culture & etiquette · 文化
Culture & etiquette
The unwritten rules that make Japan feel effortless — and keep you from being 'that tourist'. Short, practical reads with the key phrases built in.
Start here
The mindset and manners that make everything else easier.
Etiquette essentials
The 15-ish things that keep you from being "that tourist" — read this on the plane.
First-timer playbook
The ~25 things every first-timer in Japan wishes they'd known — sorted so you can skim it on the plane.
Politeness that travels far
You don't need keigo. You need a handful of warm habits — and the willingness to try.
Out & about
Day-to-day situations you'll hit within hours of landing.
Eating out, decoded
How Japanese restaurants actually work — from the wet towel to the register
Trains without tears
How to ride Tokyo like you've done it a hundred times — even though it's your first.
Konbini & vending machines
The convenience store is your basecamp — food, cash, toilets, and a drink machine on every corner
Money & paying
Carry yen, expect a coin tray, and never tip.
Places & rituals
Where a little etiquette goes a long way.
Temples & shrines
How to tell them apart, and how to behave so you blend in
Onsen & sento survival
Naked bathing, demystified — nobody's looking, everyone's chill
Ghibli Museum Survival Pack
Mitaka's tiny, magical museum — the one place you genuinely cannot wing. Tickets are advance-only and vanish fast. Here's how to get in, get there, and enjoy it.
If things go sideways
Calm, practical help for the rare bad moment.