Bowing
Bowing is a huge part of Japanese culture. They will bow before and after interactions. You will see this at the checkout line, restaurants, etc. The best way to handle bowing is to wait until they bow first, and as a
foreigner it is recommended to bow just slightly deeper to them as a sign of respect. Please bend at the waist with your arms beside you and look down ahead of you, not at them.
Crossing the Street
Crossing the street in Japan is unlike America. J-walking is considered extremely rude as there are many crosswalks in Japan. Even if there are no cars coming, please wait until the crosswalk light turns green before
continuing on your way.
Keep Your Voice Down
Keep your voice down when speaking. You will see hundreds of people are in the streets, but a peacefulness exists as most people are very quiet. Do not talk on speaker phone in public, and turn your ringer and phone sounds off on the train.
Please Clean Up
Please do clean up after yourself as the Japanese are very clean and respectful of one another. Please take note to put trash in proper places. There are limited trash cans, you can typically hold onto your trash until you can find a train station or bathroom.
Take and Recieve with Two Hands
When paying for things, please take and receive all items with two hands. It is seen as disrespectful to take something with one hand. There will be a small square plate by the register and when paying for things please place the money or credit card into the plate with two hands. Some Japanese think money is dirty and do not appreciate taking it directly from your hands.
Tatami Mats
At tatami mat restaurants, you will need to remove your shoes before entering. Turn backwards to face the front door and step out of your shoes from the lower (unclean) portion up to the clean portion. Take care not to step in the unclean portion with your socks after you have removed your shoes. Lean down to pick up your shoes and place them in a locker if available. If not, leave them outside your tatami mat facing away the front door. It is bad luck to have them point towards the restaurant or table.