Habits and manners are so important to Japanese culture that many travel websites have sections dedicated to the subject.
Japan is currently closed to international travelers, but the country is exploring ways to reopen safely before the start of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which is scheduled for the end of July. Tourists are not expected to understand all of Japan’s complex social rules, but they can avoid the most frequently used faux pas.
Here’s a guide to what to do – and what to avoid – based on the advice of Japan’s tourism organizations.
Don’t touch the geisha
What many travelers call “geisha” are called “maiko” or “geiko” in Kyoto, which is considered one of the best places in Japan to see the decorated animators.
If one is noticed, the travel site of the Kyoto Tourism Association (KCTA) recommends travelers not to stop or ask Maiko to pose for photos.
“Don’t bother them or grab their kimono sleeves,” the website states.
A maiko, or apex geisha, walks on snow in the Gion district of Kyoto, Japan.
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This is one of Kyoto’s Manners Akimahen, a list of 18 tips, recommendations and warnings for those traveling to the cultural capital of Japan.
The “akimahen” list (which means “no” in the local dialect) ranges from tips on automatic taxi doors (“make sure you stay far enough away so the door can open without hitting you”) to bedding can lead to a fine of 30,000 Japanese yen ($ 280).
Emoticon assessments indicate the seriousness of each crime. The guys, who are seen all over Japan, rather than thanking you in the local dialect (“okini”) have a sad face. Drunk cycling wins three angry faces – the worst rating – not to mention a possible prison sentence of up to five years.
Wait to push, but don’t talk on the trains
Passengers should expect to push and push crowded trains, says Go Tokyo, the Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau’s travel guide’s website.
“But keep in mind that this is not aggressive behavior, just the product of everyday life in a metropolis,” the website states.
The Japanese rarely speak or eat on trains, especially when crowded.
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Videos of white-gloved train attendants crowding people on Japanese trains have delighted travelers for years. It also makes it easier to understand one of the top rules of Japanese public transportation: don’t talk on cell phones. In fact, travelers are advised not to let them even call.
“If you carry a phone, keep it quiet,” says the Go Tokyo website.
“Etiquette in public places is a serious business in Japan,” says the government’s affiliated website of the Japanese National Tourism Organization (JNTO). “Respecting the public for these rules is probably the main reason why a megalopolis like Tokyo can operate so easily.”
Eat sushi with your hands
Travelers who are not skilled with chopsticks can request cutlery, the JNTO travel website recommends, although “they may not be available, especially in more traditional places.”
Instead of fighting with chopsticks, the travel organization recommends travelers to follow another local custom.
It is common to eat sushi with your hands in Japan, especially nigiri sushi, which translates to “two fingers”.
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“If you came to Japan for sushi, don’t forget, you can eat it with your hands,” says the website.
Altarpieces and temples
A tourist attraction for one person is a sacred place of worship for another. Travelers should “be quiet and respectful in shrines and temples,” according to the KCTA website.
The Kyoto Tourism Association also requires visitors to remove hats and sunglasses from houses of worship.
Dai Miyamoto, the founder of the Tokyo Localized travel company, said he frequently sees tourists “sitting everywhere inside … the altar and temples”, even in places “where there is no bench or place to rest”. He also sees tourists taking pictures of Buddha statues and in places where photos are forbidden.
Go Tokyo recommends travelers to embrace the “full cultural experience” at Shinto shrines by walking on the sides of the path leading to the altar, as the center is “technically reserved for the consecrated deity.”
At the compound entrance, passengers can rinse their hands and mouth with “purifying water” before approaching the main hall. There they can “leave easily, ring the bells, place a small monetary offering in the box, leave twice, knock twice and leave once more to complete the ritual,” according to the website .
The rules of the ryokan
Accommodation at a traditional inn or ryokan is a popular way to experience Japanese hospitality, but this comes with more social rules than a hotel stay.
Ryokans are usually neither cheap nor exceptionally luxurious, which may surprise travelers who associate higher prices with spacious apartments and luxury bedding. Ryokans are usually single-room rooms, spartanly furnished and lined with straw tatami mats.
Ryokan prices are often quoted per person, not per night.
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KCTA has a list of instructions for ryokan guests, including changing into slippers (provided) before entry. Luggage wheels must not touch the interior floor. And, the bags should never be stored on the wall or tokonoma, where flowers and scrolls are displayed.
Meals are often served in the rooms, and visitors change into regular kimonos, called yukata, to eat. After dinner, the plates are cleaned and the futon-style mattresses are arranged on the floor for sleeping.
Onsen label
“How to Enjoy Tokyo: Custom Ways and Manuals” The Tokyo Metropolitan Government recommends that travelers remove all clothing for use onsens, which are bathing areas connected to Japan’s natural hot springs.
Being an active volcanic country, Japan has thousands of people, many of whom are part of a hotel or ryokan and are separated by sex.
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According to the government manual, bathers must rinse before entering and refrain from swimming, jumping or diving. Hair and towels should not touch the water.
People with tattoos may be denied access to more traditional onsens because of tattoos associated with the Japanese “yakuza” or organized crime groups, Miyamoto said. This is declining, he said, due to the popularity of tattoos among younger generations and foreign travelers.
Sights and shopping
Cutting lines are commonplace in most countries, but in Japan, having a space for friends or family members is also considered inappropriate, according to the Tokyo Handbook.
It also recommends that travelers refrain from walking or climbing stairs; those in a hurry should use the stairs.
When shopping, negotiating for better prices is not uncommon. And the clothing sizes differ from those in Western countries. An oversized men’s shirt in Japan is similar to the medium-sized men’s shirt in the United States.
Miyamoto, who is 5 feet and 9 inches tall and weighs 185 kilograms, wears a Japanese XL size because “the sea is too small.” He said Americans who need larger sizes are out of luck.
“Uniqlo, which is the most famous casual brand in Japan, sells over the size of XXL … in online stores,” he said.