Is it really necessary to finish your drink when saying "cheers"? 6 Taboo Behaviors to Know Before Traveling to Japan

Text and photos / Unrestrained

In recent years, traveling to Japan has become all the rage, as if having been to Japan is no longer unusual, while not having been there is the rare thing—showcasing how much Taiwanese people adore the country. However, Japanese people are known for being meticulous and cautious, with many etiquette rules. When visiting, it's important to know what you can and cannot do to avoid becoming an ill-mannered traveler. Today, Unrestrained“Dining,” “Toileting & Soaking in Hot Springs,” “Transportation,” “Visiting Shrines/Temples,” “Socializing,” and “Public Places”, we have compiled a list of taboos in these six categories.

I. Dining Taboos

1. Don’t eat while walking.
Generally, Japanese people consider it bad manners to eat while walking, and it may also lead to food dropping on the ground and dirtying the environment. In recent years, although some tourist-heavy areas (such as Nishiki Market in Kyoto) do not strictly prohibit eating while walking, it’s still best to follow local customs if you’re aware of the rule. Up.

2. Don’t bring outside food, and everyone should order their own portion.
Although it’s understandable that when traveling, you’d want to try more foods and prefer grazing, it’s impolite to share one dish among multiple people at a restaurant. It’s better for each person to order their own; bringing outside food into a restaurant to eat is also considered rude.

3. Don’t pass food with chopsticks, don’t bite or lick chopsticks, and don’t lay chopsticks horizontally across bowls or plates while eating.
There are quite a few chopstick etiquette rules in Japan. Passing food directly from one pair of chopsticks to another is considered unlucky, as it resembles a ritual where family members use special chopsticks to pick up the bones of the deceased during cremation.If you really want to share food, use the serving chopsticks to place it onto the other person’s bowl or plate..

Also,sticking chopsticks upright into food, biting them, or licking them is inappropriate. In Japan, placing chopsticks horizontally across your bowl or plate signifies you’ve finished eating, so avoid doing so while you’re still dining.

▲ In Japan, do not lay your chopsticks horizontally across your bowl or plate until you have finished eating.

4. When drinking, wait until everyone’s glass is poured before drinking together; saying “cheers” doesn’t necessarily mean you have to finish your entire drink.
Even in Taiwan, it’s impolite to start drinking before others have poured your drink. However, if Japanese people propose a toast, don’t take it too seriously—just have a little according to your alcohol tolerance. Of course, if you really want to “bottoms up” (drink every last drop), that’s fine too.

▲ When Japanese people say “cheers,” it doesn’t always mean you must finish the whole drink.

5. When eating nigiri sushi, it’s best to eat it in one bite; don’t separate the fish from the rice.
Japanese people believe that nigiri sushi should be eaten in one bite. Eating it in two or three bites, or separating the fish from the rice, is considered impolite, and chefs might think their sushi isn’t tasty enough for you to eat it that way.

▲ Sushi is best eaten in one bite.

6. In conveyor belt sushi restaurants, don’t put the plates you’ve taken back onto the conveyor belt.
Sushi that has been taken off the conveyor belt cannot be put back, so make sure you really want it before taking it. Finished plates especially shouldn’t be placed back, as counting the number of plates is how conveyor belt sushi restaurants calculate your bill.

▲ Even if you get sushi you don’t like or can’t finish, don’t put the plate back on the conveyor.

Aside from these taboos, I was also quite impressed by the water served in Japanese restaurants.The water provided in restaurants is either extremely cold (sometimes full of ice cubes) or very hot tea—there’s no warm water, room temperature water, or lukewarm water.Keep this in mind when you visit Japan.

II. Taboos on Using Restrooms and Soaking in Onsen

1. Do not flush used toilet paper in the toilet or step on the toilet seat.
Japanese people consider it very unhygienic to dispose of used toilet paper anywhere other than the toilet.Therefore, except for items like sanitary pads that do not dissolve, all used toilet paper should be flushed. Additionally, while some people in Taiwan are accustomed to using squat toilets, Japan primarily has sit-down toilets that are kept very clean, so please do not step on the toilet seat to use it.

2. Before entering a public bathhouse or communal hot spring pool, you must take a shower first and enter naked—do not bring your towel into the water.
In Taiwan, it’s common to wear swimwear when entering a hot spring pool, but this is not the case in Japan.Before entering the bath, you must shower to clean your body, then enter the public bathhouse or onsen pool naked. Towels should not be brought into the water; they are meant for drying off after soaking.Also,people with long hair should tie it up, and those with tattoos should check with the facility beforehand before entering the water.

▲ In Japan, public bathhouses and hot springs require bathing nude. (Photo / Movie still from “Thermae Romae”)

3. The left side of the collar should be over the right for yukata and kimono.
Remember, it’s “left over right”—the reverse is how the deceased are dressed...

▲ For both yukata and kimono, the left collar goes over the right.

III. Transportation Taboos

1. Put your phone on silent mode on public transportation and avoid making calls.
Public transportation in Japan is generally quiet. Most people switch their phones to silent or vibrate mode upon boarding, and if they must take a call, they speak quietly and briefly.

▲ On public transport in Japan, people tend to be very quiet, put their phones on silent, and avoid making calls.

2. When riding an escalator, stand on the right in Osaka and on the left elsewhere.
This is the general rule, though in some parts of the Kansai region, people may stand on the left. This might be because people from Osaka bring their habits to other Kansai areas. If you’re unsure, just follow what most people are doing.

Although the Japanese government has increasingly discouraged standing on one side and walking on escalators due to safety concerns in recent years, many Japanese still prefer to stand on one side.

▲ Escalator etiquette: stand on the left outside of Osaka to leave the right side clear for those in a hurry. Pictured is an escalator at Kyoto Station.

3. When boarding a bus, do not get on through the front door; use the back door.
Japanese buses usually have both front and back doors. Passengers typically board through the back door and exit through the front. Wait until the bus stops before moving forward to exit, and pay your fare upon disembarking.

4. Do not open the taxi’s back door yourself, but the front door can be opened by passengers.
Most Japanese taxishave automatic doors for the back seat, and opening them manually could cause mechanical issues,so it’s best to wait for the driver to open the back door for you.

▲ When hailing a taxi, don’t open the back door— the driver will do it for you.

IV. Shrine and Temple Visiting Taboos

1. Do not wear hats or sunglasses when entering a shrine or temple.
It is appropriate to remove your hat and let the deities see your face clearly.

2. Wash your hands and rinse your mouth before praying, and do not put the ladle from the water basin directly to your mouth.
In front of the worship hall, there is usually a water basin (temizuya) for worshippers to wash their hands and rinse their mouths, cleansing themselves before praying to the deities. Be sure not to let your mouth touch the ladle directly, and never drink the water straight from it.

▲Do not let your mouth touch the ladle at the hand-washing basin.

3. Do not throw coins for the offering box forcefully.
When tossing coins into the offering box, try to do so quietly without making noise. Throwing them forcefully and making loud sounds will draw disapproving looks.

V. Social Taboos

1. Remove your shoes before entering a house, and place them neatly with the toes pointing outward.

2. Do not wear socks with holes.
Whether you’re going to a restaurant, a temple, or visiting someone’s home in Japan, there are many opportunities to remove your shoes. Wearing socks with holes underneath is considered quite rude, and you’d probably feel embarrassed yourself.

3. Do not step on tatami mats with your shoes on.
Generally, Japanese-style rooms have tatami mats on the floor, and you should take off your shoes before entering. Also, avoid stomping heavily on the tatami; walk gently.

▲Do not wear shoes into Japanese-style rooms with tatami flooring.

4. Do not step on or sit/lie in the tokonoma (alcove).
Some Japanese-style rooms have an indented area, known as the “tokonoma,” “tana-no-ma,” or “tokomono,” which is typically used to display hanging scrolls or flower arrangements. Do not step on it, sit, or lie in it, and it’s best not to place items there either. The space in front of the tokonoma is considered the most honorable seat (kamiza) in the room, so hosts often seat their most important guests with their backs to it.

▲Tokonoma. (Image / from Wikimedia Commons)

VI. Public Place Taboos

1. Do not smoke while walking; only smoke in designated smoking areas.
Although many Japanese people smoke, there are numerous no-smoking zones—such as indoors, at many historical sites, crowded places, and areas with children—where smoking is strictly prohibited. Smoking in these areas can lead to fines if caught. Smoking while walking is also frowned upon.If you can’t find a designated smoking area, remember that convenience stores usually have a spot for smokers nearby.

▲Signs saying “No Smoking” are common on Japanese streets.

2. Avoid taking photos of Japanese people, especially geisha or maiko, without permission.
Japanese people value their privacy, so try not to include them in your photos. If you must take a photo, it's best to ask for permission first. This is especially true for geisha and maiko. If you really want to photograph them, taking a distant shot is acceptable.

3. Tipping is not expected.
Unlike in Europe and America, tipping is not part of Japanese culture. In higher-end restaurants, service charges are usually included, so there’s no need to give extra tips. Doing so might even inconvenience the staff and be considered impolite.

4. Do not blow your nose loudly in public.
If you need to blow your nose, try to do it in the restroom or at home. If you really can't hold it in, do it quietly.

There are actually many other taboos, but they are all very basic—such as no loud talking, no littering, no spitting or cutting in line. Before doing anything, just use common sense, and you’ll likely avoid breaking any local taboos.

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