Westerners think Japanese punctuality is about honor and work ethic.
No.
It is about escape velocity.
If a meeting is scheduled for 2:00 PM, a Japanese person shows up at 1:55 PM.
Not because we love the company.
Because if the meeting starts late, it ends late.
And ending late means spending an extra seven minutes in the same room, breathing the same air as other humans.
Lateness creates conversation.
"Sorry I'm late! Traffic was crazy!"
Now everyone has to laugh, nod, and validate you. That is pure torture.
We are not on time because we respect the clock.
We are on time because punctuality is a strictly coordinated countdown to the exact microsecond we can legally stop looking at each other.
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