Requirement No.

Japanese Customs and Traditions.

Lifted Lines Paraphrased Reference

Kampai
Kampai is the Japanese word for
cheers before drinking. It can literally
be translated “dry glass” and has the
same meaning as “bottoms up”.
Kampai is taken seriously in Japan and
it’s considered rude to start drinking
before everyone has a drink for
cheers. It’s also considered classy for
everyone to order the same drink for
the first round in the spirit of
comradeship.
Kampai is a Japanese word JT (Japan Talk)
for "Cheers!" in a drinking
toast. In the old days, Retrieved from:
cheers was done with small japan-
cups of sake — dry cup talk.com/jt/new/japanese-
essentially means "bottoms traditions-part2
up" or "drink it all". Often in
celebratory settings and also Accessed on September 9,
very commonly at the start 2019, 1:12 P.M.
of a meal with drinks and/or
guests.

Visiting a temple Praying at the temples and TW (Tokyo Weekender)

In Japan, temple grounds are
supposed to represent the pure
environment of Buddha, so pay your
respects before entering. To do so
properly, follow these simple
instructions:
1. Outside the main gate, place your
hands together and bow.
2. When stepping across the gate into
the temple grounds, women should
step over the gate threshold with
their right leg first. Men should start
with their left leg.
shrines in Japan is largely out
of tradition. Japanese
nevertheless do observe the
rituals for entering and
praying. The purpose of most
rituals is to keep away evil
spirits by purification,
prayers and offerings.
Retrieved from:
tokyoweekender.com/201
8/02/visiting-temples-
japan-behave/
Accessed on September
10, 2019 2:58 P.M.

Wash your hands in this order:

1. Left hand
2. Right hand
3. Pour water into your left hand and
wash your mouth out*
4. Wash your left hand again
5. Lift the ladle up and let the water
pour down the handle Be prepared
and bring a handkerchief in advance
for smooth sailing.
When you make an offering, gently
drop money into the collection box —
do not throw money into it. Place
your hands together in front of your
chest and bow once. For the burning
incense powder, pick up a small
amount between your thumb, index,
and middle fingers. Lift it up to the
height of your forehead. While doing
this, hold your left hand underneath
in case you drop some. The number of
times you do this depends on which
sect of Buddhism the temple is a part
of, so if you don’t know then one time
is fine.

When Praying, Only Bow Once

Place your hands together in front of
your chest, and then bow once. Pray
or make your wishes and thoughts
while your hands are pressed
together. Remember to only bow
once after praying — many Japanese
people make the mistake of bowing
multiple times, but this practice is for
shrines only.

Some shrines will have incense

powder (as described above), while
others will allow you to burn incense
sticks yourself. Some may have both.
In the case of burning your own
incense, light the stick on a nearby
candle. Fan the flame with your hand
to extinguish it. Do not blow on it with
your mouth.

Providing of Oshibori (Hot/cold

Towel)

If you ever visited middle to high class The culture of hospitality in Japan Info
Japanese restaurant, you most likely Japan is very important; they
would be handed a pack of white hot are a country who excels in Retrieved from:
towels in a basket before they serve customer service. Especially jpninfo.com/25747
you any drink or appetizer. In most for people working in the Accessed on September
cases, people do not have any idea service industry, the face of 10, 2019, 3:28 P.M.
what to do with it and would look to caring with a pure heart is
others for some guidance. This is very important. Basically,
common especially if you are a tourist providing an Oshibori before
or newcomer to Japan. The white hot a meal is a simple gesture of
towels are called oshibori, literally hospitality.
translated from “wet wipe”. Today,
oshibori is not only used in the high-
class restaurant, but also in other
sectors of the service industry such as
airlines, hotels, salons and spas.

Generally, oshibori are used for

cleaning your hands. Once you get
your oshibori in your hands, you can
wipe your hands with the clean wet
towel. On summer days, usually it is
cold, but on other seasons it is warm.
Oshibori is made for hand wiping only,
and it will be inappropriate to use it
on your face to wipe off your sweat,
though you may see other use it that
way. After you use the wet towel for
your hands before eating your dishes,
fold the oshibori nicely because you
might need to use it again once more
after you finish, using the other side
of the towel.

Walking on the Right Hand Side of Pedestrians should walk on Matcha

the Sidewalk the right side of the road,
while automobiles and Retrieved from:
In general, "walk on the right hand bicycles should travel on the matcha-jp.com/en/1803
side of the sidewalk" is one of the left side. Between
rules in Japan. If you live in a country automobiles and Accessed on September
which has the opposite rule, you pedestrians, pedestrians get 10, 2019, 4:30 P.M.
might get confused or caught up in a right-of-way. You should
crowd. obey all traffic signals and
road signs. You should follow
Walking on the left except in areas
with signs indicating which side to
walk down could get you pushed off
course, or block others from reaching
their own destinations. It's just an
overall unpleasant experience, so it's
a good idea to keep this rule in mind if
you want to avoid unnecessary stress
when walking about in Japan.
This is a rule not only on sidewalks but
also on paved roads. So if you ride a
bike, especially in Tokyo, you need to
be careful. Bikes and cars should keep
to the left, and in most places bikes
are not permitted on the sidewalk, no
matter what you may see others
doing. Please do not ride your bicycle
on the right side of the road.
Japanese Bathing
The main purpose of taking a bath,
besides cleaning your body, is
relaxation at the end of the day. The
bathroom in a typical Japanese home
consists of two rooms, an entrance
room where you undress and which is
equipped with a sink, and the actual
bathroom which is equipped with a
shower and a deep bath tub. The
toilet is usually located in an entirely
separate room.
Taking a bath at a Japanese home is
very similar to taking a bath at an
onsen (hot spring) or a sento (public
bath). When bathing Japanese style,
you are supposed to first rinse your
body outside the bath tub with the
shower or a washbowl. Afterwards,
you enter the tub, which is used for
soaking only. The bath water tends to
be relatively hot, typically between 40
and 43 degrees.
any instructions given by
police officers.
Pedestrians keep to the right
Walking on a sidewalk is
safe, of course, but be aware
that in Japan, they are used
by both pedestrians and
bicycles. When crossing the
road, it is best to do so at a
cross-walk. While
pedestrians have priority,
make sure to check left and
right for your own safety.
In Japan, bathing is seen as a Japan Guide
relaxing leisure activity
rather than an act of Retrieved from:
cleansing the body. People japan-
completely shower with guide.com/e/e2002.html
soap before entering a bath.
They go to great lengths to Accessed on September
avoid getting any soap or 11, 2019, 8:15 A.M.
soap residue in the bath
water. The same convention
applies to both home baths
and public hot springs.
If visiting a public bath or
“onsen”, the same “shower
first” rule before entering
the communal bath. Other
rules apply to the onsen:
After soaking, leave the tub and clean
your body with soap. Make sure that
no soap gets into the bathing water.
Once you finished cleaning and have
rinsed all the soap off your body,
enter the bath tub once more for a
final soaking. After leaving the tub,
the water is usually left for the next
member of the house. It is to keep the
bath water clean for all members of
the house that washing and rinsing is
done outside of the actual bathtub.

Pointing

Pointing at people or things is Pointing is somewhat Oyster

considered rude in Japan. Instead of
using a finger to point at something,
the Japanese use a hand to gently
wave at what they would like to
indicate. When referring to
themselves, people will use their
forefinger to touch their nose instead
of pointing at themselves. It’s also
considered bad manners to use your
chopsticks to point at something.
threatening in Japan and is
avoided. Instead people
tend to indicate with an
open hand. Verbal directions
without gestures are also
very common.
www.oyster.com/articles/
12-things-you-should-
never-do-in-japan/
Accessed on September
11, 2019 7:02 P.M.

Gift giving

Is a common part of Japanese Gift giving is a conventional Japan Guide

culture. Different types of gifts are
given on different occasions as
outlined below. Much attention is
given to the wrapping of presents. If
not nicely packed, the present should
at least be handed over in a bag,
preferably a bag by the shop the
present was purchased at. Gifts in sets
of four are usually avoided because it
is considered an unlucky number (the
Japanese word for four is pronounced
the same as the word for "death").
When handing over a present, both
part of Japanese culture.
Different types of gifts are Retrieved from:
given on depending on the japan-
occasion. How the present is guide.com/e/e2004.html
wrapped is essential. If not
nicely packed, the present Accessed on September
should at least given in a 11, 2019, 8:30 P.M.
bag, preferably in a bag by
the shop the gift was
purchased at. Gifts in sets of
four are usually avoided
because it is considered an
unlucky number in Japanese
the gift giver and recipient use both superstition. To clarify, the
hands. Japanese word for “four” is
pronounced the same as the
Omiyage are souvenirs brought home word "death”. When
from a trip while temiyage are thank- handing over a present, both
you gifts you bring when you visit the gift giver and recipient
someone. Japanese tourists tend to use both hands.
buy lots of souvenirs for their friends,
relatives and co-workers.
Consequently, tourist spots and
airports feature many souvenir shops
specializing in local foods and
products. When foreign visitors meet
friends or a host family in Japan, it is
not imperative for them to bring gifts,
but it is a nice gesture that is
appreciated. Recommended gift items
include food, drinks or other products
from your home country. In general,
they should be neither too cheap nor
too expensive - typically between
1000 and 5000 yen. Note that there
are restrictions on bringing certain
types of food and plant products into
Japan.

Tipping

It’s customary in many countries to tip
your waiters, cab drivers, hair
dressers, doormen, luggage handlers
and more as a token of extra
appreciation. But tipping isn’t
customary everywhere. So with that
being said, do you tip in Japan?
The answer: As a rule, no! Tipping is
not customary in Japan. In fact, it can
be considered rude and insulting in
many situations. Most Japanese
restaurants require customers to pay
for their meals at the front register,
rather than leave money with the
waiter or waitress. Tipping also isn’t
There is almost no need for IJT (Inside Japan Tours)
tipping in Japan. Employees
are happy to do their job for Retrieved from:
the wages they are paid, and insidejapantours.com/blog
are not looking for handouts /2013/09/22/do-you-tip-
from their customers. Japan in-japan-japanese-tipping-
doesn’t have the same etiquette/
underpaid service industry
workers that other countries Accessed on September
are used to, and not realizing 14, 2019. 2:00 A.M.
such a fact is how many
misunderstandings can
occur.
Tipping in Japan may have a
few exceptions, but
ultimately you can rest easy
required for cab or bus rides and knowing that the price you
many hotel services. You will probably see is the price you pay.
receive some of the best service in the
world here…but this about people
doing their job with pride rather than
hoping for a tip.

However, while tipping is, for the

most part, not customary in Japan,
that’s not to say there may not be a
few exceptions on your trip. The first
exception is nothing more than a
service provider who accepts your tip,
either in an effort to not offend you
by refusing it or because they want
some extra cash (just because tipping
isn’t customary doesn’t mean it
doesn’t occur). Another tipping
exception in Japan is when you’ve just
taken a tour or received a special
service. You may wish to tip on these
occasions, but you certainly don’t
have to.

If you do tip a guide, don’t just hand

the service provider a few bills and be
on your way. Be sure to put the
tipping money inside of a decorative
envelope and seal it before handing it
to the recipient with a slight bow.
Pulling money out of your wallet to
use as a tip is generally frowned upon
in Japan.

Taking off shoes

Shoes are never worn in someone's
home or on Japanese tatami flooring
(mats). It is expected to take off your
shoes in a restaurant, hotel, hot
spring resort etc. There will always be
a place to put your shoes. In addition,
you will be given slippers to wear.
There are often different slippers for
In Japan, It is an honor that
one is invited to someone’s
home. Shoes are not worn
inside the house to avoid
floors to be stained by soil,
dust or sand that may be
attached to the soles of
shoes. Shoes are removed in
AJT (All Japan Tours)
Retrieved from:
tiny.cc/u2xp1y
Accessed on September
15, 2019, 11:40 A.M.
the bathroom. You should never wear
the normal slippers into the bathroom
(if bathroom slippers are provided)
and vice versa.
Sitting Seiza
Seiza can be translated “proper
sitting”. It is the formal, polite way to
sit on Japanese tatami floors. To sit
seiza, place your knees on the floor
and rest your buttocks on the top of
your feet. The tops of your feet should
be flat on the floor. Sitting seiza can
be painful or physically impossible for
anyone who is not accustomed to it.
It’s best learned from young age. For
this reason, it’s a common myth in
Japan that foreigners cannot do seiza.
However, seiza is more a matter of
practice than physique. Many gaijin
are good at seiza. Seiza is a
requirement at formal Japanese
ceremonies such as funerals. It is also
a requirement of most Japanese
martial arts. Older people are often
exempted from seiza. If you find
yourself in a situation that requires
seiza, such as visting a temple, give it
a try. If you haven’t done it before its
likely your will quickly find it painful. If
you feel the need, switch to a more
comfortable position such as cross
legged on the floor. Unless you’re a
young Japanese person. Many
Japanese people find seiza
comfortable for period of up to 30
minutes.
the entrance (GENKAN) and
usually replaced with
slippers. Separate slippers
are also used when using a
bathroom for hygienic
reason.
Seiza involves sitting down Japan Talk
on the floor and not on a
chair. In traditional Japanese Retrieved from:
architecture, floors in japan-
various rooms designed for talk.com/jt/new/seiza
comfort have tatami floors.
Seiza thus is closely Accessed on September
connected with tatami 20, 2019, 1:17 P.M.
flooring. There are
circumstances, however,
when people sit seiza-style
on carpeted and hardwood
floors. Depending on the
formality of the occasion,
the setting, and the relative
status of the person, it is
sometimes acceptable to sit
on a special cushion called a
zabuton.