What are common superstitions in Japan?

A plain-language guide to well-known Japanese folk beliefs, from hiding your thumb near a hearse to lucky calendar days, and what visitors actually need to do.

Published October 20, 2026 at 9:19 PM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Common Japanese superstitions include hiding your thumbs when a hearse passes, avoiding nail cutting at night, never standing chopsticks upright in rice, avoiding the numbers four and nine, and choosing lucky days such as taian on the rokuyo calendar. They are folk beliefs, not rules, and how seriously people take them varies widely.

Folk beliefs, not rules

Japan has a long list of everyday superstitions, known as meishin (folk beliefs passed down in families). Most travelers meet them as small habits or polite requests rather than formal rules. Wikipedia's article on Japanese superstitions collects many of them, and it describes them as beliefs that people may follow out of habit, respect or fun, not as a requirement.

Several beliefs are tied to Buddhist funeral customs, while others come from wordplay or from practical advice that grew a spiritual explanation over time. Because these ideas are passed along by families, attitudes differ by age and region. A young resident of a big city may smile at a belief that a grandparent takes seriously, and both reactions are normal.

Hearses, thumbs, nails and sleeping direction

One of the best known beliefs is that when a hearse passes, people tuck their thumbs inside their fists. The Japanese word for thumb is oyayubi, which literally reads as parent-finger. According to Wikipedia, hiding the thumb is believed to protect one's parents from misfortune. Visitors are unlikely to see a hearse often, and nobody expects a foreign guest to copy the gesture.

Several other beliefs concern the home. Cutting nails at night is said to bring bad luck, with the explanation that the person will not be present at a parent's deathbed. Whistling or playing a flute at night is said to call out snakes, and Wikipedia notes that in this context the snake means a thief. The saying also happens to discourage noise late at night.

Sleeping with the head toward the north is said to shorten life, because the dead are laid out with their heads pointing north at funerals. Many hotels and homes simply place beds wherever the room allows, so travelers do not need to worry. Treat these as stories behind habits, not as health or safety guidance, and enjoy hearing a host explain the story behind a saying.

Chopsticks, food and the dinner table

The best known table rule is never to stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice. Wikipedia explains that this is done only at a funeral altar or when paying respects to the dead, in a practice called hotokebashi, so doing it at a meal can look like an offering for the departed. Passing food from chopstick to chopstick is avoided for a related reason.

The easy habit is to lay chopsticks across the chopstick rest, or flat on the tray, between bites. Visitors who forget will usually be forgiven, since hosts understand that the rule is unfamiliar. If a staff member gently corrects the position, a quick apology and a smile is the right response.

Chopstick etiquette is useful for any meal in Japan, from casual counters to home dinners. A shared rest, a folded paper wrapper or the edge of the tray all work well as places to set chopsticks down, and hosts tend to notice and appreciate the effort.

Lucky days and the rokuyo calendar

Many Japanese calendars still print the rokuyo, a six-day cycle with names such as taian, tomobiki, butsumetsu and shakko. Wikipedia says the system became popular at the end of the Edo period and is often used to plan weddings and funerals, though most people ignore it in ordinary life.

Taian is commonly described as the most auspicious day of the cycle, and it is often said to be a popular choice for weddings. Butsumetsu is commonly described as an unlucky day for celebrations. Visitors who want to attend a festival or book a ceremony may notice that popular dates fill early, so planning ahead helps. Calendars, shrines and venues may show the rokuyo labels, but these are optional information.

Some people also check the rokuyo when choosing a moving day or a date to sign an important paper, although this is a personal habit. If a venue or shop is closed or busy on a particular date, the rokuyo could be one of the reasons, so it helps to check availability ahead of time.

Numbers and other lucky and unlucky signs

Number wordplay is the most visible superstition for visitors. Four, read as shi, sounds like the word for death, and nine, read as ku, can sound like the word for suffering. Wikipedia adds that combs, called kushi, are rarely given as gifts because the name is linked to the unlucky sounds, and that people often say yon and kyuu instead of the unlucky readings.

Other signs are lighter. People often visit a shrine at New Year for a fortune slip called omikuji, tie a bad fortune to a rack at the shrine, and carry a charm called omamori for a particular wish. These are friendly traditions, and visitors are welcome to try them, as long as they follow the posted instructions.

Shrines and temples usually explain the steps on signs, and staff at the amulet counter can help with questions. The fortune slip is read for entertainment and encouragement, and keeping or tying it up are both acceptable choices.

Treating folk sayings as rules

The first mistake is to treat a superstition as law. Nothing in Japan prevents a visitor from cutting their nails at night or sleeping in any direction. A second mistake is to assume everyone believes every item. Many Japanese people know the beliefs but follow only a few, such as the chopstick rule or the thumb gesture.

A third mistake is to ask too directly whether someone is superstitious. A lighter approach is to ask where the belief comes from, which usually starts a pleasant conversation. Finally, avoid joking about funeral customs in front of older relatives, since the rules that echo funeral traditions can carry real feeling for families.

Three habits for a smooth trip

Three habits are enough for most trips. Keep chopsticks resting flat between bites, avoid giving sets of four as gifts, and ask politely if a local custom seems unfamiliar. These small choices fit easily into a normal day of sightseeing and dining.

If you want to explore further, the two pages below cover Japanese superstitions in general and the rokuyo calendar in particular. Because these are folk beliefs, details can differ between families and regions, so treat this guide as general cultural information and not as a complete list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do visitors need to follow Japanese superstitions?

No. Superstitions are not rules, and nobody expects visitors to follow them. The practical exceptions are table manners such as the chopstick rule, which hosts appreciate, and good-natured respect near funerals or religious sites. Beyond that, visitors can enjoy the stories without changing their plans.

What does the thumb gesture for a hearse mean?

It is a folk custom in which people hide their thumbs inside their fists when a hearse passes. The word for thumb, oyayubi, reads as parent-finger, so the gesture is believed to protect one's parents. Practice varies by family, and many younger people may not do it.

Is it bad luck to cut your nails at night in Japan?

It is a traditional belief that cutting nails at night brings bad luck, linked to a parent's deathbed. It is a folk saying, not a rule, and nobody will mind if a guest does it in their own room. Some hosts may mention the saying with a smile.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Japanese Culture and Customs is available on Amazon.

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Why is the number four unlucky in Japan?, What gifts should you avoid giving in Japan? and Rokuyo: Japan's Six-Day Lucky Calendar.