Preparing for your trip to Japan requires some cultural awareness. tripmydream has compiled a dozen tips to help you acclimate to this unique culture:
1. In Japan, it is considered impolite to smoke in public places, offices, railway stations and platforms, as well as inside homes and cars without the owner's permission.
2. It is important not to wear shoes on straw tatami mats.
3. In Japan, handshakes are not customary; instead, bowing is the traditional greeting. It is important to reciprocate with a bow of equal respect and frequency.
4. In Japan, it is not customary to refuse, so think about the proportionality of your requests.
5. It is considered disrespectful and strongly discouraged to be overly familiar or casual in your interactions with the Japanese.
6. Japanese people generally avoid prolonged eye contact and vigorous gestures, as these may be perceived as aggressive behaviors.
7. It is considered impolite to stick chopsticks into rice or use them for gesturing or pointing.
8. Passing food from one chopstick to another is considered inappropriate as it is associated with Buddhist funeral rites.
9. In Japan, it's customary for women to hold their hand under food when bringing it to their mouth, while men do not need to do this.
10. When tasting hot noodles in Japan, it is acceptable and even necessary to slurp.
