Japan Etiquette and Daily Life FAQ

Quick answers about etiquette, manners and daily life in Japan, from chopsticks and escalators to addresses, shopping and home life. Each answer links to the full guide. See the main Japan FAQ or browse all articles.

What are the main chopstick rules in Japan?

Most chopstick rules come down to three ideas: respect for food, consideration for the people sharing it, and a careful separation of everyday dining from funeral customs. A hashioki (chopstick rest) keeps the tips off the table. The full guide explains how to hold chopsticks comfortably and which habits are considered poor manners. Read the full guide: Chopstick Etiquette in Japan: How to Hold Them and What to Avoid

What is an oshibori?

An oshibori is a damp hand towel offered at the start of a meal in many Japanese restaurants, warm in winter and cool in summer. It costs the diner nothing and is a quiet gesture of hospitality. It is used to clean your hands before eating. Read the full guide: Oshibori: The Hot or Cold Towel Japanese Restaurants Hand You First

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

In the Tokyo region, riders stand on the left and leave the right side free for walkers. In Osaka and much of Kansai, the rule is reversed: stand on the right. Kyoto sits in between. Railway companies and prefectures are now asking people to stand on both sides and not walk on escalators at all. Read the full guide: Escalator Etiquette in Japan: Why Tokyo Stands Left and Osaka Right

What Japanese phrases are most useful for visitors?

Sumimasen does the work of several English phrases, including excuse me and sorry. Arigato means thank you, and irasshaimase is the cheerful welcome you hear in shops and restaurants. A few well-placed words and a friendly tone go a long way, even when the rest of the conversation happens in smiles and gestures. Read the full guide: Useful Japanese Phrases for Visitors: Sumimasen, Arigato and More

What is keigo?

Keigo is the system of respectful language used with guests, customers, elders and colleagues across Japan. It has three main types: teineigo, sonkeigo and kenjogo. Travelers need to recognize only a few patterns and use one polite style; the short answer is that very little is required, but a basic grasp makes service language easier to follow. Read the full guide: Keigo Explained: How Japanese Politeness Levels Work for Visitors

How do coin lockers and luggage forwarding work in Japan?

Coin lockers (koin rokka) are found in most train stations and many tourist facilities, in sizes from small boxes for backpacks to units that fit a standard suitcase. Takkyubin is door-to-door parcel delivery: a traveler can hand a suitcase to a counter and have it delivered to a hotel across town, often by evening. The guide explains which option suits which situation. Read the full guide: Coin Lockers and Takkyubin: How Travelers Go Hands-Free in Japan

What are 100 yen shops in Japan?

Hyaku-en shoppu (100-yen shops) such as Daiso, Seria and Can Do sell household goods, stationery, travel items and seasonal decorations at one low price. Newer 300-yen shops now sit alongside them. They are an everyday part of Japanese life and a popular, inexpensive stop for souvenirs. Read the full guide: 100 Yen Shops in Japan: Daiso, Seria, Can Do and the 300 Yen Boom

How does tax-free shopping work in Japan?

Until now, visitors have shown a passport at the register of a participating shop and the 10 percent consumption tax is removed from the bill. From 1 November 2026, visitors will instead pay the full tax-inclusive price in the shop and receive the tax back when they leave the country. Rules in this area can change, so check the official sources before you travel. Read the full guide: Tax-Free Shopping in Japan: How It Works and What Changes in 2026

How should visitors prepare for earthquakes in Japan?

Japan sits where several tectonic plates meet, and the country has built one of the most carefully prepared societies for earthquakes, with strong building standards, regular drills and alert systems. Visitors can use phone alerts and apps, learn how the shindo (seismic intensity) scale works, and follow a few simple steps during and after shaking. Most tremors are small. Read the full guide: Earthquake Preparedness for Visitors: How Japan Stays Ready and Calm

What is a kotatsu?

A kotatsu is a heated low table draped with a thick quilt, around which families gather in winter, often with a bowl of mikan (mandarin oranges) in the center. It descends from the irori, the sunken hearth that once stood at the center of the home, and it is a symbol of winter togetherness. Visitors may meet one in a ryokan (Japanese inn), a home stay or a restaurant. Read the full guide: Kotatsu: The Heated Table and Mikan Ritual at the Heart of Japanese Winter

What is tatami?

Tatami is the woven rush-grass flooring of traditional Japanese rooms, with a surface called omote made from igusa (soft rush). It has a faintly sweet, grassy smell, and room sizes in Japan are still counted in mats (jo). Visitors will meet it in a ryokan (traditional inn), and the guide includes a short checklist of manners for stepping onto it. Read the full guide: Tatami: The Rush-Grass Floor That Measures Every Room in Japan

What is a koban?

A koban is a neighborhood police box, usually near a train station, where officers help visitors with directions and lost property. The first koban were built in 1874. Japan has a well-known lost property culture, and handing in or reporting an item at a koban is simple. Read the full guide: Koban: Inside Japan's Neighborhood Police Boxes and Why Visitors Love Them

What can I buy at a Japanese drugstore?

Japanese drugstores sell over-the-counter medicine, toiletries, supplements, cosmetics and household goods, and many also sell snacks. A yakkyoku is a different shop: a licensed pharmacy that can fill prescriptions. If you plan to bring your own medicine into Japan, check the official rules before you pack. Read the full guide: Japanese Drugstores Explained: What to Buy and How Medicine Is Sold

What is furoshiki?

Furoshiki is Japan's wrapping cloth: a square of fabric that can be knotted into a gift bag or used to carry a lunch box. The word combines furo (bath) and shiki (to spread), so it literally means bath spread. An eco-friendly revival has put the cloth back in shopping bags around the world. Read the full guide: Furoshiki: The Square of Cloth That Wraps, Carries and Gives in Japan

How does the Japanese bath (ofuro) ritual work?

The bath is for soaking, not for getting clean. Bathers wash first, sitting on a small stool beside the tub, and then sink into deep hot water for warmth and quiet. In many homes the family takes turns using the same water, and a lid on the tub holds in the heat. Read the full guide: Ofuro: Why Japan Soaks Every Night and How the Home Bath Ritual Works

How do Japanese addresses work?

A Japanese address runs from the largest unit to the smallest: prefecture, municipality, district, then block and building numbers (chome, ban and go). Most streets are not named in the address, so people find places by the block and by landmarks such as station exits and convenience stores. Read the full guide: The Japanese Address System: Why Blocks Matter More Than Street Names

Is slurping noodles rude in Japan?

No. The Japan National Tourism Organization states that slurping is generally accepted at most noodle shops, including those serving ramen, udon and soba. Visitors do not have to slurp themselves, and eating quietly in your own way is perfectly fine. Read the full guide: Why Slurping Noodles Is Good Manners in Japan, and How to Do It Well

How do I read signs in a Japanese train station?

Every railway line in the big cities has its own color and symbol, every station has a code (including on the Yamanote Line loop), every platform shows where the train is heading, and every exit is numbered. Pick your exit before you leave the gates, and use an IC card at the ticket gates. Read the full guide: Reading a Japanese Train Station: Exits, Platforms, Colors and Numbers

What is a nomikai?

A nomikai is a Japanese drinking party, most often among coworkers at an izakaya (casual pub). A senior colleague usually gives a short toast, everyone says kanpai, and the group gets to know each other over small plates and cold drinks. A follow-up party is called a nijikai. Newcomers can take part with or without alcohol. Read the full guide: Nomikai Explained: How Japan's Office Drinking Parties Build Teams

What is koromogae?

Koromogae (literally a change of clothes) is Japan's twice-a-year wardrobe change: the switch to summer clothing on or around 1 June and back to winter clothing on 1 October. It is seen in school uniforms, workplaces and in the seasonal calendar for kimono. Read the full guide: Koromogae: How Japan Swaps Its Wardrobe, and Its Mood, With the Seasons