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Japanese companies share the characteristics of Japan as a whole, with seniority being taken very seriously, personal responsibility being required of members, and there being forms and paperwork for everything imaginable.

Here are a few tips for working in a Japanese company gathered from those who have been in that environment for several years.

1. Do lots of behind-the-scenes networking
Coming in at 9, doing your work and leaving at 5 (or 6, or 7, or 8!) will ruffle no feathers, but won't necessarily get you far ahead. The way to get ahead in a Japanese company is to make yourself useful to as many people in the organization as possible. This requires getting on side with people on a personal basis. Just because you're in the same company doesn't mean at all that people will feel free to approach you with requests.
As in Japanese society at large, in general, the only Japanese people who take the initiative when dealing with a foreigner are those who are those in authority, those who are exuberantly confident (often to the point of being pushy), those who are desperate, or those who are nutty. It is therefore in your interests to take the initiative (within the bounds of seniority) and choose whom you want to have something to do with by approaching likely looking people in your company and selling yourself. A very important part of this is socializing - typically by going out for lunch together. The more people you can create relationships with, an...