Japan travel guides
Etiquette & culture
Onsen, temples, trains and everyday manners.
Etiquette & culture
2 guides
Japanese etiquette for first-timers: the rules that actually matter
Nobody expects a visitor to know every Japanese custom, and people are forgiving of honest mistakes. But a handful of habits make a real difference: how you behave on trains, when to take your shoes off, how to visit a shrine, and why you will not find a bin on the street. Most of it comes down to one idea, not inconveniencing others. This guide explains the rules that matter, the reasons behind them and the few mistakes worth avoiding.23 Oct 2026
Onsen in Japan: a first-timer's guide to hot springs, etiquette and tattoos
A soak in an onsen is one of the best things you can do in Japan, and also the one that makes first-timers most nervous. You bathe naked, with strangers, after a careful wash, and the rules are not posted in English everywhere. The good news: there are only a few, and they all make sense. This guide walks you through a visit from the front desk to the bath, explains the tattoo question honestly, and points you to onsen towns worth building a trip around.23 Oct 2026
