Looking for a job in Japan? You might want to start off by writing a resume by hand and using your hanko (personal seal) to prove its authenticity. If you actually get hired, you may need to get used to faxing documents to clients.

Japan enjoys a reputation as being home to high-tech gadgets and advanced robotics. But if you look more closely into corporate culture, offices remain bound to old-fashioned, paper-based customs.

"Going digital is a global trend in such places as the United States and Europe," said Hayato Koeda, president of electronic signature service DocuSign Japan K.K. "If Japan continues to stick to traditional practices based on paper and hanko, I think it won't be able to do business internationally."