What is the Nepalese national character like? Introducing their personality and communication tips!

What kind of country is Nepal?

Nepal is a mountainous country located in the subtropics between India and China.
The capital and largest city of Nepal is Kathmandu.

Although the country has strong economic and cultural ties with India, it also maintains friendly relations with China due to its traditional non-aligned neutrality.

Its area is approximately 147,000 ^km2, about 1.8 times the size of Hokkaido, and its population is approximately 30 million (as of 2023).
It is also a mountainous region with a series of mountains over 8,000m above sea level, including Mount Everest.

The climate is similar to Japan, with four seasons.

The official languages are Nepali and English, and many people can speak English fluently, as education in English begins from elementary school.
Also, since the word order of Nepali and Japanese is similar, it is said that Japanese is an easy language to study for Nepalese people.

Approximately 80% of the population is Hindu, 10% is Buddhism, and the rest are other religions.

There are no particularly large festivals for Buddhists, but for Hindus, their largest festival, Dashain, is held around October or November, which would be the same as in Japan (the date of the festival varies each year depending on the Hindu calendar).
During this time, you may need support returning home temporarily.

In Nepal, there are fewer holidays than in Japan, with Saturdays being the only day off.

While it is said that there are many hardworking people, the average annual income is about 420,000 yen.
Prices are high compared to the average annual income, and there are many instances of economic hardship.

Due to this economic background and the national character of being fluent in English, a large number of Nepalese people go abroad to work.
Approximately 13% of the population, or more than 4 million people, work outside Nepal.

What are the personalities and values of Nepalese people? Learn about their national character

As mentioned above, many Nepalese people are actively going abroad to work, and in recent years, an increasing number of people are choosing Japan as their work destination due to its good public safety.

Japanese and Nepali are easy to learn because they have similar word orders, so there are many Japanese language learning centers in Nepal and the learning environment is well-established.

They also value rules and regulations, and their lifestyle is similar to that of Japanese people, so it would be easy for them to adapt to life in Japan.

There is also a deep-rooted culture of valuing family and respecting the elderly, and the people are said to be extremely hardworking.
However, they can be a little loose with time, so if they have a work deadline, it's a good idea to support them by letting them know early.

In terms of religion, it is important to note that Hindus have taboos, such as not being able to eat beef or pork (or meat in general), or anything that has been put in someone's mouth.

We also introduce the national character and communication tips of Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Please feel free to use this as a reference.

What is the Thai national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the national character of Myanmar? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the Vietnamese national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the Filipino national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the Indonesian national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!

How to work smoothly with staff from Nepal

It is said that Nepalese people have the image that jobs in Japan are "good working conditions," "you can earn an income without having to hold complicated qualifications," and "high paying."

In order to work smoothly with staff from Nepal, there are three things to keep in mind when communicating with them.
It's a good idea to share this within your company before you start working with your Nepalese staff.

1. Understand and share cultural differences

The first is to understand and share cultural differences.

As mentioned earlier, for example, Hindus basically do not eat beef or pork (or meat in general), and they cannot eat anything that has been touched by another person, so you will need to be careful when inviting someone to a meal.
Some values also make drinking alcohol undesirable.

When choosing a restaurant to go to together, it's a good idea to check in advance whether they have dishes that your child can eat, and whether they use any seasonings that contain ingredients derived from beef or pork.

In addition to this, there are other things to keep in mind, such as the fact that the left hand is considered unclean, so when shaking hands or handing over something, it is better to use the right hand.

In addition, Dashain, a Hindu festival that takes place in Nepal over 15 days, is a family celebration.
There are periods when it is a national holiday, and schools and companies often have long holidays, so many people return to their families during this time, just like during Obon and New Year's in Japan.
Make sure you know in advance how many days off you will need.

It is important to research these cultural differences and make sure all staff are aware of them.

②Speak in easy-to-understand Japanese

The second is to use easy-to-understand Japanese.
This is not limited to staff from Nepal, but Japanese terminology, dialects, and abbreviations are very difficult, so it is best to avoid using them wherever possible.

You should be especially careful with Japanese-English expressions, which are unique to Japan and cannot be understood by foreigners.
For example, some Japanese English words include the following:

It is also said that Nepalese people reply "yes" immediately.
People may instinctively answer "yes" even if they have no intention of consenting, so we recommend avoiding questions that can be answered with "yes" as much as possible.

3) Don't scold in front of others

The third step is to pay attention to your teaching methods.

Nepalese people really dislike being scolded or told off loudly in front of multiple people.
When giving guidance, it is important to be considerate and call the person in question into a separate room alone to talk.

Summary: The Nepalese people are hardworking and quick to learn Japanese

Nepal is a country with four seasons and similar characteristics to Japan.
Since the official language is similar to Japanese, it is said that people learn Japanese quickly.
Also, since English education begins from a young age, many people are good at English.

It is not uncommon for people to go abroad to work, and in recent years an increasing number of Nepalese people are looking to work in Japan due to the country's good public safety, job content and good wages.

There are Specified Skills employment statuses for Nepalese people.
This is a status of residence that requires certain skills and Japanese language ability, so companies looking for immediate personnel should definitely consider this.

"Getting to Know Nepal" course for Japanese people living together with foreigners held!

JAC holds a "Lecture on Coexistence with Foreigners" with the aim of "Understanding how to work smoothly with foreign staff!"

The fifth lecture on coexistence with foreigners will be held on January 18, 2024, and will be titled "Lecture on Coexistence with Foreigners (Nepal)" (lecturer: Subedi Uddhav).

In addition to introducing Nepal's history, national character, and working style, the seminar also explained things to be aware of and things to keep in mind when actually employing Nepalese people.

Participating companies asked questions about the image of Nepalese people in Japan, the Nepalese lifestyle, and the procedures that Nepalese people need to go through to work in Japan.

Q: What is the image of Nepal/Japan from the perspective of Nepalese people?
→ Japanese people are kind. I have the impression that women receive the same salary as men.

Q: I would like to know about holidays during Dashain.
→Many Nepalese people want to take time off. They usually only have 1-2 days off.

Q: What kind of jobs do you think are suitable for Nepalese people?
→While suitability for different jobs varies from person to person, Nepalese people in particular tend to be quick learners and have a strong spirit of helping others.
Along with that, as a Nepalese, I feel that a job that requires cooperation and teamwork while also learning is preferable.

Q: Regarding MWWF* when leaving Nepal, is it necessary to join for both Specified Skills and technical intern training?
→ Technical intern trainees and Specified Skills are required to complete MWWF procedures when leaving Nepal.
* Overseas Worker Insurance/Migrant Worker's Welfare Fund. Procedures carried out on the Nepalese side.

Seminar videos, materials, answers to questions, etc. Missed lecture on coexistence with foreigners: streaming and materials" can be viewed at
If you were unable to attend, please be sure to check it out.

Here are some comments about the course:

• I didn't know much about Nepal before, so I was able to get an overview. It was also good that the lecturer was from Nepal.
• The instructor explained things clearly and carefully, which gave me hope for Nepalese talent.

In addition to the Nepalese coexistence course, we also hold irregular courses on Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand.
For completed seminars, videos of the seminars are also available.

Companies considering accepting specified skilled workers from the above countries should definitely check this out.

We will continue to hold useful seminars to meet your needs!
[Free online course] I'm having trouble with foreign employees! What should I do?

If you are a company considering hiring specified skilled workers in the construction industry, please feel free to contact JAC!

*This article was written based on information from February 2024.