25 Things Tourists Should Never Do in Japan
The “Don’ts” of Japan: Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors
Greetings from Kyoto, Japan! This is the former capital of Japan and one of the places you don’t want to miss when you visit Japan. Today, we’re sharing some of the cultural “don’ts” for travelers visiting Japan for the first time. With these Japan travel tips, you’ll be better prepared to enjoy your Japan vacation.
Japan Travel Tip #1: Don’t Put the Toilet or Bidet on High Pressure
Japanese toilets are high tech and advanced, with lots of settings to play with. The toilets in Japan are great, but if it’s your first time, it may be hard to figure out what all the buttons are for. If you use the bidet with the pressure on high, you might get quite the surprise, and you might think you accidentally pressed the colonoscopy button!
Japan Travel Tip #2: Don’t Forget to Pre-Order Your Japan Rail Pass
Don’t forget to get a Japan Rail Pass before your trip. You can’t get them once you arrive in Japan. With the JR Pass, you can travel as much as you want within the number of days you purchase (7, 14, 21 days.) The JR Pass doesn’t just work for travel between major cities, but will sometimes also work within the cities. Once you arrive in Japan, purchasing train tickets is very expensive, so this is a great way to save money in Japan.
Japan Travel Tip #3: Don’t Expect to Hear a Lot of English
Japan is culturally advanced in so many ways, but not when it comes to having English available for tourists. You won’t hear a lot of English, nor see a lot of English menus. The same applies for most non-Japanese languages. Fortunately, the people in Japan are very helpful and will try to help you figure out menus and directions. If you can learn just a few Japanese phrases before you come, it will help a lot.
Japan Travel Tip #4: Don’t Wear Clothes at the Onsen
Onsen, or Japanese traditional spas, are a huge part of Japanese culture. However, no clothes are allowed in the onsen. Not to worry, they are separated by gender. Before entering the onsen, visitors receive two towels. The larger one should be saved for after the hot springs, while the smaller one comes with you and is placed on your head while you soak.
Japan Travel Tip #5: Don’t Just Visit Tokyo
Yes, Tokyo is awesome, but there is so much more to see in Japan. Even if you just visit Kyoto, or Osaka, you will see a different side of Japan than the city of Tokyo. Japan has so many different landscapes, from islands and beaches to mountains and forests. There are so many things to do in Tokyo, it can be tempting to spend all of your time there, but if you have the JR Pass, it’s actually pretty cheap to get to other parts of Japan.
Japan Travel Tip #6: Don’t Think You Will Only See Tokyo Stereotypes
What you see on TV is just a sliver of Japanese culture. Yes, you’ll see lots of neon lights and anime costumes in Tokyo, but once you explore the countryside of Japan, expect to see a lot of temples and nature.
Japan Travel Tip #7: Don’t Expect A Lot of Space in Your Hotel Room
Don’t think you can squeeze a family of four into one hotel room. Very few hotels have enough space to accommodate a large family in one room. We typically rent apartments, which is more affordable and gives us more space.
Japan Travel Tip #8: Don’t Wear Shoes In Someone’s Home
Never wear your shoes inside someone’s home in Japan. Everyone should remove shoes at the door, and there are usually guest slippers for you to wear inside the house. Some homes will have special bathroom slippers, so don’t forget to swap out your house slippers for the bathroom slippers when you enter and exit the bathroom. Some restaurants even have patrons remove their shoes.
Japan Travel Tip #9: Don’t Be Rambunctious in Ryokan
If you travel outside of Tokyo to smaller towns or historic places, you might stay in Ryokan, or a traditional Japanese guest house. These homes have paper walls and sliding doors, so it’s very easy to irritate other guests by making a lot of noise.
Japan Travel Tip #10: Don’t Be Loud, Especially on Public Transportation
Japan is a very quiet country, and there is very little noise on the trains. Even out on the streets, it’s pretty quiet in general.
Japan Travel Tip #11: Don’t Forget to Look Right When Crossing the Street
In Japan, they drive on the left, so when crossing the street, you have to look to the right for oncoming traffic.
Japan Travel Tip #12: Don’t Freak Out About Automatic Taxi Doors
If you ride in a taxi, the back doors are automatic and will pop open for you.
Japan Travel Tip #13: Don’t Smoke or Eat While Walking in Public
There are signs all over Japan reminding you not to smoke and walk. You can actually get fined for this. Eating and walking at the same time is more of a cultural faux pas, so you’ll see people sit down to eat, but they are not eating while walking.
Japan Travel Tip #14: Don’t Use the Hot Towel at Restaurants on Your Face
Many restaurants will give you a hot towel when you arrive. This is only for hands, not for the face.
Japan Travel Tip #15: Don’t Have Bad Chopstick Etiquette
There are some basic etiquette rules when it comes to eating with chopsticks:
- Don’t point with your chopsticks
- Don’t pass food from chopstick to chopstick
- Don’t rest chopsticks vertically in food
Japan Travel Tip #16: Don’t Pay Your Waiter
When eating at a restaurant in Japan, you don’t pay your bill with the waiter. The waiter will drop the bill at your table, but you pay on the way out at the front of the restaurant. You also don’t tip in Japan, so that’s one less thing to worry about.
Japan Travel Tip #17: Don’t Worry if You Don’t Know What You Are Eating
In Japan, oftentimes you’ll order based on sight. If it looks good, try it. Also, don’t worry if you don’t know how to eat the food. The waiter can show you how to eat everything and how to pair the foods you’ve ordered, even without speaking English.
Japan Travel Tip #18: Don’t Worry About Noodle Slurping
Slurping your noodles is a good thing in Japan! It’s supposed to enhance the flavor, and isn’t considered bad manners.
Japan Travel Tip #19: Don’t Try to Pay if You Are a Guest at Dinner
If someone invites you to dinner, don’t try to pay. The person who makes the invitation is expected to pay for the whole meal and trying to pay for your meal will be insulting to them. The reverse also holds true: if you invite someone to dinner, be prepared to pay.
Japan Travel Tip #20: Don’t Forget to Give Things With Two Hands
This is especially common with business cards, or gifts, money, receipts, or anything of reverence. Be sure to hand these things off with both hands.
Japan Travel Tip #21: Don’t Pour Alcohol For Yourself
If you happen to be out drinking in Japan, especially with business colleagues, don’t pour your own alcohol. It’s custom to pour alcohol for others, but to let them pour for you.
Japan Travel Tip #22: Don’t Be Late in Japan
They won’t be late, so you shouldn’t either. Buses, trains, meetings and pretty much everything in Japan runs on time. If something is running behind, it’s a source of embarrassment in Japan. Being punctual is a key part of Japanese culture, so make sure to observe this.
Japan Travel Tip #23: Don’t Freak Out By Long Lines or Crowded Transportation
While it’s important to be on time, you’ll likely find yourself waiting in long lines or crowded onto a bus or subway car. They are very efficient in Japan when it comes to getting things done. You’ll be amazed at how quickly and efficiently a line is processed.
Japan Travel Tip #24: Don’t Forget Your Manners on Public Transportation
When stopping at a station, rather than squishing together to let people exit, it’s very common to hop off the train, let everyone exit, and then get back on. Also, on escalators, it’s the opposite of what you’re used to. Rather than stand to the right to allow faster walkers to pass on the left, in Japan you stand on the left and pass on the right.
Japan Travel Tip #25: Don’t Expect to Find Garbage Cans
It can be difficult to find garbage cans in Japan, so plan to carry things around for a while if you are creating trash. Having a few plastic bags along can be helpful until you find a trash can. Once you do find a garbage bin, don’t forget to separate your trash. A lot of garbage in Japan is incinerated, so pay attention to the signs on the bins to see what you can throw in each container.
Hopefully these tips will help you prepare for an amazing vacation in Japan. It’s a fantastic country, so don’t miss out! For more Japan travel tips, check out some of our other blog posts and videos:
- 18 Things That Shock Visitors to Japan
- 14 Things That Shock Visitors to Tokyo
- Safety Advice for Visiting Japan
- Where to Get Money in Japan
