I. JAPAN AT A GLANCE

Location: Land of the rising sun. Japan’s neighbors include the Republic of Korea,

China, and Russia.

Land area: 377,835 square kilometers. Japan is a chain of islands with four main islands

(Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu) and 2, 456 smaller islands covering 3,000

kilometers from North to South. 73 % is mountains.

Climate: Varies from tropical in South to cool temperate in North.

Capital: Tokyo

Official language: Japanese

Population: 126,383,061 (April 4, 2016 est). According to government report, Japan’s

current population of 126 million will go down to 106 million by 2040.

Ethnic make-up: Japanese 99%, other 1 %.

Main religions: Shinto, Buddhism and Christianity. According to a recent survey, the

number of Shinto followers in Japan was 107 million, there were 91 million Buddhists,

and 2.6 million Christians. But the total number of people who belong to these three

major religions is about 200.6 million, more than the entire population. This means

most Japanese belong to both the Shinto and Buddhist religions.

II. CUSTOMS

Chances are that Japanese Customs and Manners are very different from those in your

native country. When you travel to Japan — no one expects you to be perfectly polite.

However, it's important to know the basics before your trip.

These 9 Japanese customs are the most common sources of embarrassment for

travelers.

1. Take Your Shoes Off

Take off your shoes at the entrance to all homes, and most businesses and hotels. Never

wear slippers when you need to step onto a tatami mat (used in most Japanese homes and

hotels; the standard unit of measurement for area even today), and be careful to remove the

toilet slippers waiting for you in the bathroom.

You will always be given a place to put your shoes. You'll also be given slippers to

wear.

There are often different slippers for the bathroom. Never wear the normal slippers into

the washroom (if washroom slippers are provided). Never wear the washroom slippers outside

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the washroom. It is extremely bad form, for example, to reenter the main room of a house

wearing slippers that have been running across dirty linoleum.

2. Be Quiet With Your Phone

Japanese people don't have loud public conversations on their mobile phones. People

never speak on the phone in the train or in a shop. Most people keep their phone on manner

mode (vibrate only).

3. Chopstick Manners

There are 10 basic rules of chopstick manners in Japan. The main points to remember

are:

Don't use your chopsticks as a toy.

Never eat directly from common dishes — put it on your plate first.

Never stab something with chopsticks or stick your chopsticks in your rice.

Two people should never pick up the same food with chopsticks (i.e. if someone

is struggling to pick something up you can't help them). This reminds people of

a funeral ritual in Japan. It's downright morbid.

Avoid putting your chopsticks on the table. Use the chopstick holder.

4. Table Manners

Here are some simple bullet points for Table Manners in Japan:

If you’re with a dinner party and receive drinks, wait before raising the glass to

your lips. Everyone will be served, and someone will take the lead, make a

speech, raise his drink, and yell “kampai!” (cheers).

You will receive a small wet cloth at most Japanese restaurants. Use this to

wash your hands before eating, then carefully fold it and set it aside on the table.

Do not use it as a napkin, or to touch any part of your face.

Slurping noodles or making loud noises while eating is OK! In fact, slurping hot

food like ramen is polite, to show you are enjoying it.

You may raise bowls to your mouth to make it easier to eat with chopsticks,

especially bowls of rice.

Just before digging in, whether it be a seven-course dinner or a sample at a

supermarket, it’s polite to say “itadakimasu” (I will receive).

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5. No Tipping

Never tip anyone in Japan. It's rude.

There is no tipping in any situation in Japan – cabs, restaurants, personal care. To tip

someone is actually a little insulting; the services you’ve asked for are covered by the price

given, so why pay more?

If you are in a large area like Tokyo and can’t speak any Japanese, a waiter or waitress

might take the extra money you happen to leave rather than force themselves to deal with the

awkward situation of explaining the concept of no tipping in broken English.

Just remind yourself: a price is a price.

6. Conformity

When groups of high school students in Japan were asked to identify the dangers facing

children today, the majority agreed on the number one threat: individualism.

Japanese society is focused on the group. Western cultures are focused on the

individual. Does this mean that the Japanese are nothing more that worker bees in a vast hive

of steel and concrete? Certainly not, but their presentation of such individual qualities are

carefully calculated and given in doses.

Drawing attention to yourself as an individual is a huge no-no: don’t blow your nose in

public, try to avoid eating while on the go, and don’t speak on your cell phone in crowded

public areas like trains or buses. The main problem with this is that foreigners simply can’t

avoid standing out; we stick out like sore thumbs no matter how long we’ve been here, or how

much we know about Japanese culture and society.

As a result, being in Japan gives foreigners the status of D-level celebrities: you’ll get

glances, shouts for attention, calls to have pictures taken with people, requests for autographs

(happened once to me on a southern island), and overall just more awareness of being a “stake

that sticks out”.

7. Bathing

Public bathhouses are alive and well in Japan.

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Sento, or neighborhood bathhouses, can be found from the largest area in Shinjuku to a

small town on the island of Shikoku.

Onsen, or hot springs, are very popular as weekend excursion resorts.

Unlike in western cultures, the Japanese bath is used after you have washed and rinsed,

and feel like soaking in extra-hot water for 10, 20, 30 minutes. It’s an acquired taste to be sure,

but can be very relaxing.

If you happen to be invited into a Japanese household, you will be given the honor of

using the bath first, usually before dinner. Be extra careful so as to not dirty the water in any

way; the sanctity of the ofuro (bath) is of utmost importance.

Take the time to visit a sento if you have the opportunity. These are places without

barriers, without regard to skin color, age, or language… well, they are separated by sex with

the exception of some mixed-bathing areas. Lying in the hot water and slowly listening to my

heart beat slow down is a time when I feel most attuned to Japanese culture.

8. Language

Japan isn't an English speaking country. When you speak English — speak slowly and

be patient. Learning a few basic words of Japanese is recommended. It puts you on the same

level (as you struggle with Japanese the person helping you is struggling with English).

9. Walking and eating is seen as sloppy.

Although walking and eating is often convenient and widely accepted in many Western

cultures, the practice is looked down upon in Japan. Many also consider it rude to eat in public

or on the trains. 

There are just a few exceptions to this rule, including the fact that it is OK to eat an ice-

cream cone on the street. 

10. You must always bring a host a gift.

It is an honor in Japan to be invited to someone's home, and if this happens, you must

always bring a gift. The gift should also be wrapped in the most elaborate way possible, and

lots of fancy ribbons are suggested. 

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You should also never refuse a gift once offered — but it is good practice to strongly

protest the gift at first. 

11. Pouring you own glass is considered rude. 

It is customary in the US (and many other countries in the world) to serve others before

you serve yourself, but in Japan you are never supposed to pour yourself a drink. If you have

poured for others, another guest will hopefully see that your drink is empty and pour for you. 

You must also always wait for someone to say "Kanpai" (cheers) before drinking. 

12. Slurping noodles is not only seen as polite — but it also means you

have enjoyed your meal. Slurping is considered polite in Japan because it shows that you are enjoying your

delicious noodles — in fact, if you don't eat loudly enough, it can be mistaken as you not

enjoying your food. 

Slurping noodles is not entirely for the sake of politeness, but also to avoid having a

burnt tongue. Japanese soup and noodles are generally served steaming hot — hot enough to

burn — and slurping helps to cool down the food.

But unlike in some other Asian nations, it is still considered rude to belch at the table. 

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