Japan Customs and Etiquette Guide

Why Etiquette Matters

Japan has a refined social code built on respect, harmony, and consideration for others. Understanding key customs makes interactions smoother and shows genuine respect for the culture.

General Behavior

• Bow when greeting, thanking, or apologizing (15° bow for most tourist interactions)
• Queue properly — Japanese people form extremely orderly lines
• Indoor voices — loud conversation in public is unusual and noticeable

Transport

• No phone calls on trains — text instead
• Headphones for music — not speakers
• Give up priority seats immediately for elderly, disabled, pregnant passengers
• Stand on the left on escalators in Tokyo (right in Osaka)

Dining

• Say “itadakimasu” before eating and “gochisosama deshita” after
• Don’t pass food chopstick to chopstick — funeral ritual association
• Don’t stick chopsticks upright in rice — also funeral-associated
• Slurping noodles is fine — it signals appreciation
• Don’t tip — it can cause confusion or offense

At Temples and Shrines

• Walk on sides of the main path, not the center
• Purify hands at the temizuya (water font) before approaching the main hall
• At a shrine: two bows, two claps, one bow — then pray