before visiting japan

Planning to visit Japan? That’s great! You are always welcome!!
But if you don’t want to be an annoying tourist, you should check these things that visitors should be aware.
Japanese culture is quite different and there are certain manners and don’ts.

I have worked with foreigners for 3 years ,and I have 2 years of experience working at guesthouses in Japan.
I have met over 4,000 visitors all over the world so far, and I sometimes find that some people make the same mistake without knowing that they are bothering others…
So, here are the things to avoid when visiting Japan to make your stay comfortable (for others as well!) and enjoyable.
It’s not so complicated to follow the rules and behave well once you know the things below!

1.Don’t take pictures at cemeteries

Tombstones in Japan are well made and they look very interesting to foreigners.
But please do not take pictures of them unless you were allowed to.
Cemeteries are where the spirits of people passed out are resting.
Please do not disturb them!

2.Don’t be late

Be on time when you are meeting someone or joining an event.
When Japanese people say it starts at 7:00, it starts at 7:00.
Most people even come 5 to 10 min earlier so that the plan goes smoothly for everyone.
This is particularly important at work.
At worst case, you might be considered as inefficient and lose your position if you show up late without any reason.

3.Don’t block the way on escalators

As a lot of people use escalators, you need to stay on the same side as others to make some space.
Don’t stand randomly and block the way for those who want to walk up.
The side you keep varies depending on the area.
In Tokyo, you need to stand on the left. In Osaka, you stand on the right.
(In some places like Kyoto, it’s kind of mixed. Just follow what others are doing!)

4.Don’t forget to take off your shoes when going into a house

In order to keep the place clean, you need to take off your shoes when going into houses in Japan.
This rule applies to other places like temples, shrines, or Japanese style restaurants as well.
At some places, you can find slippers for indoor. If you do, you need to use them!
If you are not sure what to do, just see what others are doing and do the same.

5.Don’t keep wearing toilet slippers when you leave the restroom

At some toilets, you find vinyl slippers.
These are for the restroom area only, so make sure that you use them when you going into the toilet and take them off when leaving the area (I sometimes see some foreigners walking around the house wearing these toilet slippers…)
Again, this is to keep the house clean.

6.Don’t forget to throw away used toilet paper in a trash bin

In some countries, you throw away toilet paper in a trash bin, but not in Japan.
You have to throw it away in the toilet and flush.
Toilet paper is the only thing that you can throw away in the toilet, and please refrain from throwing away other things like tissue paper as that might be stuck in the pipe.

7.Don’t enter a public bathtub before washing yourself

When you use a public bath at Onsen(hot spring) or Sento, you have to clean yourself first before going into the bath to keep the water clean.
You can learn more about this on my another post :A beginner’s guide to Japanese bath, Sento

8.Don’t disturb others on public transportation

When you are using some kind of transportation such as train or bus, don’t talk loudly or make phone calls.
It is an etiquette to keep the public place quiet and comfortable for everyone.
Also, you should refrain from eating/drinking while you are on public transportation (it’s sometimes OK when there aren’t many people there).
You can learn more about this on my another post : 4 things you should know before visiting Japan

9.Don’t ignore smoking ban

When you smoke, find a smoking area.
According to JT (Japan TABACO INC.), about 18% of people in Japan smoke (the number declined to 1/3 of its peak in 60s) as of 2018 and the number is declining as more people are concerned about the secondhand smoke.
Smoking is a personal choice, but don’t forget that there are some people who don’t like it.
After smoking, throw away the cigarets at the smoking area.
It’s sometimes hard to find a smoking area, so if you a heavy smoker, you might need a portable ashtray with you when you travel (they are available at a 100yen shop in Japan).

10.Do not park at someone’s premises

If you are renting/using a car in Japan, you need to follow the parking rule.
When you park, you have to find the right place to park, and you can’t just randomly park.
You will be most likely be charged/in trouble if you do so.
Even if you find a parking spot, that might be someone’s premises.
If you are not sure, it is always good to park at a coin-operated parking.
I don’t know how many foreigners ignored this and got in trouble…. so please keep the parking rule.
You can learn more about this on my another post : 4 things you should know before visiting Japan

11.Don’t cut in line

When you wait in line, you have to wait and you can’t cut in line even if you were in a hurry.
You need to find arrows that point out where to wait at a convenience store, and when you ride on a train, you need to check what’s written on the platform and know where to stay in line.

12.Don’t misuse your chopsticks

Playing with chopsticks is a bad manner and people don’t like it if you do.
The major things that you should avoid doing are: pointing with your chopsticks, passing food from chopsticks to chopsticks, and resting chopsticks vertically in food.
They are considered in appropriate as they are done at a funeral (and pointing is just rude in Japan, so you should not point someone with your finger).

13.Don’t expect to find a lot of English speakers

This is kind of embarrassing, but you won’t find many fluent English speakers in Japan even though English is a compulsory subject in junior high and high school (according to a Swiss-based international language education organization, English proficiency of Japan ranks 49th out of 88 non-english-speaking countries) Reference: Asahi Shinbun

Most people can (kind of..) understand what English speakers are saying, but many have trouble communicating.
This is because these 2 languages and the way we communicate are very different.
It might be a good idea to make a Japanese friend who can talk in English before visiting Japan.
Or you can contact me when you need help!

If you know these 13 don’ts and follow the manners, you will have no problem staying in Japan!
I’d like to add one more thing that might help.
You should not be too casual to everyone.
It depends on the person you meet, but some people like to keep distance with people they are not familiar with.
If you approach too friendly, they might get scared away or feel uncomfortable.

Here are 2 things to note.
It is always good to use “- san” when you call someone’s name
(for example, if you see a lady named Kayo, you should say Kayo-san to make it polite and show respect in stead of just calling the person’s name).
And avoid too many physical contacts like hugging or kissing until you build good relationships with them.

I hope info here will be your help.
See you next time!
Taka

※I’m a professional composer. My songs are available here: Skyhigh
Or, you can click on the band camp link below to listen.

*Need more info about Japan?
Give me a comment here or send me a message to
[email protected]

Japan is a country with many rules.
If you do not know about them, you could be in trouble with neighbors, friends, etc.
In the worst case, you could be charged or caught by police (or both!).
Here are 4 major things that you should know before visiting/moving to Japan.
Learn about them for yourself and for others to make your stay enjoyable!

Know where to park

There aren’t many (almost none!) free parkings in Japan.
You could be charged if you park on the road without any permissions or at someone’s premises.
If you are going to live in Japan and planning to use a car, you should know where is OK to park.
If you are travelling by car, you will need to find a coin-operated parking (usually located near a train station)
It costs around 300 yen for an hour of use.
Follow the rules when throwing away trash

We recycle trash and you need to separate garbage into categories when you throw away.
You might find it hard to find a garbage can outside other than at convenience stores or stations (there aren’t many places to throw away trash outside to keep the road clean and tidy).
This might confuse you if you are traveling in Japan for the first time.
If you are going to live in Japan, you will have to follow the local rule when taking out the trash as the way to separate trash is slightly different depending on the area (Usually the city office gives you a guidebook after giving you the resident card).
When you throw away household garbage, you have to check the garbage calendar to know what kind of trash is picked up on the day. Then you have to put it in a specific garbage bag and take it to the designated area.
Keep it quiet on public transport

You have to refrain from talking on the phone while using public transport.
Keeping privacy is very important in Japan, and you have to think of others (not to disturb them) in public.
People keep themselves to themselves and don’t usually get involved in other people’s business.
It is an etiquette to keep things clean and quiet so that other people around you can be comfortable.
I think this custom is quite different from western countries where people enjoy interacting with strangers.
Take some cash with you

If you are planning to visit country side, you should take some cash with you.
Japan is a very safe country and there isn’t much crime of stealing money.
So in some places, especially in country side, people still use cash a lot and some stores don’t have card readers.
It you go to an area where there’s no convenience store, you will have hard time finding an ATM ,so you should get some cash before traveling.
*Btw, you don’t need to pay any tip at anywhere in Japan, so you don’t need to worry about carrying cash for that.

Above 4 things are major rules that anyone coming to Japan should know.
You might think that following rules can be stressful sometimes, but it is very important to keep things organized and be respectful to others in Japan.
If you are polite and respectful, people will like you and it will get much easier to make friends/settle.
Enjoy your stay in Japan!

This is me writing music at home.
Another recording session in Tokyo is coming soon!

You can listen to my music here:
Skyhigh
Soundtracks

Have a nice day!
Taka