougo table, the phrase 拝見しました (haiken shimashita) is a more humble version of 見る (miru, "to see").

Bonus: Did you see 失礼します appear again? See, business Japanese is already starting to make sense to you!

3. Investor Z (インベスターZ)

A shelf of Investor Z manga books, a series about a middle schooler recruited into a powerful investment club

A genius middle schooler is recruited into a secret school investment club managing billions of yen. The series combines education, strategy, and financial literacy.

Why it's great for learners:

  • Introduces business, finance, and economics vocabulary in accessible dialogue
  • Explains complex topics like stocks, investment strategies, and risk in simple terms
  • Ideal for learners interested in startup, money, or entrepreneurial Japanese

And excerpt from the manga:

A panel from the Investor Z manga book, showing a sampel of language used in the manga
  • そうして先輩達が築いた運用資産は現在総額3000億円!
    And so, the assets managed by our predecessors have now reached a total of 300 billion yen!
  • 現在は年8%の利回りを目標とし毎年240億の利益を上げている。
    Currently, we aim for an annual return of 8%, generating a profit of 24 billion yen every year.

~
~

3 best anime for learning Japanese keigo

4. Violet Evergarden

Violet, the main character of Violet Evergarden, an excellent anime for practicing keigo

Violet, a former soldier, becomes a ghostwriter known as an Auto Memory Doll, tasked with expressing the emotions of others through letters. Her journey explores how language connects people and how emotion can be conveyed through words.

Why it’s good for learners:

  • Features formal and respectful Japanese in letter writing and client communication.
  • Explores the nuances of polite expression, indirectness and empathy—core aspects of Japanese language and culture.
  • Great for learners focusing on written keigo and emotional nuance in business or customer service contexts.

It’s a visually beautiful anime, making it a pleasure to watch and learn!

Screenshot from the anime:

A scene from Violet Evergarden, as enhanced by Migaku, showing how we help people learn Japanese by watching anime
  • 差出人様のご住所をお願いいたします。
    Sir, please write the receiver's and sender’s address on this form.

5. Aggretsuko

A screenshot of Retsuko, the main character of Aggretsuko

Retsuko, a mild-mannered red panda, works in the accounting department of a traditional Japanese company. She faces annoying coworkers, overbearing bosses and the everyday grind—while secretly venting her stress through death metal karaoke.

Why it’s good for learners:

  • Excellent example of realistic office speech: emails, meetings, phone calls, and boss-employee conversations.
  • Highlights gender dynamics, hierarchy, and the struggles of young professionals in Japan.
  • Lots of useful keigo and humble expressions, especially in Retsuko’s interactions with clients and higher-ups.

A screenshot from the anime:

A screnshot in which a character from aggretsuko is talking to his boss, using keigo
  • よければ私が加湿器の水を足しましょうか?
    I’d be more than happy to get water for the humidifier, sir.

In this case, we can tell that this worker is somewhat of a kiss-ass weasel... even if he's actually a meerkat.

6. Africa no Salaryman (アフリカのサラリーマン)

One of the main characters in Africa no Salaryman, a salaryman that happens to be a lion

This surreal comedy follows anthropomorphic animals—Lion, Toucan and Lizard—as they navigate office life in Japan. Despite the absurd setting, the characters face very real workplace challenges: power harassment, overtime, office hierarchy and more.

Why it’s good for learners:

  • Presents real Japanese corporate language (including keigo) in a funny, accessible context.
  • Exposes viewers to casual vs. formal speech within an office hierarchy.
  • Good for hearing workplace clichés, boss-employee dynamics, and meeting lingo—without heavy technical jargon.

A screenshot from the anime:

A screenshot from Africa no Salaryman, showing a depiction of a realistic computer screen and useful Japanese UI/UX language

Alongside the office antics, the show often uses a realistic—if dated—version of a computer screen to transition between scenes, giving you a glimpse into real Japanese computer vocabulary.

~
~

3 best Japanese dramas for ビジネス日本語

7. Rikuoh (陸王)

A character from the j-drama Rikuoh holding up a box that has Rikuoh written on it in kanji

A stirring story about a small sock company's CEO who risks it all to launch a running-shoe line. Starring Koji Yakusho and Kento Yamazaki, this drama offers rich business dialogue—board meetings, contract negotiations, production trouble—all full of respectful speech and industry-specific terms. It is especially great for hearing keigo, wakimae, and workplace strategies in action.

Screenshot from the show:

A screenshot from the j-drama Rikuoh in which a character is requesting to extend a deadline
  • 納期を延ばしていただくことは可能でしょうか?
    Would it be possible for you to extend the deadline?

8. Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman (きんたろう)

A screenshot of the cover image of the jdrama Kantaro: The Swet Tooth Salaryman

Follow elite sales rep Kantaro, who balances client meetings with secret dessert escapades. Aside from delicious treats, the show highlights polite customer interactions, sales calls, and corporate-formal speech—often using sonkeigo and kenjougo as he deals with colleagues and clients.

A screenshot from the show:

A screenshot from the jdrama Kintaro, in which he is introducing himself as an ex-system engineer
  • 先日までシステムエンジニアをしておりました。
    Until recently, I was working as a system engineer.

9. Atelier

A screenshot of the title screen of Atelier, a japanese drama about an lingerie design firm

Set in a high-end lingerie design firm in Ginza, this series tracks a new employee navigating client orders, production deadlines, and a demanding boss. It offers a realistic glimpse into Japanese work culture, including respectful speech, team dynamics, and etiquette used in presenting designs and communicating with supervisors.

Screenshot from the show:

A screenshot from the japanese drama Atelier, showing a scene in which a new employee is about to meet the CEO

南上社長によろしくお伝えくださいませ。
Please kindly convey my regards to Nanjou (the CEO).

~
~

Is anime Japanese real Japanese?

A screenshot of a brick wall with an anime character graffitid onto it

Anime often reflects real Japanese culture and language, showing daily life, etiquette and speech realistically. It includes polite forms like keigo, regional dialects and cultural customs such as school or work life.

However, if you run around shouting Naruto’s dattebayo! or ending your sentences with nyan like some kind of fantasy cat girl, expect to be stared out. Just like TV in your own country, some shows will be accurate to real life, while others are aiming for an otherworldly element.

~
~

Learn business Japanese by watching anime and J-dramas

Here’s how to learn business Japanese by watching anime and J-dramas on Netflix or Crunchyroll.

First, make sure Migaku is installed and ready to go—you’ll want our 10-day free trial.

Learn Japanese with Migaku
Free for 10 days. No credit card required.

Load up your show with the Migaku extension.

👁️ Heads up 👁️

You'll need a VPN to access Netflix Japan if you want Japanese subtitles. Alternatively, here's a guide to finding shows with Japanese subtitles available in your region .

While you’re watching, the subtitles will keep track of the dialogue.

A screenshot of a Netflix show as enhanced by Migaku, showing English and Japanese subtitles at the same time

When you come across a word or phrase you’re unfamiliar with, simply hover above the word for more information.

A screenshot of a Netlix jdrama as enhanced by Migaku, letting users mouse over words to see what they mean

To help you remember a new word, you can make a multimedia flashcard.

A screenshot of a flashcard made from Netflix to help users learn Japanese

From here, you can test yourself on this word or phrase over time, having instant access to:

  • Your selected word
  • The sentence it appears in
  • A recording of the sentence's audio from the show
  • A screenshot from teh show when the dialogue was uttered

--

Conclusion

It’s time to close up shop for the day, but if there’s one thing we want you to take away from this meeting, it’s this:

If you consume Japanese media, and you understand some of the messages and sentences within that media, you'll make progress. Period.

So, grab your briefcase and hit the office in your next anime, J-drama or manga. Soon you’ll be swapping keigo with the best of them!