When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
When you know the culture there, you will enjoy staying much much more.
There are a lot of things the Japanese are doing consciously or unconsciously.
Here are dos and don'ts in Japan. I realized many things are about food. Food occupies a very large part of Japanese culture as the Japanese respect food.
When you are in a public place:
1. Don’t eat and walk
Eating while walking is considered to be a bad behavior in Japan. My mom used to scold me when I did it. Probably because we think we should focus on one thing – either walking or eating. If we don’t focus on walking, it can be dangerous. We have to pay attention to the surroundings. If we don’t focus on eating, we don’t appreciate the food and don't enjoy the food fully.
2. In a supermarket, put the product back in its original place when you decide not to buy it.
I sometimes see some products randomly put in an irrelevant place in some supermarkets outside of Japan. Sometimes a frozen product is left in a place at room temperature. Well, this is an extreme case.
Anyway, when you do this in Japan (and maybe in your country as well), you are considered to be an ill-mannered person. So be careful.
In public transportation:
3. Don’t talk on mobile
Even when it is not crowded, don’t talk on mobile on the train or bus. We are supposed to remain quiet on public transportation. Talking to a friend physically sitting next to you is still okay if you talk in a low voice, but speaking on mobile is not accepted in Japan even in a low voice.
4. When kids see the view from a train window, take off their shoes.
Little kids are interested in the view from a train window. It is more considerate to take off their shoes when they are looking at the view because the train seats are cushions covered with cloth. Some people mind dirt.
When eating:
5. Lift the bowl when eating
When we eat rice and miso soup (or other stuff as well), we lift the rice bowl, or miso soup bowl with our left hand and hold chopsticks with our right hand. When we don’t lift the bowls and leave them on the table, it is called “dog eating” in Japan and is considered not so great.
By the way, the Japanese eat miso soup directly from the bowl like we drink coffee. We don’t use a spoon.
6. Don’t throw food to pass to someone
The Japanese respect food. This is probably because the food was precious in the past. So we don’t throw food to pass to someone. And also we don’t usually put food on the floor.
7. Try not to leave food on the plate
Whether you are in a restaurant or at your friend’s home, try to clear your plate as much as you can (but don’t force yourself). Leaving food on your plate could mean the food is not good, so your host might mind. And also we feel guilty when we waste food.
To avoid this, order as much food as you can finish, or ask for only as much as you can finish.
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