Etiquette basics: onsen, dining and temples

Onsen

• Wash thoroughly at the seated showers before entering the bath
• No swimwear; the small towel stays out of the water (rest it on your head)
• Tie up long hair
• Check tattoo policies in advance

Dining

• Say 'itadakimasu' before eating and 'gochisōsama deshita' after
• Never stand chopsticks upright in rice or pass food chopstick-to-chopstick
• Slurping noodles is fine
• Pay at the register, not the table

Temples and shrines

• Bow at the gate; purify hands and mouth at the water basin
• Remove shoes where there are slippers or a raised floor
• Photography is often banned inside halls
• Dress modestly and keep voices low

Everyday

• Queue neatly — on platforms there are marked lines
• Keep phone calls off trains
• Carry your rubbish; public bins are rare
• Stand left on Tokyo escalators, right in Osaka