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I noticed that many Japanese businessmen tend to address the colleagues they
are traveling with, or even introduce themselves as ◯◯◯さん. This would clearly
be a faux-pas in a Japanese-only meeting, yet it almost seems like the norm in
international meetings.

Is this a social engineering hack to get the foreigners to call them さん? Or do
they think this is less confusing this way? Is it a way to help the foreigners
figure out that the strange sound they heard before the "san" is a name? Is
there some "How to do business with gaijins" book that this practice is
spreading from?

I've tried asking my Japanese friends, but no one could come up with a
convincing answer...
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-29T12:05:42.873
16193
2014-05-30T03:37:57.817
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question
politeness honorifics names
Why do Japanese businessmen use 「さん」 even with うち names in meetings with foreigners
I think you need to describe the circumstances in more detail (eg Japanese
company overseas with local staff?) but it sounds like these Japanese business
men are trying to create an environment in which all can work together
cohesively and all feel comfortable. Possibly they recognise that the non-
Japanese all address each other on first name basis. While they don't really
feel comfortable doing the same they have noticed that, at home, foreigners
are quite comfortable being addressed "first-name-san", and are also quite
comfortable addressing their Japanese colleagues as "family name-san" and, as
a result, have decided to encourage the same practice where you are.

I would say it is an improvement on a situation where (for example) all male-
staff from the Japanese HO are Mr but everybody else is first-name. However, I
also remember a story where the branch head overseas issued an edict that all
Japanese staff were to be addressed "family-name-san" instead of Mr.....
Unfortunately, the existing practice was already too ingrained and the edict
was retracted. What was probably done with the best of intentions had the
reverse effect.
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2014-05-29T14:38:47.493
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answer
" **(family-name)さん** " is the most basic way of addressing your colleagues
even in the most domestic Japanese companies.

Following is the general rule. More detailed explanation can be seen
[here](http://japan.wikia.com/wiki/%E8%81%B7%E5%A0%B4%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AE%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E5%91%BC%E3%81%B3%E6%96%B9).
Of course you can start calling people virtually in any way once you gain
closer relationships, so consider this as the safest way to avoid troubles
with anyone you're not familiar with.

  * If you want to address or mention someone inside your company, 
    * " **(family-name)(title)** " for your seniors: 田中[社長]{しゃちょう}, 木村[部長]{ぶちょう}。 Only using " **(title)** " is appropriate if not ambiguous: 社長, 部長。
    * " **(family-name)さん** " for someone at the same position as you: 山田さん
    * " **(family-name)さん** " for your people: 佐藤さん。 "(family-name)くん" is sometimes used (even for females), although [disputed](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1036153045).
  * However if you want to mention someone inside your company to someone outside your company, 
    * " **(family-name)** " without any titles or -さん, regardless of the position: 田中, 山田, 佐藤. Even when you're with your president, don't mention him as 田中社長. If you want to add their titles, use " **(title)の(family-name)** ": 社長の田中, 部下の佐藤。
  * If you want to address or mention someone outside your company, 
    * " **(family-name)さん** " in general, and " **(family-name)(title)** " possible: [御社]{おんしゃ}の鈴木さん, 鈴木社長

Introducing oneself as "私は(family-name)さんです" sounds very strange to me. Maybe
your speculation (social-hack to make foreigners use "(family-name)さん" form)
is correct.
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2014-05-30T01:24:28.600
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2014-05-30T01:45:31.923
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answer