Japan Travel and Culture FAQ

Quick answers to common questions about traveling in Japan and understanding Japanese culture, drawn from the in-depth guides on this site. Each answer links to the full guide.

Who is Tokyo Paul?

Tokyo Paul is the online brand of Paul Su, a Tokyo-based creator who has lived in Japan for 9+ years, in Osaka, Nagasaki, Toyama and now Tokyo. He covers Japan travel, culture and everyday life on YouTube (@TokyoPaul) and has self-published a catalog of Japan-focused books. This site collects hundreds of in-depth articles, interactive maps and travel tools. Browse all articles.

When is the best time to visit Japan?

There is no single best time. Spring brings cherry blossoms, summer brings festivals, autumn brings colored maples and winter brings snow. Japan stretches from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the southwest, so climate and crowds shift by region, and holiday periods change prices, trains and hotel availability. The best season is the one that matches what you most want to see. Read the full guide: The Best Time to Visit Japan: Season-by-Season Weather and Crowd Guide

What should I pack for a trip to Japan?

Pack light and pack for the season. Spring runs from roughly 5 to 23 degrees Celsius and calls for layers, while summer ranges from about 20 to 35 degrees. Hotel rooms are compact and many older stations have long staircases, so a smaller suitcase is easier to manage. Check the plug and voltage you need, carry some cash, wear comfortable shoes, and bring a small hand towel. Read the full guide: Packing for Japan: What to Bring, What to Skip, and What to Buy There

How do I ride the Shinkansen bullet train?

Choose a reserved or unreserved car, board at a city-center station, and follow the luggage rules for the train. The Tokaido Shinkansen began service on October 1, 1964 and runs at up to 285 kilometers per hour, while the Tohoku line reaches 320 km/h. The full guide covers train types, tickets, the best seat for views of Mount Fuji, and the tradition of the ekiben (station box lunch). Read the full guide: Riding the Shinkansen: Tickets, Train Types, Luggage Rules and Seat Tips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why does Japanese use several writing systems?

Japanese combines kanji (characters borrowed from Chinese that carry meaning), hiragana (flowing rounded syllables) and katakana (angular syllables), and romaji (Latin letters) often appears alongside them. Each has its own job in a sentence, much as capital letters, italics and numerals do in English. Read the full guide: Why Japanese Uses Three Scripts, and How They Work Together

How do Japanese era years like Reiwa work?

Japan counts years in two ways at once: the Western calendar and the nengo (era name) system, in which the count restarts when a new emperor takes the throne. The current era is Reiwa, so the year 2026 appears as Reiwa 8. The guide gives a simple formula for converting Reiwa, Heisei, Showa, Taisho and Meiji years into Western years. Read the full guide: Japanese Eras Explained: How to Read Reiwa, Heisei and Showa Years

What is Seijin no Hi (Coming of Age Day)?

Seijin no Hi is a public holiday on the second Monday of January that celebrates young people who are becoming adults. Many wear furisode (formal kimono with long sleeves), dark suits or hakama (pleated trousers) to ceremonies at local halls. The legal age of adulthood changed in 2022, but many towns still hold ceremonies for twenty-year-olds. Read the full guide: Seijin no Hi: Why Japan Still Celebrates Adulthood at Twenty

Why do people eat fried chicken at Christmas in Japan?

Christmas is not a public holiday in Japan and only a small share of the population is Christian, yet it has grown into one of the most enjoyed seasons of the year. A fast-food chain became part of the holiday meal, so many families order a bucket of fried chicken weeks ahead, alongside the white-and-red Christmas cake. Christmas Eve is often treated as a date night. Read the full guide: Christmas in Japan: Fried Chicken, Strawberry Cake and Romantic Eve

Who gives chocolate on Valentine's Day in Japan?

Traditionally, women give chocolate to men on Valentine's Day, and men answer a month later on White Day, March 14. The department store food halls fill with chocolate every February, and the traditions are changing today. Read the full guide: Valentine's Day and White Day in Japan: Who Gives Chocolate to Whom

What is tsuyu, Japan's rainy season?

Tsuyu (also pronounced baiu) is the rainy period that sweeps across most of Japan between spring and summer, caused by a stationary weather front that brings weeks of cloud and recurring rain. It is also the season when hydrangea gardens reach their peak, including the well-known temples Meigetsuin and Hase-dera in Kamakura. Read the full guide: Tsuyu: Japan's Rainy Season and the Hydrangea Temples Worth the Rain

Why are temple bells rung 108 times on New Year's Eve?

Joya no Kane is the bell of New Year's Eve, rung at Buddhist temples on the last night of the year. Most temples ring it 108 times, spread across the late evening with a pause between strokes. A bowl of toshikoshi soba (year-crossing noodles) is the traditional meal that goes with the evening. Read the full guide: Joya no Kane: Why Japan Rings 108 Temple Bells on New Year's Eve

What is tsukimi, Japan's moon-viewing custom?

Tsukimi (literally moon viewing) is an autumn custom of looking at the moon, giving thanks for the harvest and hoping for another good one. A traditional table holds silvery pampas grass, a pyramid of white dumplings and seasonal vegetables, all arranged to face the full moon. A version of the custom has been practiced for well over a thousand years. Read the full guide: Tsukimi: How Japan Celebrates the Autumn Moon with Dango and Pampas Grass

What is oden?

Oden is a nabemono (one-pot dish) of eggs, radish, fish cakes and other items simmered slowly in a broth of dashi (Japanese soup stock) and soy sauce. It is a winter comfort food served at convenience stores, izakaya (casual pubs) and dedicated oden restaurants, and it varies from Tokyo to Nagoya to Shizuoka. Read the full guide: Oden, the Winter Pot That Warms Japan From Konbini to Izakaya

How is sake made?

Sake is brewed more like beer than like grape wine. Steamed rice is transformed by a mold called koji, yeast turns the resulting sugars into alcohol, and the mash is pressed and aged. In Japan the drink is properly called nihonshu, while the word sake can refer to alcohol in general. Read the full guide: Sake Explained: Koji, Polished Rice, Grades and How to Order a Cup

Is fugu (pufferfish) safe to eat in Japan?

In Japan, fugu is prepared by chefs who have trained for years and hold an official license, and a system of regulation keeps the dish safe. It is a winter delicacy closely tied to the city of Shimonoseki, and it is treated as a craft and a celebration. Read the full guide: Fugu: The Licensed Art of Serving Japan's Famous Pufferfish

What does toriaezu biru mean?

It means beer, for now. It is a very common first order at a Japanese izakaya, followed by a cheerful kanpai (cheers). Commercial beer in Japan is only about 150 years old, and nearly all of its famous names were born in the Meiji era (1868 to 1912). Read the full guide: Japanese Beer: From Meiji Breweries to Super Dry and Craft Taprooms

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

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 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

What is sumo?

Sumo is Japan's national sport, a professional tradition that is also a Shinto-linked ceremony and a way of life in training stables. Six grand tournaments are held each year, and visitors can watch a bout at Ryogoku in Tokyo. Read the full guide: Sumo: The Shinto Ritual Behind Japan's Grand Wrestling Tradition