InsideJapan RT Policy

Society and Culture

Getting on with the locals

Many people are concerned at the proliferation of opportunities for committing social gaffes and causing offence to the Japanese while in their country. There are certainly plenty of rules of etiquette and social conventions, but on the whole you are unlikely to cause grave offence. However it is good to be prepared and know a few small things that you can do to show respect to Japanese customs and social conventions.

Shoes

There will of course be many occasions on which you are asked/expected to remove your shoes in Japan. Sometimes these occasions will be more obvious than others, but as a general rule if you are entering a building and stepping up onto a higher level you are likely to have to take your shoes off. Your shoes should come off at this step up, not just anywhere within the general vicinity, so taking 10 steps into the building then taking them off is not good; nor is being over-prepared and taking your shoes off ten paces in advance of the building and walking your socks up the path and into the building! Another easy rule to remember is that you should never be wearing anything other than socks on your feet when on tatami matting – bare feet are fine, shoes are definitely not!

Tipping

This is generally not done in Japan. Leaving coins behind at a restaurant or in a taxi will likely lead to confusion and you may find yourself in an awkward situation where the recipient tries desperately to return the tip to you. You are better off simply enjoying the good service and offering a big ‘thank you’ (in your best Japanese of course!) afterwards. If a particular member of staff goes out of their way (especially over a number of days, such as hotel staff) to help you, then a small cash gift (1000-2000yen), carefully folded and sealed in an envelope is an appropriate gift. For more spontaneous acts of kindness any small items from your home country, such as stamps, coins, photographs or postcards will be warmly received.

Bargaining/ haggling

Again this simply does not take place in Japan. The price shown will be a fair reflection of the value of the goods and by showing unwillingness to pay this amount you may cause confusion, if not offence. The only exception to this rule is if you are making a significant purchase (over 10,000yen), where a discreet enquiry may get you a 5-10% discount.

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