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Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Understanding local customs is where a journey begins. Find the topics that matter to you and feel at ease wherever you go.

4 rules found

Cultural sensitivitiesRestaurants & barsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Ramen shops: queue once your group is complete, one bowl each, leave promptly

Do

  • Join the end of the line only when your whole group is there; sign in first if there is a list
  • Check whether you order at a ticket machine or at your seat, and carry cash
  • Order one bowl per person (infants excepted)
  • Put your belongings on the shelf or hook by your seat, clear of the aisle
  • Slurping is normal in Japan, so don't feel self-conscious
  • Leave soon after finishing so the next person in line can sit

Don’t

  • Don't stand next to diners to hurry them
  • Don't share one bowl among several people
  • Don't bring in food or drinks from elsewhere
  • Don't photograph the chefs or other customers without permission

Most ramen shops have few seats and depend on turnover, so sharing a bowl, lingering or bringing outside food will draw a reminder or a polite refusal from staff; photographing people without asking causes offense.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Ramen Japan: Ramen manners

Cultural sensitivitiesRestaurants & barsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Conveyor-belt sushi: take only your own plates and never put one back on the belt

Do

  • Make your own tea with the powdered tea and hot-water tap at your seat; the water is very hot, so adults should pour for children
  • Take only what you will eat, and finish what you take
  • Stack empty plates on your table
  • Turn the sushi over and dip the topping side lightly in soy sauce
  • For gunkan-maki, brush on a little soy sauce with a slice of pickled ginger
  • Many people start with mild white fish and move on to richer flavors (there is no fixed rule)

Don’t

  • Don't take sushi someone else ordered on the tablet; it is sent to their seat
  • Don't put a plate you have taken or touched back on the belt, even if untouched
  • Don't put empty plates back on the belt
  • Don't dip the rice side in soy sauce; the rice falls apart

Returning plates to the belt is a hygiene problem and staff will step in; taking someone else's order causes trouble for that customer and the shop.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Japan Travel 8888: Conveyor-belt sushi guide

Cultural sensitivitiesRestaurants & barsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Never stand chopsticks in rice or pass food chopstick to chopstick

Do

  • Use serving chopsticks for shared dishes when they are provided
  • Lift distant dishes toward you by hand
  • Lay your chopsticks on the rest when done, or on the edge of your plate

Don’t

  • Do not stand chopsticks upright in rice; it resembles a rice offering for the dead
  • Do not pass food from your chopsticks to someone else's; it recalls handling remains after cremation
  • Do not spear food, point at people, or tap bowls with chopsticks
  • Do not lay chopsticks across your bowl, and do not lick them
  • Do not hover over dishes undecided or rummage in your soup bowl
  • Do not drag dishes toward you with chopsticks

These are kirai-bashi (disliked chopstick habits). There is no penalty, but the first two recall funerals and will genuinely upset Japanese diners; the rest look ill-mannered at formal meals.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Japan Know How: Chopstick Rules at a Japanese Table

Local customsRestaurants & barsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Izakaya: wait for the toast before drinking, and order at least one dish each

Do

  • When seated, ask whether there is a time limit (e.g. for all-you-can-drink plans)
  • Wait until everyone's drinks arrive and someone calls "kanpai" before your first sip
  • Order according to group size: at least one dish per person
  • Check the smoking sign at the door: some places have smoking seats, others are fully non-smoking
  • Confirm how to pay: usually one person settles the whole bill at the end; standing bars often take payment as you order

Don’t

  • Don't start drinking before the toast
  • Don't occupy a table for a long time while ordering almost nothing
  • Don't smoke in non-smoking areas or seats

Drinking before the toast or taking up a table without ordering comes across as not knowing the rules and inconveniences your companions and the shop; smoking in a non-smoking area will be stopped by staff and may lead to complaints or penalties.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: LetsGoJP: Izakaya etiquette