Never tip in Japan！15 Travel Taboos & Customs to Know in Countries Around the World

By Rita

Adapting to local customs and being a sensible traveler is very important！Business Insider conducted a survey on the topic of "travel etiquette" on the Quora website, where netizens from around the world answered online what“you should never do when traveling to the area,”The original article was written for Americans, and below are the key points of adapting to local customs emphasized repeatedly in 15 countries around the world.

▲ Norway Taboo: Don’t talk to Norwegians about churches (Photo / Darzhi / Illustration)

1. Norway
1. Don’t stare at naked people: Nudity is natural in this country, and changing clothes on the beach is not a big deal. Don’t stare.
2. Don’t open a bouquet before giving it as a gift
3. Don’t talk to locals about churches: People basically don’t go to church, so bringing up the topic can seem invasive and rude.
4. Don’t expect special treatment: Norwegians are casual and may call the prime minister by their first name.

2. Japan
1. Don’t tip: There’s no tipping culture in Japan. If you leave a tip on the table, the staff might chase you down to give it back.
2. Don’t wear shoes indoors: Just follow what others do.
3. Don’t hug someone you’ve just met: Most people don’t like it, especially the elderly.
4. Don’t stand on the wrong side of the escalator: In Tokyo, stand on the left; in Osaka, it’s the right. Just follow what others do.

3. Russia
1. Don’t give an even number of flowers: Even numbers are for the dead. Better numbers are 1, 3, 5, or 7.
2. Don’t rely on credit cards: Many places only accept cash.
3. Don’t assume people support the government: They’re not very supportive of the government, but outsiders shouldn’t criticize—it’s something they handle themselves.

▲ Beware of landmine-filled Singapore (Photo / Darzhi / Illustration)

4. Singapore
You can get fined for almost anything: Including feeding birds, spitting in public, public urination, smoking, bringing pets to public places, eating or drinking on public transport, littering, and more.

5. Croatia
Don’t raise your thumb, index, and middle fingers together—it signifies support for Serbian nationalism and is very unpopular in Croatia.

6. Kenya
1. Don’t be disrespectful about religion: Most Kenyans are religious, with 80% being Christian, and they also love to ask about others’ faith.
2. Don’t be in a rush: Aside from some business meetings and bank closing times, pretty much everything is generally not on time. Learn to go with the flow.
3. Don’t talk too much about sex: It will annoy people.
4. Do not address others by their first name only: add titles such as "Mr." or "Miss" unless they ask you to call them by their name.

▲The kiwi bird is nearly extinct (Photo / Wikipedia)

7. New Zealand
1. Do not confuse New Zealanders with Australians.
2. Don’t expect to see kiwi birds: they are nearly extinct, which is quite ironic.
3. Don’t make jokes about rugby, the movie Lord of the Rings, or the British Queen: rugby is sacred here, New Zealanders are proud that The Lord of the Rings was filmed in their country, and the British Queen still holds significance in people’s hearts.
4. People like to go barefoot.

8. Turkey
1. The OK hand gesture has an obscene meaning in Turkey.
2. Drink less alcohol: Turks don’t drink heavily—maybe just a small amount on certain occasions—but getting drunk is considered very improper.
3. Don’t blow your nose or pick your teeth in public—it’s very impolite.

▲Taboos in India: Please keep a distance from the opposite sex (Photo / Darzi / Illustration)

9. India
1. Don’t kiss in public: in serious cases, you could be charged with public indecency (many local laws are still stuck in the Victorian era).
2. Don’t have physical contact with the opposite sex: hugs, handshakes, etc., may still raise eyebrows among locals. Don’t do it unless they initiate it.

10. France
1. Vegetarian options are limited: few people in France are vegetarian, though this is slowly improving, but some elderly still consider vegetarianism a very strange and radical choice.
2. Don’t talk about money: in traditional French culture, money is seen as a “dirty” topic. You can say you quit a job because the salary was too low, but you don’t need to specify how low.
3. Don’t expect the French to speak English: the French education system is not very supportive of foreign language learning, as it focuses on reading and writing rather than speaking. Older French people may speak English with a heavy accent, or may speak German or Spanish instead.

11. Chile
Don’t eat with your hands: table manners in Chile are very strict—even when eating fries, please use a knife and fork.

▲German taboos: Don’t joke about Nazis (Photo / Darzi / Illustration)

12. Germany
1. Don’t give the Nazi salute: tourists have been arrested for this every year. Also, don’t wear any Nazi symbols.
2. Don’t stare at others: Germans may think you’re mentally unstable or poorly raised.
3. Don’t be overly friendly: Germans take time to warm up to people.
4. Don’t wish someone a happy birthday in advance: according to German superstition, it might cause the person to die—anyway, it makes them uncomfortable.

13. Mexico
1. Don’t act superior: since Mexico is a developing country, showing superiority won’t win you any friends.
2. Don’t get offended easily: Mexicans are humorous and love to joke around—don’t take things personally.
3. Don't be afraid to try: Mexicans love it when people attempt to pronounce difficult Spanish words, and they also enjoy offering you super spicy chilies and tequila.

Fourteen, United Kingdom
1. Don’t skip the queue: The British absolutely hate that kind of inconsiderate behavior.
2. Don’t ask how much someone earns: You can get an idea by discussing what they do, where they live, where they go on holiday, or by listening to their accent.
3. Don’t invite someone to your home unless you’re extremely close.

Fifteen, Ireland
1. Don’t say “Top of the morning to you”: This phrase is historic, but saying it to modern-day people will only annoy them.
2. Don’t try to imitate an Irish accent: There’s no such thing as a single Irish accent—only Cork accents, Dublin accents, etc.—and these often reveal someone’s social background.
3. Don’t take advantage of freebies: If someone buys you a drink in a pub, be prepared to return the favor on the next round—or just don’t accept the drink in the first place. Accepting a drink without reciprocating makes you look stingy.
4. Don’t refer to the UK as “the mainland”: In Ireland, France is considered the mainland.