Are you worried about being a clueless tourist in Japan?
And even come off as rude?
As a foreigner living and working in Japan, it’s fair to say that I’ve had my share of hiccups.
I mean, I have stories for DAYS!
Like when I got caught up in my emotions and went in for the hug. Making the Japanese woman I was talking to highly uncomfortable!
Or, how about the time I told the vice principal at my school that the following Monday, I would be going to get Shochu (alcohol) instead of Shutchō (taking a business trip)?
I told my boss I would drink alcohol the following Monday instead of taking a business trip.
That was a rough one. Now, can you imagine how flirting went for me in Japan?
I’ll save that for a different post! So, I’m here to save you the trouble.
I’ll share with you everything you need to know to NOT be a clueless tourist in Japan and be able to travel around Japan easily.
I mean, who needs that anxiety?
The Japanese Etiquette Rule of Thumb You Need To Know
Before we jump in, I’ll give you a general rule of thumb that I find works perfectly when I’m in a sticky situation and don’t know what to do.
When in doubt, do what people of the same gender, age, and equal social standing are doing.
If you’re a woman, watch what the Japanese women are doing and follow suit. If you’re a man, watch what the Japanese men are doing and follow suit.
Simple, easy, and your BEST bet!
Understanding The Sense of Community
1. Maintain Harmony, Focus On The Group (“Wa”)
“Wa” loosely means keeping peace and harmony. This means focusing on what’s best for the group over what’s best for each person.
You’ll notice this theme throughout this post, so don’t worry if it’s unclear. The first skill you should learn before traveling to Japan is cooperation.
2. Being Modest Is Still a Thing In Japan.
When unsure about your outfit — cover it up. It will help if you keep your arms, midriff, and chest covered.
3. Avoid PDA In Japan
Showing affection to your partner in public is a big NO-NO. NO kissing and NO hugging. It’s frowned upon, especially by older Japanese people. I don’t even hug my Japanese friends in public!
Tips On Interacting With Japanese People
4. Respect Personal Space
Japanese people like their space. Keep your hands to yourself, and dear god — don’t go in for the hug. Even gestures like a playful jab or push might make a Japanese person uncomfortable. Show your affection and appreciation with your words or a small gift.
5. Be Able To Pick Up a Subtle NO
You probably won’t ever get a straight “NO” in Japan. You have to be able to know when a Japanese person is saying NO, without hearing them say NO. Yes, it’s an art, but the safest thing to do is to accept that the answer is no if you don’t hear a definite YES.
6. Don’t Be Overly Opinionated
As I mentioned earlier, keeping harmony and getting along (wa) is essential. Trying to cause a stir to get your opinion across will only make people uncomfortable. If someone wants to know your opinion, they’ll ask.
7. Know How To Address Japanese People
Never call someone by their first name. You should call people by their last name and add ‘san’ at the end—for example, Yamaguchi San.
8. Know WHEN To Bow
Knowing when to bow is important because bowing is your way of showing respect to others. Your best bet is to watch when other people are bowing and follow suit.
9. Know HOW To Bow
Additionally, you should know how to bow according to the position of the person you’re bowing to. How you bow to 711 employees is very different from how you bow to your Japanese friend’s grandmother or your boss at work.
The deepness and the length (time) of your bow matters. The deeper and longer, the more authority that person has.
10. Accept/Give With Both Hands
Use both hands when giving and receiving gifts, and also bow at the same time. This is especially important when receiving/giving business cards.
This might come as a surprise, but business professionals don’t only exchange business cards. So, if you make a friend at the bar, they might give you their business card to stay connected.
11. Accept/Give Business Cards Like a Pro
There’s a whole method for accepting business cards. You should accept business cards with both hands, bow, and say thank you (arigato gozaimasu).
When you get the card, don’t quickly look at it and put it away! Look at it for a bit, and show your appreciation for the person giving it to you.
Better yet: Look impressed, even if you’re not!
12. These Five Simple Phrases Will Save You:
- Higimamashti (nice to meet you)
- Sumimasen (sorry, excuse me)
- Kudasai (please)
- Arigatou Gozaimasu (thank you)
- onegaishimasu (please do it for me)
13. If You’re on Time, You’re Late
Japanese people are not only always on time but also early, and I mean like 15 minutes early. While I can’t tell you to always arrive 15 minutes early to every event, I recommend that you NEVER be late. I would arrive 5 minutes early, not 15.
What To Do When You’re Sick In Japan
14. When In Doubt, Wear a Face Mask
If you are sick, definitely wear a face mask. But if you’re coughing and sneezing, still wear a face mask. It shows that you care about the people around you because you don’t want them to get sick.
15. Keep Your Germs To Yourself
This next tip will sound strange, but blowing your nose in public is a bit of a social faux pas. However, sniffing your life away is appropriate. Of course, cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze.
16. Be respectful of EVERYTHING
One thing that surprised me about Japanese people is that they have profound respect for just about everything, living and inanimate.
Obviously, you should treat people with respect but also things like a desk, vending machines, cars, animals, etc., you should also show respect. So, don’t kick the vending machine if it steals your money!
Basic Japanese Etiquette For Travelers (Using Public Spaces)
17. Mask Your Pooping Sounds
When using a public bathroom, use the gargling feature on the toilet (there’s a button) to mask the sound of you doing your business in the bathroom. In case you’re wondering, it sounds like running water.
18. Some Trains are Women’s Only
If you’re a male or a female traveling with a male, make sure you don’t mistakenly get on a female-only train car. They are usually the first car on the train.
19. Be As Quiet as Possible on Public Transportation
Your best bet is to be as quiet as possible when out and about in Japan in general. But being silent is especially important when riding public transportation.
I know this will be a pain in the butt, but it’s rude to talk on your phone when on the train or bus. Furthermore, put your phone on silent, so when it rings, or you get a text, it won’t disturb others.
If you REALLY need to take the call, make it quick and whisper.
20. Know Where To Stand on Escalators
You need to know where to stand on the escalator to make space for passengers to pass. In general, you should stand on the left side. Unless you are in Osaka, you should stand on the right.
21. Be as Small as Possible on Public Transportation
Try to take up only a little space when riding public transportation. Also, be considerate and remove your backpack and put it on the floor if it’s enormous.
Japan Shopping Etiquette
22. Seriously, Wait in Line
Alright, I know this is obvious, but Japanese people take line-making to a whole new level. There’s a line for EVERYTHING. When a crowd begins to form, a line spontaneously starts seconds later.
23. Always have Cash $$$ On You
Japan might be forward in many aspects, but when it comes to paying your bill, many restaurants only take good ol’ cash, so always have some money on you. I’ve had situations where I couldn’t pay because I didn’t have some money and had to find an ATM.
24. Know How To Pay
When making a purchase, never give your cash or card to the cashier directly. There will be a small tray on the counter for you to place your money. The cashier will put your change on it as well.
How To Navigate Japan Tips
25. You’ll Have To Hold Your Trash
Don’t ask me why (I have no clue), but it’s crazy difficult to find a public trash can in Japan. You can walk around for an hour looking for a trash can! You can carry a plastic bag for your trash and hold it in your bag.
If you REALLY need a trash can, you can find one at the many convenient stores all over Japan (711, Family Mart, and Lawson). They always have trash cans in front of the stores.
26. Follow The Crosswalk
Japanese people hardly ever jaywalk — even if the street is completely clear! I’m an unapologetic-jaywalking-New Yorker, so this was a hard one for me!
27. Don’t Eat and Walk in Public
Eating and walking in Japan is like talking with your mouth full; it’s tacky. So, on your next stop at 711 to get your egg sandwich, how about chowing it down before leaving the store instead of eating it on your way?
Dos and Don’ts In Japanese Restaurants
28. Don’t Waste Food
Alright, so Japanese people don’t play around when it comes to wasting food. If you don’t want to make enemies in Japan, only order as much food as you can eat.
29. Learn How To Use Chopsticks Appropriately
Here’s using chopsticks 101:
- Don’t stick your chopsticks straight up, especially in rice. This is done at funerals.
- Don’t lick your chopsticks, don’t pass food with your chopsticks, and don’t use your chopsticks to point (so guilty of this!)
- Don’t use your chopsticks as a knife to stab things to pick them up.
- When not using it, rest your chopsticks parallel and neatly to the side of your plate.
- If you are sharing dishes, use a separate chopstick or the opposite end of your chopstick to get food.
Use your chopsticks to pick up your food and put it into your mouth, nothing else!
30. Use These Two Phrases When Dining
If you are dining with other people, before you eat, say itadakimasu (いただきます), which roughly translates to “Let’s eat.” It’s the Japanese version of “Bon appétit.”
When you’re finished eating, say gochisosama deshita (ごちそうさまでした), which communicates your gratitude for the meal. If you’re at a restaurant, you can also say Gochisousama deshita to anyone involved in making your food, like the server, cooks, and cashier.
31. Slurp Those Noodles!
If you have noodles — slurp away. It’s NOT rude in Japan. Slurp the heck out of your noodles as it shows the cook that you’re diggin’ it.
32. Don’t Leave a Tip:
Good news, you don’t tip in Japan!
33. Know When To Pour Drinks
If you’re sharing a bottle of alcohol with a group, don’t pour your drink. ALWAYS pour the drink of the person superior to you first, and they will pour your drink. For example, pour the drink of your boss, your friend’s mother, your date, or anyone you want to impress!
If you need a refill, pour someone else’s drink, and they will then pour yours! Honestly, I never have this problem. Japanese people are usually on it with the refills! Don’t worry, you’re not expected to pour drinks all night! You’re not a waiter.
34. Don’t Eat Until Everyone is Served
You already know this, but it’s much more important in Japan!
35. Cheer With Kanpai!
Additionally, don’t start drinking right when you get your drink! Wait until everyone gets their drink, then cheer by saying kanpai.
36. It’s Fine To Hold Your Rice Bowl To Your Face
When eating rice or miso soup from a bow, it’s ok to hold it close to your mouth and eat from it. With your rice bowl, you can keep it close to your mouth and eat the rice with your chopsticks. When eating your miso soup, you can drink it directly from the bowl. It’s WAY easier this way!
37. You Might Have To Take Off Your Shoes at Restaurants
At some Japanese restaurants, you might have to take off your shoes and use the restaurant’s inside shoes. So, make sure you wear socks and make sure they don’t have holes!
Japanese Etiquette When Visiting a Home
A Cat Cafe in Tokyo
38. Know How To Greet Your Host
When you first enter someone’s home, greet them appropriately. Your host will usually say welcome: Irasshaimase (いらっしゃいませ).
Then you should reply by saying: ojamashimasu おじゃまします, which roughly translates: I’m going to be a bother to you. It simply shows that you appreciate your host inviting you into their home.
39. Take Your Shoes Off
Another major point that I’m sure you’ve come across if you know anything about Japan. But with that said, don’t forget to take off your shoes! Remember to wear socks.
40. Bring a Gift When Visiting Someone’s Home
Don’t overthink this one. Like any other household you visit, make sure you bring a small gift. The best gift you can get is fruits or dessert, which will be enough for everyone to share.
One important thing to remember is to ensure each piece is individually wrapped if they are single-packed. See my video here on how to bring gifts to your Japanese host.
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And that’s it!
These are just about the only things you need to know NOT to be a rude tourist in Japan.
This is a growing list, so comment if anything is missing, and I’ll add it!
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