Question 1

Can I go to an onsen with tattoos?

Accepted Answer

Often not. Many public baths in Japan still turn away guests with visible tattoos, because of a long association with organised crime. Rules are loosening, and cover-up patches, private family baths and tattoo-friendly ryokan all exist — but check before you undress, not after.

Question 2

Do you have to be naked in a Japanese onsen?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Public baths are bathed in fully nude, with no swimsuits, and men and women bathe separately. The small towel you carry is for washing and for modesty while walking, not for wearing in the water.

Question 3

What do you do with the small towel in an onsen?

Accepted Answer

Keep it out of the water. Most bathers fold it and rest it on their head or on the edge of the tub. Never dip it in the bath, and never wring it out over the water.

Question 4

Do you wash before entering an onsen?

Accepted Answer

Always. The tub is for soaking, not for cleaning. Sit at one of the shower stations and wash your body and hair completely, rinsing off every trace of soap, before you step in.

Question 5

Do you tip in Japan?

Accepted Answer

No. Tipping is not expected anywhere in Japan — not in restaurants, not in taxis, not in hotels — and leaving money behind can cause confusion or be politely refused. Good service is included in the price.

Question 6

Why can't you stick chopsticks upright in rice?

Accepted Answer

Because it mirrors a funeral rite. Rice with chopsticks standing in it is offered to the dead, so doing it at the table reads as a bad omen. Rest your chopsticks on the holder or across the bowl instead.

Question 7

Is it rude to slurp noodles in Japan?

Accepted Answer

No — it is normal, and for ramen and soba it is expected. Slurping cools the noodles and is taken as a sign you are enjoying the food. The same noise over rice or soup, however, is not.

Question 8

Is it rude to not finish your food in Japan?

Accepted Answer

Generally yes. Leaving food is read as waste rather than as a compliment, and at a set meal or a ryokan dinner it is noticed. Order less rather than leave more, and say so in advance if you cannot eat something.

Question 9

How do you pay at a restaurant in Japan?

Accepted Answer

At the register, not at the table. Take the slip left on your table to the counter by the door and pay there. Waving for the bill or leaving cash on the table is not how it is done.

Question 10

Which side of the escalator do you stand on in Japan?

Accepted Answer

Left in Tokyo and most of the country, right in Osaka and much of Kansai. The other side is left clear for people walking. When in doubt, copy whoever is in front of you.

Question 11

Can you eat on the train in Japan?

Accepted Answer

On local and commuter trains, no. On long-distance shinkansen and reserved-seat express trains, yes — that is what the station bento is for. The dividing line is the type of train, not the time of day.

Question 12

Can you talk on the phone on a Japanese train?

Accepted Answer

No. Trains are treated as quiet spaces: phones go to silent mode and calls are taken after you get off. Keep conversation low, and keep headphone volume down.

Question 13

Do Japanese taxi doors open automatically?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The driver opens and closes the rear left door with a lever, so stand clear and let it swing. Do not pull it shut yourself, and do not tip when you pay.

Question 14

Why are there no trash cans in Japan?

Accepted Answer

Most public bins were removed after the 1995 subway attack and never came back. People carry their rubbish home instead. Keep a small bag with you, and use the bins beside vending machines and inside convenience stores when you find them.

Question 15

Can you eat while walking in Japan?

Accepted Answer

It is avoided almost everywhere. Food bought at a stall is usually eaten standing beside it, then the wrapper is handed back. Street-food lanes are the exception, and even there people tend to stop and finish first.

Question 16

Where can you smoke in Japan?

Accepted Answer

Only in marked smoking areas. Many city centres ban smoking on the street entirely and fine offenders, while indoor smoking rooms remain common. The rule is the reverse of much of the world: outside is restricted, inside is not always.

Question 17

Is it rude to blow your nose in public in Japan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Blowing your nose at the table or on a train is treated the way loud throat-clearing is elsewhere. Sniffing is tolerated; step away to a restroom if you need to blow.

Question 18

When do you take your shoes off in Japan?

Accepted Answer

At any entrance where the floor steps up — homes, ryokan, many restaurants, temples and some clinics. The raised lip is the signal. Leave shoes pointing back towards the door and change into the slippers provided.

Question 19

Why are there separate slippers for the toilet in Japan?

Accepted Answer

Because the bathroom floor is treated as a separate, unclean zone. There are usually three levels of footwear: outdoor shoes, indoor slippers and toilet slippers. Walking out of the toilet still wearing the toilet slippers is the classic visitor mistake.

Question 20

How do you wear a yukata?

Accepted Answer

Left side over right, always. Right over left is how the dead are dressed. Tie the sash at the waist, and at a ryokan you can wear it to dinner and around the building.

Question 21

How do you pray at a Japanese shrine?

Accepted Answer

Two bows, two claps, one bow. Toss a coin into the box, ring the bell if there is one, then bow twice deeply, clap twice, hold your hands together to make your wish, and bow once more.

Question 22

What is the difference between a shrine and a temple in Japan?

Accepted Answer

A shrine is Shinto and a temple is Buddhist. Shrines have a torii gate at the entrance and you clap when you pray; temples have an incense burner and a main hall, and you do not clap — you press your hands together in silence.

Question 23

Can you take photos in Japanese temples and shrines?

Accepted Answer

Outside, usually yes. Inside a main hall, often not — statues and altars are frequently off-limits, and the sign will say so. Never photograph a ceremony, and never point a lens at someone praying.

Question 24

Why do shops in Japan have a small tray at the register?

Accepted Answer

Money is placed in the tray rather than handed over, and your change comes back the same way. It is not a rejection of contact — it simply lets both people count without touching. Cards are widely taken, but cash is still king at small shops and shrines.

Question 25

How does tax-free shopping work in Japan?

Accepted Answer

Show your passport at the till in a tax-free registered shop, over the minimum spend. The consumption tax is taken off on the spot, the purchase is recorded against your entry, and sealed consumables must leave the country unopened.

Question 26

Do you have to pay for bags in Japan?

Accepted Answer

Yes, since 2020 plastic bags carry a small charge everywhere. Most people carry a folding bag. If you say nothing at the till you will usually be asked, so a small headshake is enough to decline.

Question 27

What does sumimasen mean and when do you use it?

Accepted Answer

It covers excuse me, sorry and thank you all at once. Use it to get a server's attention, to squeeze past someone, and to acknowledge a small kindness. If you learn one word before arriving, learn this one.

Question 28

Do you have to bow in Japan?

Accepted Answer

You are not expected to get it exactly right, but a small nod of the head is always welcome and never wrong. Depth signals formality: a slight nod for shop staff, a deeper bow for a host or an apology. Do not bow and shake hands at the same time.

Questions travellers ask