Japan's social rules are real but learnable. Most Japanese are genuinely forgiving of tourist mistakes — what matters is visible effort and good faith. Here's what to know.
On Public Transport
Do: Queue in the marked lines on platforms. Give up priority seats to elderly, pregnant, or disabled passengers. Step fully inside the train doors. Be quiet. Carry large bags in front of you in crowded cars.
Don't: Talk on your phone in train carriages (texting is fine). Eat on local trains (eating on Shinkansen is acceptable). Put bags on empty seats during rush hour. Block the left side of escalators (in Tokyo; Osaka uses the opposite convention — stand on the right, walk on the left).
At Restaurants
Do: Say "irasshaimase" back to the greeting (or just nod). Wait to be seated. Use the oshibori wet towel for hands only. Say "itadakimasu" before eating and "gochisosama deshita" to staff when leaving. Return condiment bottles and soy sauce to their original positions.
Don't: Pass food from chopstick to chopstick (this mimics a funeral ritual). Stand chopsticks upright in rice (funeral symbolism). Tip — it causes confusion and mild embarrassment. Blow your nose at the table (step outside).
At Temples and Shrines
Do: Bow slightly when passing under the main torii gate. Rinse hands at the temizuya (water basin) before approaching the main hall: left hand, right hand, mouth (optional), left hand again, pour remaining water over the handle. Drop a coin in the offering box (any amount), bow twice, clap twice, bow once at Shinto shrines. Walk on the side of the main approach path (sando), not the center — the center is for the deity.
Don't: Photograph inside temple halls without permission. Climb on stone lanterns or statues. Speak loudly near prayer halls. Remove items from offering boxes or sacred spaces.
Shoes
Remove shoes whenever you see a step-down entry area (genkan) or a sign at the entrance. Traditional restaurants, ryokan, some temples, and many homes require shoe removal. Slip-on shoes prevent the awkward fumbling that lace-ups cause. Socks should be clean and hole-free.
Money
Pass money and receive change in the tray provided at cash registers — not hand-to-hand. At shrines and temples, use the offering box rather than handing money to priests. Folded, wrinkled notes are fine for purchases; for formal gifting (wedding gifts, condolence money), use new notes in envelopes.
General
Avoid eating while walking on streets (eating at a stall is fine; carrying food through a shopping district is increasingly frowned upon). Don't litter — public bins are almost nonexistent; carry your garbage back to your hotel or convenience store. Speak quietly in public — the Japanese ambient noise level is significantly lower than most Western countries, and normal-volume Western conversation can read as intrusive.