Planning to travel to Japan but unsure about Japanese rules and manners? Feeling anxious about your first trip to Japan? Read this article to enjoy your Japanese journey with peace of mind!
This article will introduce you to shrine worship etiquette at traditional historic tourist spots, as well as a beginner's guide to dining customs including how to use chopsticks and restaurant manners. This is essential reading for Japan travel beginners, so please be sure to read until the end.
Steps for Shrine Worship
Shrines and temples are enchanting spots where you can experience the heart and culture of Japan. Their solemn atmosphere and beautiful architecture captivate visitors. However, these sacred places have unique customs that you should know. This topic will introduce you to the essentials of shrine worship, including how to pray at shrines and temples, and how to enjoy purchasing amulets and drawing fortunes. With this knowledge, you'll be able to have a deeper cultural experience and create lasting memories.
1. How to Pass Through the Torii Gate
Bow slightly before passing through the torii gate This gesture shows respect and acknowledges that the torii is a sacred boundary between the secular and divine realms.
Walk along the sides of the torii gate, avoiding the center
2. How to Walk on the Approach
Similarly, walk along the sides of the approach path, as the center is considered the pathway for deities
3. How to Purify Yourself at the Chozuya(purification fountain)
A Chozuya (also known as temizuya) is a purification fountain found at the entrance of Japanese shrines. According to the context, it's where visitors perform a ritual cleansing before worship, following these specific steps:
Before worship, purify yourself at the chozuya following these steps:
Hold the ladle in your right hand and scoop water
Purify your left hand
Switch the ladle to your left hand and purify your right hand
Take the ladle in your right hand again, pour water into your left hand, and rinse your mouth
Finally, hold the ladle vertically and let the remaining water run down the handle to purify it
4. How to Offer Coins Most shrines in Japan have a box where you can offer money when you pray.
Place the offering coins quietly rather than throwing them
Then worship following the two-bow, two-clap, one-bow ceremony:
First bow twice (nirei) - showing gratitude and respect to the deity
Then clap twice (nihakushu) - to get the deity's attention and make your presence known
Finally bow once more (ichirei) - showing gratitude again
During this time, quietly convey your wishes in your heart (with humility rather than demanding)
Perform all movements slowly and carefully
5. About Omikuji, Amulets, and Ema
About Omikuji (Fortune Slips):
Omikuji are messages from the deity that tell your fortune and provide guidance
After drawing one, tie it to a designated tree or place to receive good fortune and leave behind bad fortune
How to Choose and Handle Amulets:
Select appropriate amulets based on your wishes (studies, health, love, etc.)
Treat amulets with care as they contain divine power, and it's recommended to have them ritually burned at shrines periodically
How to Write and Hang Ema:
Write your wishes carefully and sincerely on ema tablets as they are a means of conveying requests to the deity
Hang them quietly in the designated area and treat other people's ema with respect
6. Other Important Points
Bow slightly before and after worship
A shrine is a sacred place, and bowing before and after worship is an important custom showing respect and gratitude to the deity. This is part of the overall shrine worship process, along with bowing at the torii gate and the two-bow, two-clap, one-bow ceremony, serving as an important gesture of respect.
Refrain from speaking loudly within the shrine grounds
Shrines are sacred places where maintaining silence is important. Speaking loudly in the shrine grounds shows disrespect to the deity and disturbs other worshippers.
In particular, shrines are places for offering prayers with a calm heart, and maintaining a quiet atmosphere allows each visitor to worship peacefully.
Do not take photographs in areas where photography is prohibited
How to Use Chopsticks and Japanese Dining Etiquette
Here are the important points about how to use chopsticks and Japanese dining etiquette:
1. How to Hold Chopsticks
① First, hold the lower chopstick like a pencil with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger. Keep this chopstick stationary.
② How to Hold the Upper Chopstick
Hold the upper chopstick with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger in a pinching position. Only move this chopstick to grasp food.
③ Where to Hold Chopsticks
Hold chopsticks about two-thirds from the top for the best balance.
④ When Picking Up Food
Keep the tips of the chopsticks aligned when picking up food.
Only move the upper chopstick while keeping the lower one fixed
Hold chopsticks about two-thirds of the way up
Align chopstick tips when picking up food
2. Chopstick Taboos
Passing food from chopsticks to chopsticks
Spearing food with chopsticks
Sticking chopsticks vertically in rice or soup bowls
Pulling dishes toward you with chopsticks
Poking around or playing with chopsticks
3.Basic Table Manners
Say "itadakimasu" before and "gochisousama" after meals
Hold soup bowls with your left hand
Hold rice bowls while eating
Use serving chopsticks for shared dishes
Don't stack dishes
4.Other Important Points
Keep conversation minimal during meals
Why should conversation be kept minimal during meals?
This is because meals are not just for nutrition but are considered an important time to enjoy the food.
To focus on the meal and fully appreciate the flavors and aromas of the food, as well as to avoid disturbing others' quiet dining time, it is considered poor manners to speak loudly or engage in intense conversation during meals.
However, you don't need to eat in complete silence - it's desirable to enjoy moderate conversation while being mindful of your surroundings and keeping your voice down.
Avoid making eating sounds
Basic Manners: You should avoid making sounds while eating.
However, there are the following exceptions.
Soba and Udon Noodles: When eating hot noodles, it's acceptable to make some slurping sounds. It's actually considered a sign of enjoying the meal.
Soup from Bowls: When drinking the last of the soup, it's not rude to make slight sounds. However, keep loud sounds to a minimum.
Chewing Sounds: It's best to chew with your mouth closed and keep chewing sounds minimal.
Use chopstick rests when taking breaks Shops Selling Chopsticks, Chopstick Rests, and Related Items
-Hashi ya Mansaku Kyoto Main Store
Access: Located in Nishiki Market. 5-minute walk from Shijo subway station or Karasuma Hankyu station
URL: https://www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp/stores/hashiyamansaku/
-Lacquerware Nakamura Shokado Access: 5-minute walk from Shijo subway station or Karasuma Hankyu station URL: https://ichiharaheibei.com/
Understanding Unique Japanese Mindsets, Customs, and Behavioral Patterns
Japanese people have distinctive ways of thinking and customs that have been nurtured through their long history and culture. Many behavioral patterns that foreign visitors find intriguing exist in daily life, such as bowing, having a humble mindset, and showing careful consideration for others. In this topic, we will introduce these uniquely Japanese cultural characteristics and interesting customs with specific examples.
Unconscious Bowing The habit of unconsciously bowing while talking on the phone or saying "thank you" to ATM machines
Queue Attachment The habit of naturally forming orderly lines while waiting for the next train on station platforms
Ultimate Humility Saying "this is just a small token" while giving an expensive gift, or veteran experts saying "I still have much to learn"
Juniors Pour Drinks for Seniors
At Japanese drinking gatherings, it is customary for subordinates to pour drinks into their superior's glass. Avoid pouring your own drink, and when someone pours for you, slightly raise your glass to show gratitude.
Business Card Exchange and Toasts Should Honor Hierarchy When exchanging business cards, receive the card of your superior at a higher position than your own card. Similarly, when making a toast, it is proper etiquette to position your glass below that of your superior.
Seating Arrangements are Important in Japanese Dining The seat of honor (kamiza) is typically the seat furthest from the entrance or deeper in the room. It is basic etiquette to guide senior members to the seat of honor while taking the lower-ranking seat (shimoza) closer to the entrance for yourself.
Essential Rules When Visiting Japan!
Here are important manners in Japan:
Train and Bus Etiquette Refrain from loud conversations and maintain quiet behavior on public transportation.
Waste Sorting Japan has strict waste sorting rules. You must sort waste properly according to your local area's regulations.
Shrine Etiquette Walk along the edges when passing through torii gates, and purify yourself at the chozuya (water pavilion) before worship. Follow the two-bow, two-clap, one-bow ceremony when praying.
Dining Etiquette
At Restaurants:
Wait until you are asked "How many people?" before entering
Call staff with "Sumimasen" and order politely
After dining, either wait at your seat for the bill or pay at the register
At Fast Food Restaurants:
Line up to order and carry your own tray after receiving your food
After eating, return your tray to the designated area and sort your waste properly
*Note: These are general examples and may vary by establishment. Particularly in upscale restaurants or those with counter seating, payment is often handled at your seat rather than at a register. As practices may vary by region and establishment policy, we recommend observing and following what others do.
Footwear Etiquette It is customary to remove shoes at the entrance and arrange them neatly facing the right direction for easy access when leaving.
Queuing Culture
In public spaces such as train platforms, people naturally form orderly lines while waiting.
Useful Phrases and Translation Apps for Non-Japanese Speakers
Here are some useful phrases and translation apps for those who don't speak Japanese:
Basic Phrases
すみません (Sumimasen) - Excuse me / I'm sorry - Used when getting someone's attention or apologizing
ありがとうございます (Arigatou gozaimasu) - Thank you very much - Used to express gratitude
トイレはどこですか？ (Toire wa doko desuka?) - Where is the bathroom? - Used when asking for bathroom locations
これをください (Kore wo kudasai) - This one please - Used when pointing to items you want to purchase
英語を話せますか？ (Eigo wo hanasemasuka?) - Do you speak English? - Used to check if English support is available
おいしい！(Oishii!) - Delicious! - Used to express enjoyment of food
わかりません (Wakarimasen) - I don't understand - Used when you don't understand something
いくらですか？(Ikura desuka?) - How much is it? - Used when asking about prices
駅はどこですか？(Eki wa doko desuka?) - Where is the station? - Used when asking directions to the station
助けてください (Tasukete kudasai) - Help me please - Used in emergencies when seeking help
Recommended Translation Apps
• Google Translate (https://translate.google.com) A free multi-functional translation app featuring camera translation, conversation mode, and offline translation
• DeepL (https://www.deepl.com) Provides more natural translations with a high-precision translation engine
• iTranslate (https://www.itranslate.com) Supports over 90 languages and can be used offline
• Microsoft Translator (https://translator.microsoft.com) Capable of real-time conversation and text translation
• VoiceTra (https://voicetra.nict.go.jp) A free voice translation app supporting 31 languages, developed by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
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