Travel Advice: Japan

[Bob_S]

While Japan may not be the most popular destination for people here seeking a spouse, odds are good that if you travel to the Far East you may pass through Japan at least once even as just a layover on your way to other locations.

So for you who may find yourself in the Land of the Rising Sun, I present:

Basic etiquette in Japan:

Walking around
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke while walking.  While there are vending machines everywhere, it is still rude to walk around while drinking or snacking.  Wait until you can find a bench to sit down, or just stand by the vending machine to finish your drink (or partially finish and put the rest away).
• BTW, vending machines often serve both hot and cold drinks.  Hot drinks have a red sign under the sample in the machine, cold drinks have a blue sign under the sample.
• Do not blow your nose in public.  Keep sniffing until you can get to a private place (like a public restroom) then you can blow it.
• Carry a handkerchief, but DO NOT USE THIS TO BLOW YOUR NOSE.  Use paper tissue to blow your nose.  The handkerchief is used to dry your hands after using the restroom since many public restrooms do not have paper towels or air dryers.  You can also use the handkerchief to wipe the sweat off your face on hot muggy days.
• You may encounter people handing out free little packets.  Odds are these are tissue packets with an advertisement stuffed in.  Get one from every person you pass who is handing them out.  You will definitely need them later.  Don’t be surprised if, as a foreigner, you don’t get offered one sometimes.  They assume you will probably not be interested in whatever they are advertising.
• Don’t jaywalk.  That is only done in Osaka.


Trains
• Same rules apply for eating and drinking: not on the regular commuter trains.  Though it IS permitted (in fact almost expected) to do so on the Shinkansen bullet train and some limited express trains (such as those to and from airports).
• Trains almost always depart on time unless delayed by an earthquake or train-related suicide.  So don’t be late.  They won’t wait for you.
• Don’t plop your stuff on the seat next to you.  The trains get so crowded, every seat becomes needed.
• Give up your seat to the old, injured, and pregnant.
• Other than that, it is a first come first served basis.  Don’t expect chivalry.  Do expect lots of pushing.
• Watch your umbrellas and backpacks on crowded trains with standing room only.  Hang them at your side or at your feet.
• Don’t talk too loud.  People are trying to sleep.  Don’t be surprised if the person nodding off next to you ends up sleeping with their head on your shoulder.  It’s a bit inconsiderate of them, but it happens.
• Have your ticket ready before you reach the electronic ticket turnstile if you are using them.  Have your JR pass ready before you reach the stationmaster ticket window.  It’s inconsiderate to let pedestrian traffic back up behind you.


Restrooms
• Avoid “Japanese style” toilets unless you are familiar with squat style toilets.  Stick with the “Western style” toilets.
• They may not have TP.  Carry tissue packs with you.
• They may not have soap.  Sanitizer lotion may be a good idea.  Sanitizing wipes also.  They should be available at convenience and drug stores.
• They may not have drying towels or air dryers.  Carry a handkerchief just in case.  If you don’t have one, you can get some at the 100-yen (“Hyaku-en”) shops.
• Restrooms are not closed for cleaning.  Just ignore the cleaning lady behind you.


Eating
• Know how to use chopsticks (called “hashi”) before you go.  Some restaurants may not have silverware.  Wooden chopsticks are most common (you shouldn’t need to do anything to knock off the stray splinters).
• Some restaurants have “tatami” bamboo mat floor areas.  Do NOT wear your shoes in these areas (so wear socks with no holes!).  As a rule of thumb, do not wear your shoes in any area with nice polished wood flooring or tatami mats.  People either leave their shoes at steps before the elevated section or in little shoe lockers nearby.  Observe how other people are doing it.
• Don’t pour soy sauce (“Sho-yu”) on your rice (“go-han”).  It washes away the stickiness that is needed to pick up the rice with chopsticks.  Japanese rice has more natural flavor than American white rice anyway.
• Don’t get picky about how you like your food prepared if you don’t speak their language.  Odds are they don’t speak yours well enough to understand what you want.  Be polite and at least try everything offered.
• Don’t be wasteful with food.  Try to finish everything on your plate.  Doggie bag style of taking unfinished food with you is rare.
• “Vegetarian” simply means no beef or pork.  A vegetarian dish might still have chicken.  It would definitely have fish since fish is not considered meat.
• You will not be given any spoon for your miso soup.  Use your chopsticks to stir it up, then drink it from the bowl by picking it up and drinking it like a cup of tea.  Use the chopsticks to guide the chewy stuff (veggies, tofu, whatever) to your mouth.  Don’t eat it all as an appetizer.  Savor it slowly with the rest of your meal as long as your rice lasts.
• Don’t stick your chopsticks in your rice when you are finished.  This is done for the dead at funerals and is considered bad luck.  If you are not given a chopstick rest with your meal (called “hashi-oki”), you can make one by folding the paper slip your chopsticks came in.
• Don’t pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks.  This is done with bones of the dead after cremation, so it is also bad luck to do at dinner.
• If you gesture when you talk, do not be using your chopsticks and swinging them wildly like an orchestra conductor with his baton.
• Do not lick your chopsticks.
• See here: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2039.html for many more rules of chopstick use.
• Do not relax by putting your feet up.  Do not plop them on a table, coffee table, or other seat.  Feet are dirty and for the floor only.
• You will probably be given a moist towelette before your meal.  This is for cleaning your hands before you eat.  It is a little rude to use it to clean your face too, but people do it anyway.  Fold it up nicely when you are done using it (don’t just wad it up in a little pile).  If the waiters don’t take it away while clearing the table during your meal, you can use it to clean up your hands again at the end of your meal.
• It is okay to slurp noodles, especially noodle soups called Ramen, Soba, or Udon.  For noodle soups, if you are not given a spoon, you can pick up the bowl to sip the soup.  But for ramen you should not drink ALL of the soup.  It is very salty, and it is not so healthy to drink so much salt.
• Fried rice (called “cha-han”) and curry rice are often eaten with spoons since the rice is not as cohesive as regular plain white rice.
• Don’t let your dinner companion’s cup go dry.  Whether sake or tea, if their cup/glass is low, refill it for them.
• No free refills on soft drinks.
• Water is “Mizu”.  If you want some, say “O-mizu kuda-sai.”
• Tipping is neither required nor expected.
• The waiters don’t repeatedly return to your table to see how you’re doing.  If you want something more, signal to one and say “Sumi-masen!”
• There may be an empty cup at your table with no apparent use or possibly what looks like an empty napkin holder.  This is for the waiter to place your bill when you are done.
• Do not call a table napkin a “napkin”.  This term specifically refers to a feminine hygiene product.  A table napkin is a “teburu napukin”.
• For group dinners, the final bill is divided equally among all parties no matter how much you ate or drank.  This works great if you are a big eater, not so good if you eat like a bird.
• At conveyer belt sushi shops (called “kaiten zushi”) you will be charged by the plate.  You can make special requests.  These are put on elevated dishes and sent along the conveyer belt.  If you see a dish on a little platform and it is something you did not order, don’t take it.  Someone else ordered it.
• See here: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2005.html for more info.


At the Shrine (Shinto)
• Cleanliness is important.  There will be a ceremonial place to wash your hands.  It may have flowing water and/or a stone basin, but should definitely have ladles.  Pick up the ladle with your left hand, fill it with water, and pour it over your right hand MAKING SURE the water does NOT flow back into the basin but rather into some provided drain or splash area outside the basin.  Then do the same with the opposite hands.  Finally fill the ladle and tip it back so it flows over the handle to wash the ladle itself, again making sure the water does not flow back into the basin.
• As a non-Shinto, you will probably not want to do the full ceremony prayer to the Shinto spirits.  But you can help fund the shrine by throwing a coin (5 yen is enough, more if you do more or get a tour) into a collection box.
• They may have what looks like a souvenir shop.  This is where you buy incense and other good luck charms to make your prayers.  Sometimes they have a little wooden plaque with a colorful stamped picture.  You can buy one of these for 500 to 1000 yen.  You are supposed to write a prayer on the back and hang it on a special wall, tree, or whatever.  At the end of the day or week, the priests take them all and burn them to send the prayers in the form of smoke to the gods.  Though if you prefer, you can take it with you as a souvenir.


At the Temple (Buddhist)
• Most likely there will be no place to wash.  Instead there will be a place to buy incense and a large central incense burner.  When you light the incense, use your hand to waft the smoke toward you to purify you and bring good luck.
• Typically no shoes are permitted in the temple buildings.  There will be a place outside the door or just inside the door to put your shoes (especially if you are going on a tour inside).
• At Nara (near Kyoto), you can feed the wild deer.  There are vending machines where you can by deer food crackers.  Deer are considered the sacred messengers of the gods.
• Watch for No Camera signs.  The bigger temples have them since they want to sell you postcards.

[Jeff S]

Essential Japanese:

"Bee roo mow ee pon koo dah sigh" - Please bring me another beer.

After you've said the above a few times, remember

"Toy ray wah dough koh des kah?"

You'll need it.

- Jeff