Quick answer: Japanese etiquette comes down to respect and not inconveniencing others. Bow when you greet someone or say thank you. Take your shoes off indoors. Hand things over with both hands, and use chopsticks carefully. Cover tattoos at baths and gyms. Seasonal customs such as New Year cards (nengajo), Culture Day on 3 November and a commercial Christmas shape the year.
Last updated: 22 Oct 2026, by Spiddy Ng
Table of contents
- How and why do Japanese people bow?
- Which etiquette rules should visitors know?
- Are tattoos a problem in Japan?
- How do you write a Japanese business email?
- Which holidays and seasonal customs should you know?
- What do kawaii, teru teru bozu and the sacred mirror mean?
- Why is Japan called Japan, and how do you tell Japanese, Chinese and Korean apart?
- What is Japanese society like?
- How do pachinko and the lottery work?
- Which Japan Truly guide answers your question?
- Frequently asked questions
1. How and why do Japanese people bow?
People in Japan bow to say hello and goodbye, to thank someone, to apologise, to ask a favour, and to congratulate someone. The deeper and longer the bow, the more respect it shows.
| Bow | Angle (approx.) | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Eshaku (会釈) | 15° | Casual greetings, passing colleagues, acknowledging a stranger |
| Keirei (敬礼) | 30° | Greeting bosses, teachers, clients and customers |
| Saikeirei (最敬礼) | 45° | Deep apologies, deep thanks, and formal ceremonies |
Keep your back straight and your eyes lowered. As a visitor, a small nod with a smile is fine, and a handshake is also accepted.
2. Which etiquette rules should visitors know?
| Situation | Do | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Homes, ryokan and some temples | Take off your shoes at the entrance (genkan) and wear the slippers provided | Wearing toilet slippers outside the toilet |
| Giving and receiving | Use both hands for gifts, business cards and payments; put cash in the tray at the till | Tossing cash or cards across the counter |
| Chopsticks | Rest them on the holder or across your bowl | Sticking them upright in rice, or passing food from chopstick to chopstick (both are linked to funerals) |
| Drinking with others | Pour for others and let them pour for you | Topping up only your own glass |
| Numbers and gifts | Choose gift sets of other sizes | Sets of four, because 四 (shi) sounds like the word for death |
| Shrines and temples | Dress modestly, stay quiet, and follow the signs on photography | Walking in the centre of the shrine path, which is traditionally reserved for the gods |
| Rubbish | Take your rubbish home and sort it the way local rules require | Leaving litter; public bins are rare |
Want to bring home a charm? See where to find omamori and ofuda. For polite forms of address, see the honorifics section of our Japanese words and meanings guide.
3. Are tattoos a problem in Japan?
Tattoos are still linked to the yakuza in many people's minds, so many onsen, public baths, gyms and pools turn away customers with visible tattoos. Attitudes are softening, especially among younger people, and more tattoo-friendly onsen and private baths (kashikiri) now exist. If you have a small tattoo, ask whether you can cover it with a patch or clothing. Check each venue's rules before you go.
4. How do you write a Japanese business email?
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| Subject | Short and specific, saying what the email is about |
| Addressing the recipient | Company, department, then name + -sama (様). In business email, -sama is safer than -san |
| Opening | Osewa ni natte orimasu (お世話になっております, "thank you for your continued support") |
| Closing | Yoroshiku onegaishimasu (よろしくお願いします, "thank you in advance / I look forward to working with you") |
| Signature | Your full name, company, department and contact details |
5. Which holidays and seasonal customs should you know?
| Custom | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Nengajo (年賀状) | New Year | New Year postcards. Japan Post delivers cards posted by its December deadline on 1 January. Families in mourning send a mochū hagaki instead, to let people know not to send them one. |
| Teru teru bozu (てるてる坊主) | Rainy season and before events | A small white cloth doll hung at the window to wish for sunny weather. Hung upside down, it asks for rain. |
| Culture Day (文化の日, Bunka no Hi) | 3 November | A national holiday celebrating culture and the arts. It falls on Emperor Meiji's birthday and became Culture Day in 1948. Order of Culture awards, museum events and autumn festivals take place around this date. |
| Christmas | 24–25 December | Not a public holiday. Christmas Eve is a date night for couples, children get presents, and Christmas cake and fried chicken are traditions (see KFC in Japan). |
Dressing up for a summer festival? See how to buy a yukata in Japan and types of kimono.
6. What do kawaii, teru teru bozu and the sacred mirror mean?
- Kawaii (可愛い) means "cute". It is a huge part of Japanese pop culture, fashion, mascots and marketing, and it is used for everything from characters to public-safety posters.
- Teru teru bozu roughly means "shine, shine monk". It is the rain-stopping doll in the table above.
- Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡) is the sacred mirror, one of the Three Sacred Treasures of the Imperial Family. The other two are the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama. It is traditionally said to be kept at Ise Grand Shrine and is never shown to the public.
7. Why is Japan called Japan, and how do you tell Japanese, Chinese and Korean apart?
In Japanese, the country is Nihon or Nippon (日本), meaning "origin of the sun". The English word "Japan" probably reached Europe through Chinese pronunciations of the same characters, via traders' words such as Marco Polo's "Cipangu".
The easiest way to tell the three cultures apart is the writing:
| Language | Script | Tell-tale sign |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Kanji plus hiragana and katakana | Rounded kana such as の, し and ン mixed in with kanji |
| Chinese | Chinese characters only (simplified or traditional) | Dense characters with no kana |
| Korean | Hangul | Circles and straight lines grouped into syllable blocks, such as 한 |
Avoid guessing someone's nationality from their face or clothes.
8. What is Japanese society like?
- Safety: Japan has low rates of violent crime and very strict gun laws, and neighbourhood police boxes (kōban) are everywhere. Lost wallets are often handed in.
- Population: The population is shrinking and ageing, because the birth rate is low. Long working hours, the cost of raising children and later marriage are often given as reasons. See also living in Japan.
- Happiness: Japan often ranks lower than its wealth would suggest in international happiness surveys. People tend to value calm, stability and harmony more than personal excitement.
- Grooming: In many workplaces, being clean-shaven is the norm, and some employers have strict appearance rules.
9. How do pachinko and the lottery work?
Pachinko is a vertical pinball-style game, and parlours are for adults only (18+). You rent metal balls and try to win more. Winning balls are swapped for prizes or special tokens inside the parlour, and those tokens can be exchanged for cash at a separate counter nearby. That separation is how pachinko works around Japan's gambling laws. Many visitors find it loud and confusing, so watch someone play first.
The lottery (宝くじ, takarakuji) includes the big seasonal Jumbo draws and the number-picking games Loto 6 and Loto 7. You can buy tickets at lottery booths in stations and shopping streets, and on the official Takarakuji website. Check the official site for current draws and rules.
10. Which Japan Truly guide answers your question?
| Topic | Best for | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | Summer festivals | How to buy a yukata |
| Clothing | Formal wear | Types of kimono |
| Shrines | Charms and amulets | Finding omamori and ofuda |
| History | Samurai blades | Types of Japanese swords |
| History | Ninja tools | Guide to ninja weapons |
| Crafts | Gifts and puzzles | Japanese puzzle boxes |
| Animals | Native breeds | Dog breeds in Japan |
| Music | Bands to start with | Best Japanese bands and albums |
| Sport | Football history | History of football in Japan |
| Nature | Weather and earthquakes | Is Japan humid? and Why Japan is earthquake prone |
| Language | Words and phrases | Japanese words and meanings |
| Moving | Daily life | Living in Japan |
11. Frequently asked questions
How low should you bow in Japan?
About 15 degrees (eshaku) for a casual greeting, about 30 degrees (keirei) for bosses, teachers and customers, and about 45 degrees (saikeirei) for deep apologies or deep thanks.
Can you go to an onsen with tattoos in Japan?
Many onsen, public baths, gyms and pools still refuse people with visible tattoos. Cover small tattoos if the venue allows it, or book a tattoo-friendly onsen or a private bath.
Do Japanese people celebrate Christmas?
Yes, as a commercial and social event rather than a religious one. It is not a public holiday. Christmas Eve is a date night for couples, and fried chicken and Christmas cake are popular.
When is Culture Day in Japan?
Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) is a national holiday every year on 3 November.
Is pachinko gambling in Japan?
Legally, pachinko parlours give out prizes, not cash. In practice, players often swap those prizes for cash at a separate exchange counter outside the parlour.
About the author – Spiddy Ng, Japan Truly.
Featured image: "Meiji Shrine Minami-sando-torii" by Asanagi, via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
