Field guide
Japanese Etiquette for First-Time Visitors: 30 Small Manners That Matter
Planning your first trip to Japan? You have probably read that the etiquette is strict and that it is easy to offend someone. The truth is gentler. Most Japanese manners are small, practical habits that keep shared spaces clean, quiet and calm. Once you know the reason behind them, they are easy to follow.
This guide collects the 30 small manners from our checklist. We start with the 10 that matter most, walk through the places where you will use them, and finish with the mistakes people forgive. Momiji, the little fawn who lives on our checklist, will pop in now and then with a tip.
Momiji's tip: When you are not sure what to do, slow down and watch the people around you for a few seconds. Copying the locals is the oldest etiquette trick there is.
The 10 big deals to know before you land
If you remember nothing else, remember these. They are the manners people notice most, and they are all easy.
At the onsen (hot spring bath). Shared baths run on one idea: keep the water clean for everyone.
Onsen Big dealWash your whole body before getting inSit at the shower stools and scrub first. The bath is for soaking, not cleaning.
Open on the checklist → Onsen Big dealKeep your small towel out of the waterFold it on your head or leave it at the edge. Towels in the bath are seen as dirty.
Open on the checklist → Onsen Big dealCheck the tattoo rule before you goSome onsen still refuse tattoos, so check first. Look for 'tattoo friendly' on the website, or just ask.
Open on the checklist →Tattoo rules are the one onsen topic worth checking before you go. Some baths welcome tattoos, some allow small ones, and some still say no (source: Japan Tourism Agency). The safest move is to look for "tattoo friendly" on the website, or simply ask.
On the train. Japanese trains are famously quiet, and you can help keep them that way.
Train Big dealNo phone calls on the trainSet your phone to silent. Talking quietly with a friend is fine; calls are not.
Open on the checklist →At shrines and temples. Visitors are welcome, and photos outside are usually fine. Inside the halls, it is different.
Shrine & temple Big dealAsk before taking photos insideSome halls ban photos. Look for signs with a crossed-out camera.
Open on the checklist →At restaurants.
Restaurant Big dealDon't tipGood service is included. Leaving money can confuse staff, who will usually try to hand it back.
Open on the checklist →There is no need to calculate a tip or leave coins on the table. You only need to pay the amount on the bill, and a simple "thank you" is more than enough (source: JNTO).
Restaurant Big dealNever stand chopsticks upright in riceIt looks like an offering at a funeral. Rest them on the holder or the bowl edge.
Open on the checklist →In homes and inns. Floors matter a lot in Japan. Many rooms are for socks and bare feet only.
Homes & inns Big dealTake off your shoes at the entranceLook for a step up from the entryway. Shoes stay below it.
Open on the checklist → Homes & inns Big dealNever wear slippers on tatamiWalk on tatami mats in socks or bare feet only.
Open on the checklist → Homes & inns Big dealWear the yukata left side over rightRight over left is how the deceased are dressed.
Open on the checklist →Place by place: the other 20 small manners
The big deals above are the ones to memorize. The rest are the kind of thing you pick up on day one. Here they are, grouped by the places you will actually be.
Onsen and public baths
Before you step into the water, wash at the shower stools and rinse off completely. Then a few extra courtesies: Tie up long hair, and when you finish, dry off before you return to the changing room so the floor stays dry for the next person.
Trains and stations
Trains in big cities are packed at rush hour, and the system works because everyone follows the same small habits.
- Wait in line beside the doors on the platform, let people off first, then board.
- In a crowded car, wear your backpack on your front or put it on the rack.
- Leave priority seats for older people, pregnant women and people with disabilities.
- On escalators, people usually stand on one side and leave the other open, but which side depends on the city. More on that below.
Shrines and temples
Shrines and temples are working places of worship, not just sights. At the entrance of many shrines you will find a water basin. Rinsing your hands there is a short ritual: left hand, right hand, then a little water into your cupped hand for your mouth.
On the approach, walk at the side of the path. The center is said to be the way for the gods. At the main hall of a shrine, the usual prayer is two bows, two claps and one bow. At Buddhist temples, you pray quietly with your hands together and do not clap.
Convenience stores
Japan's convenience stores, or konbini, are friendly and fast. At the register, put your money in the small tray instead of handing it over. Staff will ask whether you want a bag. Bags are not free, so just say yes or no (source: METI). In most places, people don't eat while walking; they eat at the store or just outside. And because public bins are hard to find, take your trash with you.
Restaurants
Beyond tipping and chopsticks, three small things make meals smoother. Slurping noodles is fine and even a little expected. A quiet itadakimasu before you eat and gochisōsama after are a lovely way to say thanks. When it is time to pay, take the bill to the register instead of waiting at the table. At many ramen shops you buy a ticket from a machine before you sit down.
Homes and inns
If you stay at a ryokan (a traditional inn) or visit a family, there is one more slipper rule: use the toilet slippers only in the toilet. Forgetting to take them off is a classic first-trip moment, and everyone smiles about it.
Trash
Japan's streets are clean, but public bins are surprisingly rare (source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government). A few simple habits help:
- Carry a small bag for trash during the day.
- When you do find bins, sort your trash by type. Labels usually show burnable trash, plastic, cans and bottles.
- Don't leave trash on bullet train seats. Take it with you or use the bins on board.
Small phrases that do a lot of work
You don't need much Japanese to be polite. These few words cover most situations.
- Sumimasen (soo-mee-mah-sen): "excuse me" and "sorry". Use it to get past someone, call a waiter, or apologize for a bump.
- Arigatō gozaimasu (ah-ree-gah-toh go-zai-mas): "thank you very much". You will use this all day.
- Daijōbu desu (dai-joh-boo des): "I'm fine" or "no thank you". Handy when someone offers a bag or help you don't need.
- Itadakimasu / Gochisōsama deshita: said before and after a meal.
- Onegaishimasu (oh-neh-gai-shee-mas): "please", when you point at the menu or hand something over.
A small nod of the head goes well with any of these. You don't need a deep bow. A friendly nod is perfect.
When rules vary by place
Japan is not one rulebook. Some customs change from city to city, or even from one shrine to the next. A few you are likely to notice:
Escalators. In some cities, people leave one side free to walk, and the side differs by region: commonly left in Tokyo (source: JR East) and, by local custom, right in Osaka. Some places now ask everyone to stand still on both sides for safety, and you may see signs saying so (source: Saitama Prefecture, Nagoya City). The easy rule: follow the people in front of you.
Tattoos. As above, onsen rules really do differ. Private baths you can book for yourself are another option some places offer.
Shrine prayers. "Two bows, two claps, one bow" is the usual pattern, but a few shrines have their own way of praying (source: Association of Shinto Shrines). If there is a sign or a board showing the steps, follow it.
Trash sorting. The categories change from one city to the next (source: Ministry of the Environment). At your hotel or rental apartment, follow the house guide. That is the rule that counts.
Eating while walking. In most places it is avoided, but at festivals and on food-stroll streets, snacking as you walk is completely normal.
Don't panic: mistakes people forgive
Here is the good news. Visitors are not expected to be perfect, and most people are kind about honest mistakes.
- Wearing the toilet slippers back into the room. Very common, quickly forgiven. Just swap them back.
- Getting the water basin order wrong. If you rinse your hands and don't drink from the ladle, you have done the important part.
- Bowing at the wrong moment. A small, sincere nod is never wrong.
- Not knowing which side of the escalator to stand on. Copy the person in front of you.
- Trying to tip. Staff may politely hand the money back. Smile, say arigatō, and put it away.
What people do notice is attitude. Being loud on a quiet train, ignoring a "no photos" sign, or getting into a bath without washing feels careless, even when it isn't meant that way. If something goes wrong, a quick sumimasen and a smile fix almost everything.
Momiji's tip: Mistakes are part of the trip. What counts is noticing, saying sorry, and trying again.
Use the checklist and watch Momiji
All 30 manners in this guide live on our checklist. It works like a little field guide you can open on your phone:
- Tap a place (onsen, train, shrine and more) to see only the manners for where you are going.
- Switch on "Big deals only" to see just the 10 that matter most.
- Tick off each card as you learn it. Your progress stays on your phone.
- Watch Momiji act out a few of the trickier ones step by step, like the water basin, the shrine prayer, the genkan and chopsticks.
Want to see it before you go? Walk through six places in 3D with Momiji: shrine, onsen, train, restaurant, home visit and trash walk.
More guides for each place are on the way, starting with shrines and temples in time for autumn leaves and New Year visits. You can also find short videos on our YouTube channel, Small Things, Japan.
Small manners, warmer journeys. Have a wonderful trip.