Japanese manners, the essentials

Shoes, slippers and toilets

In Japan people take their shoes off often, sometimes several times a day.

• Do Take your shoes off at the entrance (玄関, genkan) of homes, ryokan and some restaurants, temples or sites. The signs: a step, a shoe locker or slippers lined up. The notice 土足厳禁 (dosoku genkin) means “no shoes”. 玄関genkan Open the source 1
• Do Put your shoes in the locker provided or set them to one side, out of the way. Open the source 1
• Do not Never step onto tatami (畳) in shoes or slippers: leave the slippers at the edge. 畳tatami Open the source 2
• Careful In the toilet, if a pair of slippers waits at the door, put them on. Do not walk out in them: leave them at the door and change back. Open the source 37
• Do Put toilet paper in the bowl, never in the bin. Open the source 2
• Wear clean socks and shoes that slip off easily: you will be taking them off often. Open the source 1

Greeting, thanking, no tipping

There is no need to master bowing: a little attention is enough.

• There is no need to learn every rule of bowing (お辞儀, ojigi): it is not expected of a visitor, except in very formal settings. お辞儀ojigi Open the source 1
• Do A slight nod is enough to say hello or thank you, and when entering or leaving a shop. Open the source 1
• Do not Avoid kisses, hugs and embraces as greetings: they are far less common in Japan. Open the source 2
• Do not Do not leave a tip: not at a restaurant, not in a taxi, not in a shop. It is not the custom, and it will almost always be refused. There is no need to leave the change on the table. Open the source 2
• Do Thank people with words: “arigatō gozaimasu”, thank you very much. ありがとうございますArigatō gozaimasu Open the source 2
• In a taxi, the rear door opens and closes by itself: let the driver handle it. Open the source 2

Rubbish: few bins

The streets are clean because everyone keeps their rubbish with them.

• There are few bins in the street: carry a small bag to keep your rubbish until you are back at your lodging. Open the source 33
• Do Look for bins in stations and konbini (コンビニ, convenience stores). コンビニkonbini Open the source 2
• Do Sort by the labels: 燃えるゴミ (burnable), 燃えないゴミ (non-burnable), 缶 (cans), ペットボトル (plastic bottles). Open the source 2
• Do Buy snacks at a stall that has its own bin, and eat them on the spot. Open the source 9
• Do not Do not drop anything on the ground and do not leave a cup on a wall or a bench. Open the source 2
• In Kyōto the city's online map shows public bins and smoking areas. Open the source 9

Platforms, trains and buses

Trains are quiet and orderly. Here is what Japanese passengers do.

• Do On the platform, queue on the floor markings, on either side of the doors. Open the source 20
• Do Let everyone off before getting on. Open the source 2
• Do not Do not run to jump onto a train whose doors are closing. Open the source 18
• Do not Do not stand still on the raised strips on the floor, often yellow: they guide blind people. Open the source 20
• Do Phone on silent (マナーモード, manā mōdo), and no calls on the train or the bus. マナーモードmanā mōdo Open the source 19
• Do Speak quietly. Open the source 19
• Do On the Shinkansen, go to the vestibule between two cars (デッキ, dekki) to make a call, and do not watch videos with the sound on. デッキdekki Open the source 21
• Do Give up priority seats (優先席, yūsenseki) to elderly, disabled or pregnant people, people with a baby, and anyone wearing the ヘルプマーク. The ヘルプマーク (help mark) is a red and white tag worn on a bag: it signals a need for help that cannot be seen. Near these seats, switch your phone off when the train is crowded. 優先席yūsenseki Open the source 38
• Do In a crowd, wear your backpack in front of you so as not to knock into anyone. Open the source 20
• Do not Do not let a suitcase block the door area. Open the source 19
• Do not Avoid eating on commuter trains and city buses. Open the source 2
• Do On the Shinkansen, eating is fine: the ekiben (駅弁, a boxed meal sold at stations) is part of the journey. 駅弁ekiben Open the source 22
• Do Before reclining your seat, ask the person behind you. Open the source 20
• “Women Only” cars (女性専用車, josei sen'yōsha) are reserved for women, usually at peak hours. According to JR West, boys up to primary school age and people who need assistance are allowed in. Hours and car numbers vary by line: read the floor markings. 女性専用車josei sen'yōsha Open the source 20

Escalators: stand still

A local habit and an official instruction that do not say the same thing.

• By habit, people stand on the left in Tōkyō and on the right in Ōsaka, leaving one side for those who walk. Open the source 17
• Careful Railway companies ask people not to walk: “歩かず立ち止まろう” (arukazu tachidomarō), “do not walk, stand still”. Leaving one side free puts at risk people who can only hold the handrail on one side. 歩かず立ち止まろうarukazu tachidomarō Open the source 16
• Do Hold the handrail and stand still. If you are in a hurry, take the stairs. Open the source 2
• In Nagoya a city ordinance has required standing still on escalators since 1 October 2023, whichever side you are on. Open the source 15
• Do Elsewhere, stand as the person in front of you does, without walking. Open the source 16

In the street: smoking, eating, photographing

Several cities have written rules, sometimes with a fine.

• Do not Do not smoke while walking or in the street: smoke only in a smoking area (喫煙所, kitsuenjo). In most Tōkyō wards, smoking outdoors is restricted. Restaurants, shops and lodgings are non-smoking. 喫煙所kitsuenjo Open the source 3
• Careful Tōkyō: the whole of Chiyoda ward, including Marunouchi, Kanda and Akihabara, bans smoking in the street, with a ¥2,000 fine. Open the source 14
• Careful Kyōto: smoking in the street costs ¥1,000 in the city centre, around the station and in the Kiyomizu-Gion area. In the rest of the city too, the council asks people not to smoke outdoors, in streets and parks alike. Open the source 13
• Careful Ōsaka: smoking in the street is banned outside smoking areas, and offenders may be fined. Open the source 36
• Do not Leave your pocket knife in your suitcase: carrying a blade over 6 cm without a work-related reason is an offence, punishable by up to two years in prison. A smaller blade, concealed and without a legitimate reason, falls under the Minor Offences Act. For a picnic, buy a knife on the spot and keep it in the shopping bag. Open the source 39
• Do not Avoid eating while walking in a narrow or crowded street: step to one side. Kamakura listed it among inconsiderate behaviours in a city ordinance that came into force in 2019. Open the source 23
• Do At Nishiki market in Kyōto, eat in front of the stall that served you and leave the wrapper there. Open the source 33
• Do not Do not eat or drink on the approach paths to shrines and temples. Open the source 2
• Do not Do not sit at the edge of the road or the pavement, or anywhere not meant for sitting. Open the source 2
• Drinking alcohol in the street or in a park may be forbidden at certain times and places. Open the source 2
• Do not Do not look at your phone while walking. Open the source 2
• Do Queue without cutting in and without saving a place for someone. Open the source 2
• Do Respect 撮影禁止 signs (satsuei kinshi, “no photographs”). 撮影禁止satsuei kinshi Open the source 33
• Do Ask before photographing a person, especially someone in traditional dress. Open the source 2
• Do not Never enter a closed or private area for a photograph, and do not stop in the roadway to take one. Open the source 2
• Masks: it is your choice. Since 2023, wearing a mask has been a personal choice. It is still recommended in hospitals, on crowded trains and buses at peak hours, and if you are coughing or have symptoms. Open the source 31

Shrine or temple: the difference

Both are open to visitors. The gestures are close, with one detail apart.

• A shrine (神社, jinja) is a Shinto site. You recognise it by the gate (鳥居, torii) that marks the entrance. 神社 / 鳥居jinja / torii Open the source 6
• A temple (寺, tera) is a Buddhist site, often with a large gate (山門, sanmon) and an incense burner. 寺 / 山門tera / sanmon Open the source 6
• In both: purify with water if there is a basin, make an offering and pray silently. The only difference in gesture is the claps, which belong to shrines. Open the source 3
• Dress: avoid very revealing clothes, and take off hat and sunglasses during the visit. Open the source 7

At a temple and a shrine, step by step

Follow these steps in order. Nobody will hold a small mistake against you.

1. In front of a shrine's torii, bow slightly before passing through. 鳥居torii Open the source 3
2. Walk to the side of the path: the centre is for the deities. Do not step on the thresholds of gates. Open the source 7
3. At the purification basin (手水舎, chōzuya), take the ladle in your right hand and pour water over your left hand. 手水舎chōzuya Open the source 5
4. Move the ladle to your left hand and rinse your right hand. Open the source 5
5. Careful Take the ladle back in your right hand, pour a little water into your left palm and rinse your mouth. Never touch the ladle with your lips. Spit the water out discreetly, beside the basin, never into it. Open the source 5
6. Pour a little more water over your left hand, then put the ladle back. Open the source 5
7. In front of the building, bow slightly and drop a coin gently into the offering box (賽銭箱, saisenbako). If there is a bell, ring it. 賽銭箱saisenbako Open the source 3
8. At a shrine: two deep bows, two claps at chest height, a prayer with hands together, then a final bow. Some shrines have their own way of praying: follow the notice if there is one. 二拝二拍手一拝nihai nihakushu ippai Open the source 5
9. Careful At a temple: no claps. Put your hands together in front of your chest, pray silently, then bow. Open the source 3
10. For incense (線香, senkō) at a temple: light the stick, put the flame out by waving your hand, not by blowing, then set it in the burner. 線香senkō Open the source 4
11. Take your shoes off if asked to enter a building. Inside, no photographs where a notice forbids them. Open the source 4
12. For a goshuin (御朱印, the site's calligraphy and stamp), pray first, then hand your book (御朱印帳, goshuinchō) to the office, open at the right page. Usual offering: about ¥300 to ¥500, sometimes more. When it is busy, the book is kept and you come back for it. Do not mix in other stamps, such as station stamps. 御朱印帳goshuinchō Open the source 8

Gion (Kyōto): geiko, maiko and private lanes

Gion is a district where people live and work. Residents, tea houses and the geiko association ask visitors to respect a few rules.

• Do not Do not follow, touch or stop a geiko or a maiko, and do not photograph her without her consent. The district points out the penalties set by law: pulling someone by the hand or the clothes can bring up to 6 months in prison or a ¥500,000 fine. Blocking someone's way or following them is punishable too. 芸妓 / 舞妓geiko / maiko Open the source 10
• Do not Do not take photographs in the private lanes (私道, shidō) leading off Hanamikōji: signs forbid it. Hanamikōji itself is a public street: photographs are still possible there, as long as you do not block the way. 私道shidō Open the source 10
• Careful Some lanes are closed to passers-by, with a penalty announced by the neighbourhood council. If a 通り抜け禁止 sign (tōrinuke kinshi, “no through way”) blocks the entrance to a lane, turn back. 通り抜け禁止tōrinuke kinshi Open the source 11
• Do not Do not enter the district's temples, tea houses or private property without permission. Open the source 10
• Do Speak quietly, do not block the street in a group, and leave no rubbish. Open the source 10

At a restaurant

Ordering, eating and paying work a little differently from home.

• Do At the door, announce yourself and wait to be seated rather than choosing your own table. Open the source 2
• Water and the damp towel (おしぼり, oshibori) are free: the oshibori is for freshening your hands. おしぼりoshibori Open the source 34
• Do To call the waiter, press the button on the table or say “sumimasen”, excuse me. すみませんSumimasen Open the source 2
• In some restaurants, ramen shops above all, you order at a ticket machine (券売機, kenbaiki), usually near the entrance. Put the money in, press the button for the dish, take the ticket (食券, shokken) and your change, then hand the ticket to the staff. 券売機 / 食券kenbaiki / shokken Open the source 26
• Do Say “itadakimasu” before eating and “gochisōsama deshita” at the end of the meal. Open the source 24
• Slurping noodles loudly is normal for ramen, udon or soba. Open the source 25
• Do Hold your bowl in one hand and the chopsticks in the other: that is the usual way to eat. Open the source 35
• Do not Never stand your chopsticks upright in the rice. The gesture recalls the bowl of rice offered to the dead. Open the source 35
• Do not Do not pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks: put it on a plate first. The gesture recalls a funeral rite. Open the source 35
• Do not Do not spear food with your chopsticks. Open the source 35
• Do Sushi: dip the fish in the soy sauce, not the rice. Open the source 24
• In an izakaya (居酒屋, a Japanese pub), a small starter (お通し, otōshi) often arrives with the drink: it is charged as a cover. 居酒屋 / お通しizakaya / otōshi Open the source 2
• Do In a group, order at least one dish per person and try to finish your plate. Open the source 2
• Do not Leftovers are not taken away, and you do not bring your own food. Open the source 2
• Do Pay at the table or at the till (レジ, reji) depending on the place: when in doubt, ask. レジreji Open the source 2
• Do In a small ramen shop, give up your seat soon after finishing if people are waiting. Open the source 26
• Do If you cannot come, cancel your booking: cancellation fees are possible. Open the source 2

Paying: cash, cards and the little tray

Cards are spreading fast, but cash is still useful.

• Do At the till, put notes and coins on the little tray (カルトン, karuton) rather than into the hand. The staff can then check the amount at a glance and pick it up easily, without direct contact. カルトンkaruton Open the source 27
• Visa, Mastercard and JCB are the most widely accepted: large hotels, department stores, shopping centres and city restaurants. Open the source 28
• Cashless payment is growing: 58 % of consumer spending in 2025. Open the source 30
• Careful Always keep some cash: not every shop takes cards and, in the countryside above all, some places take cash only, hotels included. Open the source 28
• Do Keep coins for temples and shrines: offerings and goshuin. Open the source 8
• Do Ask before paying by card: accepted logos are not always displayed. Open the source 29
• A transport card (Suica, PASMO) also pays in many konbini, shops and vending machines. Open the source 28
• To withdraw yen with a foreign card: Seven Bank and Japan Post Bank machines. Open the source 29
• Do not Do not haggle: very few shops accept it. Open the source 2
• Most shops charge for plastic bags: bring a reusable one. Open the source 2

At your lodging: Airbnb, hotel, ryokan

An Airbnb is often in a residential building or street.

• Do In an Airbnb (民泊, minpaku), speak quietly and close the windows late in the evening: your neighbours are asleep. The host must explain these national rules to you: no loud conversation, windows closed at night, no party on the balcony, no musical instruments. 民泊minpaku Open the source 32
• Do Sort and put out your rubbish exactly as the host says: sorting rules change from one municipality to the next. Open the source 32
• In Kyōto, the tourism board asks visitors to avoid any noise at night and early in the morning in lodgings in residential areas. Open the source 34
• Do not Do not leave a suitcase, clothes or shoes behind when you go: disposal may be charged to you. Open the source 2
• The tea and small sweets left in the room are usually free. Drinks in the fridge are not. Open the source 2
• Do not Do not burn incense and avoid strong perfumes in the room. Open the source 2
• Do Find the emergency exit when you arrive. Open the source 2
• At a ryokan, staff often come in to lay out the futon during dinner: say so in advance if that bothers you. Open the source 37
• Check-in, check-out and meals have fixed times: check them in advance. Open the source 37

Useful words

A few words are enough. Show the screen if the pronunciation will not come.

• Excuse me, to call someone, to get past or to apologise. すみませんSumimasenShow full screen
• Thank you very much. ありがとうございますArigatō gozaimasuShow full screen
• Before eating: “I receive this meal”. いただきますItadakimasuShow full screen
• Thank you for the meal, at the end. ごちそうさまでしたGochisōsama deshitaShow full screen
• The bill, please. お会計をお願いします。O-kaikei o onegai shimasu.Show full screen
• I do not need a bag. 袋はいりません。Fukuro wa irimasen.Show full screen
• May I take a photograph? 写真を撮ってもいいですか。Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.Show full screen
• Can I pay by card? カードで払えますか。Kādo de haraemasu ka.Show full screen
• Where is the bin? ゴミ箱はどこですか。Gomibako wa doko desu ka.Show full screen
• Where is the smoking area? 喫煙所はどこですか。Kitsuenjo wa doko desu ka.Show full screen

Signs to recognise

These words come up everywhere: at temple entrances, in stations and in Gion.

• No photographs 撮影禁止satsuei kinshiShow full screen
• No shoes, take them off 土足厳禁dosoku genkinShow full screen
• No entry 立入禁止tachiiri kinshiShow full screen
• No through way 通り抜け禁止tōrinuke kinshiShow full screen
• Private lane 私道shidōShow full screen
• Priority seats 優先席yūsensekiShow full screen
• Smoking area 喫煙所kitsuenjoShow full screen
• No smoking in the street 路上喫煙禁止rojō kitsuen kinshiShow full screen Open the source 12
• Burnable rubbish 燃えるゴミmoeru gomiShow full screen
• Plastic bottles ペットボトルpetto botoruShow full screen
• Women-only car 女性専用車josei sen'yōshaShow full screen