How to Travel in Japan
Japanese Lifestyles and Rules
Every country has its unique culture and social rules. If you do not know the local way of life, you can run into some trouble!
We would like to explain some of the rules and manners in Japan as below to help you understand the culture and make valuable memories.
Every country has its unique culture and social rules. If you do not know the local way of life, you can run into some trouble!
We would like to explain some of the rules and manners in Japan as below to help you understand the culture and make valuable memories.
What To Do Before the Tour
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Rail Passes
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・The Japan Rail Pass is a convenient and economical ticket offered exclusively for overseas visitors by the six JR Group companies in Japan. It may take some time to exchange the ticket as there is a limited number of exchange locations. If you can exchange it before the tour, it will save some time and you can use the tour time effectively. Please check Japan Rail Pass Pick-up locations / Exchange locations.
・There are several types of rail passes when travelling in Tokyo such as "Tokyo 1-Day Ticket." (For other areas in Japan, please ask your guide for information.) If you have any rail pass, please inform your tour guide in advance so that the guide can prepare the tour plan accordingly. For example, "I have a Japan Rail Pass," or "I have already booked a Tokyo Subway 72hr Ticket, but I need to exchange it on the tour day." |
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Others
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・ If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, please inform your tour guide in advance so that the guide can select some restaurants before the tour.
・Please be sure to have some cash with you as credit cards are still not widely accepted in many areas in Japan. Also for public transportation, some ticket machines don’t accept credit cards even in big cities like Tokyo. |
Trains
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Priority seating signs
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Rush hours
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・Rush hours for trains and subways in Japan are around 7am-9am in the morning and around 5pm-7pm in the evening. Morning rush hours tend to be more severe than the evening. It is better to avoid the rush hours especially if you are traveling with luggage, strollers, or small children.
・During the busy time in the morning, some of the train lines provide Women-Only passenger car usually located at the very front of the train. It is only for women, elementary school students, disabled passengers and their guardians. |
ATM & Shopping
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ATM
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・There are less ATMs where you can withdraw cash using foreign credit cards and debit cards in rural areas compared to urban areas. Thus, it is safer to have your cash ready while you are in the city.
・Seven Bank’s ATMs are recommended to withdraw cash using international cards. Recently, there are Seven ATMs even at subway stations. Please click here to see where you can find the Seven Bank's ATM. |
Seven Bank's ATMs
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Shopping
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・Discount negotiation is not common at general retail stores in Japan.
・There is a charge for plastic shopping bags. ・The consumption tax on purchasing items is 10% for eat-in and 8% for take-out. The prices shown at the stores are either tax included or tax excluded, depending on the store. ・If you wish to shop at duty-free shops, please make sure that you have a passport with you. Please be very careful not to lose your passport while travelling. ・There are many vending machines in Japan. If you want to buy a drink, insert coins or a 1,000-yen bill first. Next, press the button of the drink you want to buy and take out the drink from the dispenser. Don’t forget to push down on the refund lever for your change. |
Vending machines in Japan
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What to Keep in Mind During the Tour
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Basic manners
at markets |
・Please ask for permission when taking pictures of shop staff and products at the market.
・We advise you to not eat and walk. While it is not against any laws, it is considered rude. The main concern is that you will bump into someone or drop food while walking, so please stop and eat. ・Do not touch the food in markets before buying. |
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Water and food
in Japan |
・Tap water in Japan is safe to drink in most places. However, tap water in every country is different and can cause some to become sick. If you have any concerns, it is better to drink bottled water. You do not need to check if bottled water has been refilled in Japan. Refilling water bottles for sale is not a Japanese practice. There are also no water bottle refill stations in Japan.
・Many foods in Japan may be new to your system! It is possible that your stomach will become upset just from eating new foods. Sashimi or sushi is not required to be frozen first as in other countries, so your system may be in for a surprise. We recommend eating cooked fish/seafood as you are not used to it. Please bring some stomach medicine from your country, just in case! |
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Others
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・Please take any hats off before entering temple buildings.
・In Japan, you will encounter bumpy yellow blocks on the ground and sidewalks. These are braille blocks for the visually-impaired. Please do not stand or walk on these blocks so that those that need them can use them. |
Braille blocks for the visually-impaired
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Restrooms
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How to use toilets in Japan
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・When using Western-style toilets in Japan, please sit on the seat with the water tank behind you. Do not stand on the toilet seat. Please put used toilet paper into the toilet and not in the trash can.
・Most toilets in Japan are now Western-style, but there are still squat toilets. Some older buildings and temples will only have squat toilets available. Here is a link on how to use traditional Japanese-style squat toilet. ・Please only use the trash can in the toilet to dispose of used feminine products. Please wrap your feminine products in toilet paper when disposing them in the trash.
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Multipurpose toilets
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・A multipurpose toilet is a priority toilet for wheelchair users, those with ostomate bags or other needs.
・If you are transgender and unsure of what toilet to use, you may use the multipurpose or universal toilet. Usually this will be a separate stall between the men and women’s room and are common across Japan. |
Multipurpose toilets
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Others
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・Many Japanese people wear slippers indoors but have separate slippers for the toilet. Please wear them only when using the bathroom and take them off when you leave. You may find this custom practiced in restaurants as well. If there are slippers at the restaurant when you go into the toilet, please change into the slippers provided and remember to remove them when you leave!
・There is no need to pay tip to the cleaning staff. ・Please be careful not to push the emergency button in the toilet unless you have an emergency. If you do have an emergency, please push the button and a security guard will come to assist you as soon as possible. The emergency button varies on each toilet, but it looks something like the photo here. |
Emergency buttons found in restrooms
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Garbage Disposal
・There are only a few trash cans in public areas. We suggest you bring an empty plastic bag to take garbage home.
・Garbage is generally separated into burnable, non-burnable, and recyclable waste.
・Garbage is generally separated into burnable, non-burnable, and recyclable waste.
Restaurants and Cafes
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How to pay
at a restaurant |
・There is no need to pay tip to the staff.
・At Japanese restaurants, you pay at your table or at the cashier. You usually pay at your table at high-class restaurants, but most of the times, you take your bill to the cashier and pay there. ・The payment method depends on each restaurant. (Cash, credit card, Suica, QR code payment, etc.) ・Some stores do not accept credit cards. ・At many stores, you cannot separate bills. ・Some stores like ramen shops have a system where you buy tickets in advance from vending machines. |
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Japanese restaurant culture
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・In most Japanese restaurants, water is served free of charge.
・You need to check if there is a need to take off shoes as some stores require customers to take off their shoes before entering. ・Many Japanese people slurp their noodles because you can eat quickly and it also enhances the flavor. The noodles also become limp if left in the soup for too long so Japanese people want to eat them while they are still hot! ・Be careful of ”kyakubiki” - restaurant staff attracting customers outside their stores to make them come in. ・Please note that there is ”otoshi” - a small dish served after receiving an order at “izakaya,” a Japanese style pub. The otoshi is basically charged. |
"Otoshi" is an appetizer served first at Japanese pubs called "izakaya."
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Others
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・Reservations are needed at some restaurants.
・It is better to check store holidays. (Many stores in Japan are open on Sundays.) |
Smoking
・In Japan, smoking has been prohibited in all indoor public facilities including stations, airports, bus and train station buildings, hotels, restaurants, and office buildings since April 2020.
・As a general rule, smoking outside is only permitted in designated smoking areas. If you smoke in areas other than the designated areas, you may be subject to a fine.
・Some restaurants and cafes have separate smoking and non-smoking areas, and you can choose your seat when you enter.
・As a general rule, smoking outside is only permitted in designated smoking areas. If you smoke in areas other than the designated areas, you may be subject to a fine.
・Some restaurants and cafes have separate smoking and non-smoking areas, and you can choose your seat when you enter.
Taxi
・Japanese taxi fares are calculated by distance and time on the meter.
・There is a shortage of taxis in Japan and you will have trouble catching without waiting at a taxi stop outside of a major station. We suggest travelling by public transport if possible.
・If you are concerned about being over charged, or need a taxi for the day, we suggest you rent a taxi for a flat rate for the day. You can contact us at JGA for a taxi rental for a day or search google for tourism taxis.
・You do not need to tip the taxi drivers but you can if you like.
・There is a shortage of taxis in Japan and you will have trouble catching without waiting at a taxi stop outside of a major station. We suggest travelling by public transport if possible.
・If you are concerned about being over charged, or need a taxi for the day, we suggest you rent a taxi for a flat rate for the day. You can contact us at JGA for a taxi rental for a day or search google for tourism taxis.
・You do not need to tip the taxi drivers but you can if you like.
Hotels
・There is no need to pay tip to the staff.
・Hotel staff may not be able to respond in the language spoken by the guest.
・The signs inside the hotel may only be in Japanese and not in any other languages.
・For double beds, you might feel that the bed is too small.
・Each hotel has its own set of rules (e.g. If you smoke in a non-smoking room, you may be charged a fine.) Cases like this can sometimes be resolved by notifying the hotel, but it is often difficult to make changes especially during the busy season.
・Hotel staff may not be able to respond in the language spoken by the guest.
・The signs inside the hotel may only be in Japanese and not in any other languages.
・For double beds, you might feel that the bed is too small.
・Each hotel has its own set of rules (e.g. If you smoke in a non-smoking room, you may be charged a fine.) Cases like this can sometimes be resolved by notifying the hotel, but it is often difficult to make changes especially during the busy season.
Hot Springs
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How to take an onsen bath
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・In the changing room, put your clothes, including underwear, into the basket or locker, which is usually free of charge. Your valuables, such as a pouch of cash, a smartphone, a watch, or accessories, should be kept in a safe. For the safe in the changing room, be ready for an 100 JPY coin, in general.
・Wash your body in the shower first before entering the bath. When washing yourself at the space, be careful not to splash water from the shower on other visitors. ・We recommend you to soak in the bath for up to 10 minutes at a time. Longtime soaking in the bath could make you dizzy or even fall down in a faint. |
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Basic onsen etiquette
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・Do not soak towels in the bathtub. If you have long hair, you should put your hair up before soaking in the bath.
・You are not allowed to dive, swim, or take some exercise in the bath. ・Most hot springs do not allow guests with tattoos. This is because of cultural, perceptional differences the Japanese have regarding tattoos. ・If you have a small tattoo, you can cover it up with tattoo cover tapes. They are waterproof, which last at least half a day. They come in different sizes (M & L) and shades (4-6 color types). |
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Others
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・Depending on your religion and culture, you may not prefer or are unable to use public hot springs. In such cases, we will check whether a private bath or private hot spring is available or not, so please notify your guide.
・In some places, there are mixed gender hot springs, and the distinction between men and women hot springs may not be clear. |
Writings and Signboards in Japan
In Japan, there are many places where only Japanese is written, so people who cannot read Japanese cannot even imagine what it is trying to say.
Here are some of the examples：
・There are cold and hot beverages sold in vending machines. If the Japanese characters written under each drink says"つめた～い," read as “tsumetai,” it means cold beverage. If it says "あったか～い,” read as “attakai,” it is hot beverage. Also, the buttons for cold drinks are in blue and the buttons for hot drinks are in red, so you can dinstingush by the color of the buttons.
・There is a large variety of beverages sold in Japan. “I Lohas” is a natural mineral bottled water which you will often see in Japan. “Pocari Sweat” and “Aquarius” are popular sports energy drinks which look similar to water. “Mitsuya cider” is a carbonated soft drink which tastes like a mix of Sprite and ginger ale.
Here are some of the examples：
・There are cold and hot beverages sold in vending machines. If the Japanese characters written under each drink says"つめた～い," read as “tsumetai,” it means cold beverage. If it says "あったか～い,” read as “attakai,” it is hot beverage. Also, the buttons for cold drinks are in blue and the buttons for hot drinks are in red, so you can dinstingush by the color of the buttons.
・There is a large variety of beverages sold in Japan. “I Lohas” is a natural mineral bottled water which you will often see in Japan. “Pocari Sweat” and “Aquarius” are popular sports energy drinks which look similar to water. “Mitsuya cider” is a carbonated soft drink which tastes like a mix of Sprite and ginger ale.
Communication
・Employees at tourist facilities and restaurants may not be accustomed to speaking in foreign languages.
However, there are some employees who can speak foreign languages especially at large department stores.
However, there are some employees who can speak foreign languages especially at large department stores.
*We have also put together information regarding dietary restrictions for Halal, Kosher, Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free.
Please check Dietary Restrictions page as well.
Please check Dietary Restrictions page as well.
CONTACT US
Have any other questions? Please feel free to email us using the form below.
日本語でのお問い合わせはこちらまでお願いします。
