If you haven’t added Tokyo to your Cities I must visit list, now is the time to do so. Are you planning on going soon? Well, lucky you… we wrote this article after our amazing trip in order to guide you in a practical way. Our main focus: “things we would like to have known before we left”.
An Introduction To Japanese Customs
Some call it a culture shock, we’d rather think of Japanese customs as the same but also completely different. Before you head east, it’s designated to be aware of the do’s and don’ts as these might (strongly) differ from what you’re used to. We made a list of the ten manners that are very different from the western ones.
1. The Japanese always stand on the left side of an escalator so others can pass by on the right side.
2. It’s not allowed to eat (not even an ice cream) or smoke in the streets, drinking is okay.
3. Leaving a tip is considered to be rude.
4. Don’t blow your nose in public.
5. You’ll hardly find any trash cans on the streets so be sure to take a bag with you. Next to the vending machines you’ll always find one to throw your empty bottles away.
6. If you take the metro, keep your voice down and don’t even think about making a phone call.
7. In a lot of places you can’t enter with shoes.
8. When you greet Japanese people, don’t give a hug, hand or kiss but bow instead.
9. Never put your chopsticks straight into a bowl of rice, this is a ritual for funerals.
10. The Japanese don’t speak English very well, so it’s designated to learn at least a few words of Japanese.
