Japan etiquette and culture: dos, don'ts and local customs

Japan's etiquette is mostly about not disturbing others. Keep your voice low on trains, queue where a line forms, don't eat while walking in most neighbourhoods, and take your shoes off when you see a raised floor or a shoe rack. Tipping is not part of the culture and can cause awkwardness.

At shrines and temples, bow slightly at the gate, walk to the side of the path, and follow what the people ahead of you do at the washing trough. At meals, say itadakimasu before eating and gochisousama after; slurping noodles is normal, but don't stick chopsticks upright in rice or pass food chopstick-to-chopstick. In onsen, wash and rinse completely before you get in, keep your towel out of the water, and check the tattoo policy before you book.

Etiquette itself costs nothing, but the situations where it matters most — a ryokan night, a temple stay, a guided tea ceremony — do have prices. The table below shows what changes by season, and what a short cultural add-on usually costs on top of your normal trip.

Before you go: read one page on shrine and onsen basics, learn arigatō gozaimasu (thank you) and sumimasen (excuse me / sorry), and check whether your ryokan or onsen allows tattoos. If you have visible tattoos, ask before booking; some baths refuse entry and others provide cover stickers.

On arrival: at the airport and station, follow the queue lines on the floor. On trains, set your phone to silent before boarding. If you're unsure where to stand, stand to one side and let people pass.

At a shrine: bow once at the torii if you want to follow custom, walk along the side of the path rather than the centre, and at the main hall, toss a coin, bow twice, clap twice, bow once. At temples the clap is usually omitted. Photography is often banned inside halls; look for signs.

At meals: wait to be seated, take the hot towel as a hand wipe, and don't pour your own drink at a group dinner — pour for others and let them pour for you. Say itadakimasu before and gochisousama after. Slurping is fine. Don't stab food with chopsticks or leave them standing in rice.

In an onsen: undress in the changing room, take only a small towel to the bathing area, sit on the stool, wash and rinse completely, then enter the pool. Keep your head above water, don't swim, and keep the small towel out of the pool. Tie long hair back.

In daily life: don't eat while walking in most neighbourhoods, don't smoke outside designated areas, and take your rubbish with you — public bins are rare. On escalators, stand on the left in Tokyo and the right in Osaka, but follow the person in front of you.

Rules vary by place and generation. Younger Japanese people often shake hands, and many city restaurants are relaxed about shoes. Rural areas, ryokan and temple lodgings are stricter. When in doubt, watch what locals do and copy it.

Tattoos are the most common friction point. Some onsen, pools and gyms refuse entry to people with visible tattoos; others allow them with cover stickers or in private baths. Ask before you pay. If you're travelling with children, the same quiet-on-trains and shoes-off rules apply, and family baths are common at ryokan.

Cash still matters. Small shops, shrines, rural buses and some taxis take cash only, so carry ¥5,000–10,000. Cards and IC transit cards work in cities. If you're driving, the same politeness applies on the road: no honking, and give way at narrow crossings.