We've all heard about this beautiful, faraway land of the rising sun. Japan is known for its incredible culture, customs and rich traditions that are as old as history itself. So it's quite likely that if you’re a traveler there, you may run into stark cultural differences and get yourself some very weird looks on the way.
But thanks to Tina, a traveler and TikTok creator with a whopping 1.3M followers, we now have a very clear list of things you should never, ever do in Japan.
Shared in a series of fun and lighthearted TikTok videos, Tina warns that eating and drinking (yep, coffee counts too!) is a big no-go and that talking on your phone on public transport is disrespectful. Scroll down below to find out what other things you should not do in Japan!
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Don't try on clothes without a face cover. This prevents makeup from staining the material.
Don't pull open the taxi door. Japan's living in 3020, remember? They open automatically.
Previously, a Lithuania-based Japanese language expert Kotryna Kvietkauskaitė told Bored Panda in an interview that the Japanese are very welcoming of foreigners who put in the effort to speak their language and absorb their culture.
“In Japan, when a foreigner speaks Japanese, they can often get praise for their language skills, even if they simply introduced themselves which is one of the first things that students learn to do,” she said that you’ll often get points for trying, even if what you’re saying isn’t at native-level standards yet.
No talking on the phone on public transport. You will get judgy stares.
Yes, if you talk into a banana in public, the world will judge you. Face it, the world is cruel.
Don't stand on the wrong side of the escalator. Keep left if you're not in a hurry.
Don't leave your backpack on inside public transport. No one wants a backpack in the face.
Kotryna also said that learning any language, including Japanese, is a personal experience. Everyone moves at their own pace and we shouldn’t be in a rush to compare ourselves to others in our own journeys. “One person might take 5 years until they learn to read Japanese fiction without any problems while another person might take 10 years. In other words, there isn’t a clearly-defined point that can be reached after which a person can confidently state that they know Japanese as well as the average native,” she said.
Don't blow your nose in public. It's bad manners and just kinda gross. Sniffle it back in or go to the bathroom to let those boogers out.
This is such a cultural difference to where I live. Growing up, sniffling was considered so rude that even now as an adult, I gag when I hear it. Here, it's considered much less rude to blow your nose than to repeatedly sniff.
Don't bargain the price. It's not like the other Asian countries. In Japan most things are legit.
Don't expect everyone to know English. Try to learn some Japanese.
That should be the rule for visiting any country! It’s good manners to learn at least the basics.
When someone says that I always bring up my trip to the Czech Republic. My wife insisted to learn some basic phrases in Czech, at least greetings, thank you, goodbye and so on. It seems like tourists never do this in Prague and everyone always assumed that we spoke Czech.
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We were walking to the metro in Tokyo early morning, stopped for coffee, this construction worker followed us, tapped me on the shoulder and says "hello, I'm learning English, would you practice with me?" Best encounter ever.
Okay but what use does it have to talk to someone in basic japanese when you can't possibly understand their answer?
I think the idea is more just learning things like "hello" "please" and "thank you" along with maybe "where is the toilet?". Just enough to show you took the time and effort.
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Wow that's kind of extreme!! Meanwhile i work in touristic industry and people very often don't know English (I'm not in UK or USA) and demand you speak to their language!!! Like sure I'll learn 10 different languages so you can all be happy!!! I'm wondering how many will be speaking Greek if i demand it abroad!!!!
I did try to say cab instead of taxi when I visited :) For some reason people found it hard to understand when we said coke though
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A great tip from someone I lived abroad with: The first word to learn is 'thank you'.
Sure.... the phrase: "My dream is to be village leader (head ninja)" comes in handy in so many situations.....
Don't worry.. although you don't speak japanese or they don't speak english, they will help to make anything works for you. But remember, this is only for tourist. And we have Google Translate (and the other) - sure, it's not perfect - but it'll help
And if you use English, especially around the Universities, expect people to come up and practice their English with you. Another issue my husband had in Japan..which is ironic because he was there to learn Japanese.
So you need a 3y course to be able to be a tourist in other countries? Thats stupid. Be polite if they dont speak the languages you do. But expecting tourists to speak the native language is stupid
I agree! When you work in touristic industry you learn English! It's that simple! Whether we like it or not it's the international language! It's not my native language either but noone would hire me in touristic industry without knowing English!
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I wholeheartedly agree, Sigrid, and am unsure why you are getting down-voted. It is always a wonderful gesture and makes your time as a tourist that much more enriching and rewarding when you make the effort to learn a couple simple phrases in your host country's language. Not everyone is going to speak English and it is downright silly to assume that that locals are going to start speaking perfect English to you when you are in their country.
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Don't walk into fitting rooms with shoes on. Take them off before entering to keep everything clean.
Don't poke or squeeze fresh produce at supermarkets. Trust me, they only put out the best ones, just grab and go.
Don't place money directly into the cashier's hands. Put it on a tray.
I always think the opposite, it’s rude to make the cashier pick it up!
Don't eat or drink while walking. Drinking coffee counts too. You will get judgy stares.
Don't go barefoot or wear house slippers into the toilet. Use toilet slippers.
Does a family share toilet slippers or does each family member have their own pair stored by the bathroom door?
Don't get into PDA. Just save it for the hotel room, okay?
These "Hey look this" list misses context ---- there's a few reasons behind all of these (hygiene being the dominant theme)... A line or two of explanation would make this a 10x more interesting post (and remove the constant "wow how weird" reactions) as it shows a world view tying them together.
Their country, they get to set the rules. It's a physically small country with a LOT of people, so when you're up to your armpits in armpits, courtesy/consideration get _real_ important.
One thing the poster doesnt share is her tatoos are also a bit taboo in Japan, most hot springs ( Onsen , ithink theyre called) will not let you in if you have tattoos.
Legit question, pls forgive my ignorance: is it palms together then a bow of the head/shoulders, or a bow without the 'prayer' hands, like arm across the torso and deeper bow? I like the idea of bowing being a part of everyday interaction ^-^
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I'd be kinda interested to see odd social rules for other countries. It's been way overdone for Japan.
Also don't mention Japan's historical oppression of Korea, comfort women, generally being a hostile environment even for 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation Japanese-Koreans, etc.
Also don't Bring up the Congo in Belgium, Algiers in France, Nazism in Germany, Gulags in Russia, The Great Famine in the UK, Slavery in the US. All countries have commited evil in the past.
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In a perfect world, everyone would have such high standards of hygiene and respect for others.
Wow this is really interesting. I live in the USA and people are doing all these things that are wrong in other countries. Not all are appropriate but US citizens do them. It's just the norm here I guess.
I'm really hoping the internet-destroying solar flare they're predicting does hit if for nothing else than forcing these TikTok "stars" to get real jobs.
Already?! I just packed my tinfoil hat away, and now I have to get it back out again? Bloody lizard people and that 'sun' of theirs!
Load More Replies... These "Hey look this" list misses context ---- there's a few reasons behind all of these (hygiene being the dominant theme)... A line or two of explanation would make this a 10x more interesting post (and remove the constant "wow how weird" reactions) as it shows a world view tying them together.
Their country, they get to set the rules. It's a physically small country with a LOT of people, so when you're up to your armpits in armpits, courtesy/consideration get _real_ important.
One thing the poster doesnt share is her tatoos are also a bit taboo in Japan, most hot springs ( Onsen , ithink theyre called) will not let you in if you have tattoos.
Legit question, pls forgive my ignorance: is it palms together then a bow of the head/shoulders, or a bow without the 'prayer' hands, like arm across the torso and deeper bow? I like the idea of bowing being a part of everyday interaction ^-^
Load More Replies... I'd be kinda interested to see odd social rules for other countries. It's been way overdone for Japan.
Also don't mention Japan's historical oppression of Korea, comfort women, generally being a hostile environment even for 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation Japanese-Koreans, etc.
Also don't Bring up the Congo in Belgium, Algiers in France, Nazism in Germany, Gulags in Russia, The Great Famine in the UK, Slavery in the US. All countries have commited evil in the past.
Load More Replies... In a perfect world, everyone would have such high standards of hygiene and respect for others.
Wow this is really interesting. I live in the USA and people are doing all these things that are wrong in other countries. Not all are appropriate but US citizens do them. It's just the norm here I guess.
I'm really hoping the internet-destroying solar flare they're predicting does hit if for nothing else than forcing these TikTok "stars" to get real jobs.
Already?! I just packed my tinfoil hat away, and now I have to get it back out again? Bloody lizard people and that 'sun' of theirs!
Load More Replies...