Don’t in Japan

The “poor manners of foreigners”, seen as a problem throughout Japan, cannot be dismissed as a difference in culture or people’s standards.

It may be due to a need for knowledge about the manners required in Japan, a difference between a local perspective and a tourist perspective, or a lack of environment surrounding tourists.

The criteria for bad manners are often determined based on “differences in values.” It is natural for foreign tourists from different countries, cultures, and customs to have different values ​​than Japanese people.

What they perceive as “bad manners” and “bad manners” differs, so what Japanese people think is terrible manners may not be what they believe is bad manners. There are different interpretations of the same thing, and knowing the gap in perception is the first step to avoiding negative emotions.

One of the reasons is a lack of maintenance on the Japanese side to avoid “bad manners.”

Considering the issue of “littering,” foreigners have a more challenging time finding a place to throw away their trash than Japanese people. It is necessary to create a system for disposing of garbage and to make it clear to everyone that this is the place to dispose of waste.

The same goes for the issue of trash disposal at private lodging facilities. If there is a set schedule for trash disposal for a week, and it says, “I have to leave the vacation rental on Friday, but I have to leave the garbage on Monday,” some people, even if they are not foreign tourists, will take out the garbage on Friday. It might be. It is also the fault of the management, who needed to provide a proper system due to a lack of perspective on the part of the users.

The “wrong way to use the toilet” is because the toilet system is different from that in their home country, so some people say “I didn’t know that it was okay to flush toilet paper,” so there is a need for facilities to make sure that they are aware of how to use the toilet.

Things foreigners should be aware of when visiting Japan

You don’t have to tip. In Japan, restaurant and bar workers are

compensated regular wages by the owner.

Keep the noise down in public.

Stand in a line (Do not cut)

Do not litter (Put trash in designated trash bins)

Don’t stab your food with chopsticks.

Take off your shoes at home.

Obey traffic rules.

Japanese manners that surprise foreigners [Meal Edition]

Always say [Itadakimasu] Thank you for this meal before you start eating.

We thank everyone involved in preparing the meal, including farmers, animals that lost their lives so that we can get the nutrition, grocery store workers, and cooks who prepared the meal.

Always say [Gochisousama] Thank you for the meal I enjoyed.

There are many manners related to how to use chopsticks.

Pick up a bowl to eat.

Eat the noodles by slurping them.

Eat without leaving any food or drinks behind.

Handle tableware quietly.

Don’t eat with your elbows on the table.