Japanese etiquette is very helpful to know if you’re visiting for the first time. The things we noticed and learned on our trip made us fall in love with the culture more! Most customs tie back to tradition and have a great story. To avoid the awkward moments, here are some things you can expect about etiquette in Japan.
Leave Your Shoes By The Entrance Door
This isn’t an unknown form of etiquette. Anyone who is generally a cleanliness freak will advocate for this. As soon as you enter a Japanese home, you will find a subtle line separating the genkan (entrance) area to the rest of the house and that’s usually where all the footwear is kept. Once you remove your shoes, keep them pointing towards the door. All our AirBnb hosts in Japan left us slippers in the genkan so we could wear them around the house. You will find a separate pair of slippers to wear in the toilet/bathroom too. Don’t mix the two!
2. Before You Eat
Just like the French say “Bon Appetit” before they eat, it’s polite to say “Itadakimasu” before you begin eating a meal in Japan. Sometimes, rice or udon is served in a smaller bowl accompanying your larger meal. It’s etiquette to hold the bowl close to you and eat, as opposed to bending down and slurping like you usually would with the rest of your food. Also, some restaurants give you oshibori (hot towel) to wipe your hands. My boyfriend was really tired one evening and wiped his face with it too. I think I heard one of the servers gasp! Oshibori is strictly used to clean your hands. When they’re clearing your plates, saying “Gochisosamadeshita” (Translation: That was delicious!) will surely earn you a smile.
3. The Right Way To Eat Sushi
Nigiri sushi is served with a dollop of wasabi and soy in a small accompanying plate. Here’s how you really enjoy all the flavours in one bite:
Lift the piece of fish and put a bit of wasabi between the fish and the rice.
Dab some soy sauce on top of the fish
Put the piece of nigiri in your mouth, fish side on your tongue.
I just had a major flashback of all the sushi I ate and I need more of it in my life!
Nigiri sushi is best enjoyed with your hands so you can skip the use of chopsticks here.
4. Tipping
Every service you use in Japan, whether it’s a taxi or at a restaurant, do not accept tips. Pretty awesome, right? Tipping is seen as an insult. We saw a server chase after another couple at a sushi restaurant in Tsukiji market just to politely hand them the tip they left, after paying the bill. We knew tipping isn’t entertained but seeing them go after someone to return the money was quite a sight!
5. Futuristic Toilets
If you have read enough about Japan, you’d know they have the coolest toilets. I had only seen stuff online and in pictures but let me tell you, that shit is real (no pun intended). I definitely spent more time than I needed to in a bathroom once because I was so amused by the toilet. Not only does the seat warm up to the temperature you prefer, but also has a variety of sounds that play in order to mask the sounds of your, you know, business in there. It’s etiquette to play these sounds so no one can hear something nasty. The toilet in one restaurant had the sound of birds chirping! Also, don’t be surprised if you see that some bathrooms have multiple toilet rolls — it’s so that you don’t feel like there’s just one that has been…er…touched.
6. Drinking Sake
When you’re served sake at a restaurant, the glass will be kept inside a masu (square shaped box). When the server is pouring you a drink, don’t be alarmed if they keep pouring into the glass and let it overflow. Custom is that you let the drink overflow into the box; once you finish drinking what’s in the glass, you pour the remainder from the box into the glass and drink all of that too (man, those gave us so many drunken nights). The reason they do this is to make you feel welcome and to show appreciation for your presence at their restaurant. I have absolutely no qualms about extra sake, so I was pretty chuffed.
7. Slurp Your Noodles (Yes!)
You’d think that making sounds while you eat might be rude, but it’s etiquette to slurp your noodles when you order them at a restaurant! When you slurp that delicious soba, udon or ramen, you’re actually paying the chef a compliment. The Japanese believe that when you slurp up all that food, you’re clearly enjoying it. So, don’t be shy. Be as noisy as you want (not in a creepy slob way, of course).
8. Getting Your Change At The Cashier
When you pay for something at the cash counter in a grocery store or restaurant, there will a small metal plate where the cashier will keep the change. Before it is placed there, they will politely count the change in front of you. I’d advise you to not count it again, because that might come across as rude. They count it in front of you for your benefit so if you need them to count again, just ask! They will first thank you for the money, then thank you for taking the change and finally thank you for shopping there. Be patient, flash a smile, give them a friendly 15 degree bow and exclaim an “Arigatou” like a native.
9. Masks
You’ll see a lot of people around you wearing surgical masks. It’s because they probably have a little cold or cough and are being considerate enough to not spread it to other people. Since public transport is a major mode of transport, if you’re feeling a little under the weather, wear a mask rather than coughing out in the open. You get a pack of three at any local pharmacy or convenience store for about ¥334 (200 INR)
10. Escalators
Different cities in Japan have different rules about which side of the escalator you need to stand on to let people in a hurry, pass by. I lived in London for a little over a year and was used to escalator rules on the underground. This made it easy for me in Osaka, where like the UK, you stand on the right. However, when we got to Tokyo, it was the opposite side! Since Tokyo and Osaka have had different cultures since the Edo period, till date, a lot of their customs differ. When Tokyo was called ‘Edo’, it was customary for the samurais (who occupied a large part of Tokyo) to walk on the left side of the streets.
While we were riding the train back to our AirBnb in Tokyo, a school girl left one of her art projects behind in the train. A stranger picked it up and chased after her to return it and made it back just in time before the doors shut. On another day, an exhausted old businessman fell asleep on the train (a very common sight; people begin their day punctually and travel long distances to work). His phone fell on the floor and slid under his seat. Someone could have just bent over, picked it up and walked out cause he was seated near the door. A guy picked it up, put it in the old man’s pocket and continued playing a game on his phone. People will look out for you here, even if you’re a stranger and that’s one of the things I love so much about this country!
Disclaimer: All images in this post belong to Michelle Varghese and Arshad Umrethi