Consideration For Others is the Key
Things Not to Do in Japan
1. Pour your own drink.
If you are eating alone, it’s fine. But if you are with other people, pouring your own drink can make you look like a drunkard.
Etiquette requires that we pour each other’s drinks.
2. Pass food from one to another using chopsticks or stick your chopsticks into rice.
At Japanese cremations, after the body is burned, the loved one’s bones are passed using chopsticks, one by one, from one family member to the other until they reach the urn, into which they are delicately placed.
You can see why passing food with chopsticks in the same manner would be frowned upon.
If you want to share food, use your chopsticks to move the food from one plate to the other first.
Sticking them upright into your rice also resembles a funeral ritual. Put your chopsticks on the chopstick rest when taking a break from eating.
3. Leave a tip.
Workers in Japan are generally paid a living wage, and tipping is not part of the culture. If you leave a tip, the waiter will probably run after you to return your “forgotten money.”
4. Pour soy sauce on your rice.
Years ago, a friend did just that. When the waitress saw it, she thought my friend had had an accident. “I’ll bring you another bowl of rice,” she said as she hurriedly whisked his soy sauce covered rice away.
Japanese rice is delicious as is, and it should be savored with the side dishes served. Rice and miso soup go together like bread and butter — but generally not mixed.
5. Wear shoes in the house.
In fact, be prepared to slip off your shoes when entering temples and shrines, traditional inns, and when being seated on tatami mats at restaurants.
Shoe etiquette is such a big topic, it deserves its own post. You can read it here.
6. Talk loudly in public.
In fact, don’t talk on your phone at all when riding on buses or trains. Texting is not a problem — everybody does it.
The Japanese are accustomed to speak almost in whispers, and despise us foreigners on account of our loud talking.
Jorge Alvarez, PORTUGUESE SEA CAPTAIN who visited Japan in 1546
7. Blow your nose in public.
It’s gross and it grates against the sensibilities of polite society. Find a private spot, bathroom stall, or someplace no one will see and hear you. It’s best to not sneeze loudly, too.
8. Step into the bath without first washing yourself to pristine cleanliness.
Bathwater is shared. It behooves us to keep it as clean as possible for those bathing after us. And don’t add cold water to it, no matter how hot you think it is.
Click this link to read more about how to navigate Japanese onsens.
9. Point.
The way to point is to discreetly gesture with your hand. You will see Japanese people, when referring to themselves, point at their noses. That’s okay. But using your finger to point at other people or places is a no-no.
10. Cut in line.
I don’t know anywhere in the world where it is acceptable to cut in line, but Japanese take the art of queuing to new heights, lining up in an orderly fashion. This is definitely the way to do it.
To Sum It Up
A good rule of thumb is to be considerate of others by leaving things cleaner than you found them — be it your seat on a train, the wash area in a public bath, or even a park bench.
And one more thing! There are few public trash cans, so always be prepared to carry your trash with you back to your hotel.
If you have questions about Japan or suggestions for articles, please add them in the comments. For more photos and information on Japan, follow me on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/more_than_tokyo/
