3 Critical Etiquette Mistakes to Avoid in Japan

There are countless etiquette rules that people love to share about Japan, and you’ve probably already heard a lot of them. But in my experience, the majority of these are overblown.

Most tourists will be forgiven pretty easily for the occasional faux pas. Nobody cares if you put wasabi in your soy sauce (you’ll find Japanese people doing the same thing). And no one is measuring the exact angle of your bow.

That being said, there are a few things that will actually get you called out. Even if you meant no harm, these can create genuinely uncomfortable situations, and it’s better to know about them ahead of time than to learn the hard way.

#1: Don’t Stick Your Chopsticks Upright in Rice

There are a lot of alleged “rules” for using chopsticks, and for the most part, no one pays attention to anyone else’s chopstick use. But the one thing that will get you corrected is sticking your chopsticks straight up and down in a bowl of rice.

If you don’t come from a culture that uses chopsticks regularly, this might feel like a perfectly natural solution. Your chopsticks keep rolling around, you’ve got a bowl of white rice right there, so why not just stick them in to keep them in place?

The problem is that this closely resembles a practice reserved for funeral ceremonies. Doing it during a regular meal is considered genuinely disrespectful.

They understand that as a foreigner, you’re probably not aware of this fact, but they will be quick to correct you, and may even remove the chopsticks from your rice themselves.

#2: Wash Before You Get Into an Onsen

Even if you’re not planning to visit an onsen or public bath, you might end up at one unexpectedly. Many ryokans and even some hotels offer them, and it’s one of the most memorable parts of a trip to Japan.

But if you don’t come from a culture that uses public baths, the whole experience can be intimidating. Small mistakes here and there are usually forgiven, but one particularly embarrassing one is walking straight into the bath without washing yourself first.

If someone sees you attempt this, they will stop you and point you toward the washing stations. This isn’t just about being polite. You’re about to share a bathing space with other people, and they expect you to wash off first, even if it’s just a quick rinse.

For anyone used to onsen culture, this step is automatic. But if it’s your first time, it might completely slip your mind.

And since most onsen require you to be undressed, being called out in this situation is extra uncomfortable. Be aware of this anytime you find yourself at a public bath.

For a complete walkthrough of the entire onsen experience, step by step, check out the premium guide in the Culture Shock Japan app.

#3: No Shoes on the Tatami

Tatami mats are found pretty much everywhere in Japan: homes, hotels, restaurants, and temples, to name a few. For most Japanese people, tatami is an immediate cue to take off your shoes. But if you’ve never seen one before, it might just look like another type of floor.

Be aware that even attempting to step onto the tatami with your shoes on will get you called out, and actually doing so might result in someone physically stopping you and asking you to remove them.

Tatami is made from woven natural fibers that are difficult to clean, so tracking in outside dirt is a real problem, but it’s not just a cleanliness issue.

More importantly, tatami is delicate. The coarse material on the bottom of shoes is often enough to cause visible damage that requires repairs. This is someone’s floor, and shoes will ruin it.

Don’t be offended if someone corrects you on any of this. Like any country, Japan has a learning curve when it comes to the smaller cultural rules, and nobody expects you to know all of them from day one. Accept the correction, adjust, and move on. You’ll leave having made a much better impression than the person who got defensive.

The Culture Shock Japan app covers all of this and more: etiquette guides, transport tips, useful phrases, and practical tools to make your trip easier. Available on iOS.