Essential Etiquette in Japan for Foreigners
Japanese mannerisms are abundant, and some might say that there are a bit too many to remember in a short period of time for those travelling to the country for just a short trip.
In our Season 10 Episode 7 of the Nihongo Master Podcast, this special long mid-season episode is for those in a rush to get into the minimal Japanese manners mode for that week-long Japan trip we all hope to be on this year (like finally).
Public Manners
The first category of mannerisms for travellers we’re going to touch on is public manners. How you act in public is a tad different from what you might be used to. The concept of “public” and “private” in Japan can be quite different from other cultures, so if you don’t exactly know if it’s a private or public space, just treat it as public just to be safe.
As unspoken rules are a big thing and everyone abides by them in Japanese culture, we loop you in on the 5 most important ones.
1. Keep volume down
The first one is to keep your volume down in public spaces. The Japanese people are really mindful of their space, especially when out in public. Speaking in a high volume is not encouraged in Japan, as you would affect others around you. This is seen as respecting the space that you share with other strangers.
When you’re with a group of people, try your very best to keep your volume down, especially on public transport. Even when you’re alone, you’re expected to not blast music too loud on your headphones, as this might disturb the person next to you. You’ll hear announcements to turn your phone to “mana mo-do” which is silent mode, when on trains.
2. Queuing
The next unspoken rule in public spaces is the queuing system. The Japanese love their queues – they queue for the ramen shop, outside of a store before it opens, and even for the escalators and lifts! Evenon street pavements and public transport platforms, there are signs to indicate which side to stick to or where to queue so as to not cross paths and walk into each other.
Follow the queue system for everything in Japan. Fall in line and you won’t have to dodge people’s shoulders like it’s a game of dodgeball.
3. Stop to eat and drink
The third rule of this category is to not eat and drink while walking on the streets. This is because when you do this, it’s considered as disrespecting others walking in the same area as you, so don’t drink or eat on the trains either.
Now this raises the question, what if you’re hungry or thirsty? Japan is scattered with convenience stores and vending machines, and the Japanese would eat or drink there and then. You’ll notice that they would be standing outside the store and finishing their food before walking. This is the same for cans from the vending machines. Finish up your food or drink before continuing walking.
Indoor Manners
You might think you wouldn’t need this, because you think you wouldn’t be in someone’s house during your time in Japan, but trust me, this also applies to ryokan (旅館, traditional Japanese hotels) and events like tea ceremonies.
1. Leave your shoes at the door
The first one is a crucial one to remember whenever entering any indoor space, and that is to leave your shoes at the door! Some of us come from cultures and countries where it’s normal to wear your outdoor shoes in your house, but in Japan, there’s a very clear distinction between outside and inside. If you don’t know if you need to take them off, ask a staff member. You could also observe the people around you to see if they’re taking off their shoes.
Oftentimes, when entering an indoor space, you will find an entrance area. This bit is considered as ‘outside’, even though you’re indoors, and it’s where you remove or put back on your outdoor shoes. The indoor space is usually elevated and can be covered by a different type of flooring, so that’s your best way to differentiate the two.
2. Wear socks if possible
Wear socks if possible, because they’ll be on display quite a bit. Some places don’t offer indoor slippers, and the Japanese believe that having socks on in the house is better than bare feet so as to not carry dust around.
One time you should definitely consider wearing socks is when you’re visiting a traditional indoor space. Say, for example, you’re going to a traditional tea ceremony in Japan. Most of the time these events take place in a tatami mat room, and it’s better to walk on tatami with socks so as to not damage the flooring.
3. Bathroom slippers
The third rule for indoor spaces is to take note of bathroom slippers. Sometimes in bathrooms, there will be bathroom slippers offered. In this case, leave your house slippers (if you have them on) outside the bathroom and switch for the bathroom slippers when you enter. Don’t forget to switch back after you’re done.
Visiting Holy Grounds
Moving on to the third category of Japanese mannerisms for travellers, and that’s when you’re visiting holy grounds. There are a lot of temples and shrines in Japan — so many that you might even find yourself on holy ground without even realising!
1. Don’t touch
The first rule of this category is don’t touch anything. I know, curiosity kills the cat, but refrain from mindlessly touching things you don’t know about on holy grounds. If there’s something on holy grounds that looks unique and intriguing, it’s because it’s meant to be there for a purpose, and that’s not for you to touch. You can admire something’s beauty without having your fingerprints all over them!
But of course, there are also things that you can touch, and oftentimes there are signs to signal that you can.
2. Ask if you don’t know
The next thing to remember when visiting holy grounds is that it’s okay to ask if you don’t know something. In fact, I recommend asking. Say for example you want to know if something is okay to touch — we’re linking it to the first point here — go up to any official staff worker on premises and ask them.
In smaller, more local temples and shrines, there aren’t that many signs that explain things, so I found myself always asking if I could enter a space, or if I should take off my shoes. Basically any question you have in your head, it’s so much better to get that clarified instead of wandering around and potentially misstepping.
3. Behave respectfully
Now the last rule, the general rule, is to behave respectfully. The first two points actually fall under this one, because if you think about it, the reasoning behind those two rules is because you’re respecting the holy grounds.
If you’re entering a church or a mosque, you’re going to behave respectfully just naturally, right? Similarly, with shrines and temples, you should do the same. Things like keeping quiet, whispering instead of talking at a normal volume if you want to talk to your friend, observing what others are doing to give you a sense of what you can do.
Vocab Recap
We used quite a few new Japanese words in the episode, so here’s a list of them for you to refer back to:
Koukyou no basho (公共の場所) — public space. Koukyou is public, and basho means place
Densha (電車) — train
Sasuga (さすが) — as expected
Narabu (並ぶ) — to queue
Konbini (コンビニ) — convenience store
Shinkansen (新幹線) — Japanese bullet trains
Uchi (内) — inside
Soto (外) — outside
Ryokan (旅館) — traditional Japanese inn
Izakaya (居酒屋) — Japanese style pub
Genkan (玄関) — the entrance bit in homes and other types of establishments
Seiza (星座) — the proper way of seating in Japanese culture
Tera (寺) — temple
Jinja (神社) — shrine
Shitsumon (質問) — question
Sonkei (尊敬) — respect
Conclusion
Basically, as long as your actions are out of respect, you really don’t have to worry as much.
And these are the absolute minimal, essential Japanese etiquette that you should know when you travel to Japan. While these are general rules for travellers, it doesn’t mean you should ignore them if you plan on living in japan. In fact, you should know more than just these mannerisms! Tune in to Season 10 of the Nihongo Master Podcast for more in-depth topics under the theme “Japanese Mannerisms”!