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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.

5 rules found

Local customsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Staying at a ryokan: no slippers on tatami, keep to meal times, mind the curfew

Do

  • Take off even your indoor slippers before stepping onto tatami
  • Leave luggage at the entrance or the designated spot
  • Eat dinner and breakfast at the times the inn sets, and call ahead if you will be late
  • Note the curfew and ask before going out late
  • Put valuables in the room safe
  • Ask the inn whether you may go out in the inn's yukata

Don’t

  • Don't drag a suitcase across the tatami
  • Don't put personal belongings in the tokonoma alcove
  • Don't take the inn's yukata, towels or other items home
  • Don't strip or wash the bedding yourself

Ryokan dinners are served at set times, so arriving late may mean missing the meal; most ryokan have a curfew, and coming back after it may leave you locked out.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Japan Ryokan Association: Staying at a ryokan

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

Local customsTemples & religious sitesCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Temple visits: join your hands and bow, no clapping; fan out incense

Do

  • Bow once at the main gate before entering
  • Step over the threshold rather than on it
  • Join your hands and bow quietly before the Buddha
  • Light the incense, wave out the flame with your hand, then place it in the burner
  • Take off your shoes when asked inside halls; wear shoes that slip off easily
  • Check signs such as 撮影禁止 (no photography) before taking photos

Don’t

  • Do not step on the threshold of the gate or hall
  • Do not clap as you would at a shrine
  • Do not blow out the incense flame
  • Do not take photos inside the main hall where it is prohibited

These are customs, not rules: nothing happens if you get them wrong, but following them shows respect. Taking photos in a no-photo area will be stopped by staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: photoru: How to Visit a Temple

Local customsTemples & religious sitesCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Shrine visits: two bows, two claps, one bow

Do

  • Bow once when you pass through the torii, both coming and going
  • Walk along the sides of the approach; the center is left for the deity
  • At the purification fountain, wash your left hand, then your right, then rinse your mouth
  • At the offering box, ring the bell and make your offering to announce your visit
  • Pray with two bows, two claps, and one bow
  • Where the shrine posts its own instructions, follow them

Don’t

  • Do not walk down the middle of the approach
  • Do not touch the ladle with your lips when rinsing
  • Do not photograph or film in front of the main hall
  • Do not bring drones into the shrine grounds

These are customs, not rules: nothing happens if you get them wrong, but following them shows respect. Bans on photos and drones depend on each shrine's rules.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Two Bows and Two Claps – the Ins and Outs of Shinto Shrines

Local customsTippingCountry-wide guidance · Japan

There is no tipping in Japan

Do

  • Say thank you with 'arigatō gozaimashita'

Don’t

  • Pressing loose change on staff

Japan is a no-tipping country and bills usually include service; if you press a tip on staff, some will politely refuse.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese table manners