2. You treat her better than you’d treat a friend.
Perhaps you were just being a gentleman, but to a Japanese woman, your decorum came as a pleasant surprise and might have been something she’d only seen in the movies. “When I was struggling at work, he asked me if there was anything he could do to help. I started to think that he was sending me a signal,” recounts one Japanese woman in her 20s. “He’s always willing to drop everything he’s doing to be with me. He’s so caring and compassionate,” agrees another Japanese woman in her late 20s. Your impeccable timing and affection can easily sweep her off her feet. One note of caution, though: if she is your subordinate, make certain that your actions do not appear biased.