15 Taboos In Japan !
For a long time, Japan has attracted millions of tourists because of its unique culture, friendly people, and impressive natural scenery. However, many tourists cannot help but be “scared” when learning about the taboos of this country.
Whether you are a tourist, international student, or business traveler; There are things you should not do that you should always remember when coming to Japan.
Watch the video by DiscoveryQuest
15 taboos in Japan for a long time Japan has attracted millions of tourists because of its unique culture friendly people and impressive natural scenery however many tourists cannot help but be scared when learning about the taboos of this country whether you are a tourist international student or business
Traveler there are things you should not do that you should always remember when coming to Japan no tattoo many tattooed tourists have encountered culture shock when coming to the land of cherry blossoms where tattoos are especially stigmatized they can’t even experience what’s most famous for tourists in Japan people with
Tattoos are banned from most on on Hot Springs sente public bars San Rog and restaurants traditional boarding house swimming pool gym or even capsule Hotel tattoos in Japan are associated with the image of Yakuza Japanese Mafia the whole world is familiar with the image of Japanese accusa with full body tattoos
Through movies or social networks in addition tattoos are also stigmatized because they’re associated with a disrespected class since the Edo period when criminals were punished with tattoos during the same period prostitutes also known as UA also got tattoos to show their dedication to serving loyal customers tattoos gradually became illegal during the Magi
Period and were only legalized in 1948 when in many cases you are not allowed to show your tattoos although attitudes are gradually changing among the younger generation therefore it is generally accepted for foreigners to have tattoos but they’re required to cover them up when in public places in 2013 ranes
Ataru and mayori came to hog kaido to attend an indigenous language conference but was not allowed to enter the hot springs because of the traditional tamoco tattoo on his face tattoos in other countries can be a beauty and a memory but in Japan they’re not recognized like that because the
Majority of Japanese people are very conservative in nature number 14 say no to tips if you have the opportunity to visit a restaurant in Japan don’t be too surprised if you see the weight stuff running after you to give you your change even if it’s just a few Yen
Tipping is not a way to complement your server Japanese people believe that when a customer gives them a tip it means the customer is dissatisfied with the service and wants to say please try harder next time tipping is considered very rude and salting to the restaurant and the staff working there the reason
Is because they value dignity and respect much more than tips the Japanese believe that you have already paid for a good service so there is no need to pay extra by tipping Japan is one of the very few countries in the world that offers a truly spectacular service without any strings attached however
There are some notable exceptions to this rule which we will discuss a bit more instead of money Japanese people show their love for service staff through a small gift called origami tip a meticulously folded paperwork containing gratitude and appreciation encouragement for service staff different from the pragmatism of giving
Thanks with money this is the beauty of Japanese behavioral culture full of sincerity and warmth regarding money Japanese people are not greedy and do not evaluate all other values by money don’t use money to replace what your heart wants to say because they understand the nature of money which
Cannot bring people better intangible values number 13 ban working too much I know this law seems pretty crazy but it was actually enacted by the Japanese government to save the lives of Japanese workers While most of us don’t want to spend all our time at work the Japanese
Do the exact opposite they worked like crazy day and night working until they were exhausted and died you heard right the Japanese really work until they die of exhaustion besides the usual 8 hours of administrative work statistics show that a quarter of Japanese workers work more than 80 hours a month nearly three
Times the standard in many other country each year in Japan there are nearly 2,000 work rated deaths mainly due to Strokes heart attacks depression and suicide one in five workers is in the group at risk of death from overwork the tradition of working overtime in Japan
Began in the 70s of the last century when the wages of workers in this country were relatively low and they wanted to maximize their income during the economic boom years of the 80s Japan became the second largest economy in the world and the culture of working long
Hours a week was still maintained when the economic and financial crisis occurred in the late ’90s companies began to restructure the pressure is extremely great employees stay and work overtime to avoid being fired many workers try to appear happy with overtime for fear of being judged on their spirit and working attitude and
Gradually this becomes a work culture leading to the phenomenon of Koshi Ben name of the cult culture work until death work pressure also makes many Japanese people think of suicide as evidenced by the fact that Japan has the highest number of suicides in the world Japan also has a suicide forest called
Al kahara where it is said that for every tree there is a person who hanged Himself number 12 women are not allowed to go to Sacred land women are half of the world but in some places in Japan they considered a disaster dirty and not allowed to set foot in sacred places the most famous of the places where Japanese women are forbidden is Mount orine Mount
Omin is the common name for the Mountain San inamura de Fu missen hak among them on top of sjo gutle there is an ancient Temple that was recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 2004 however for centuries women have been completely banned from visiting the mountain and
The sacred Temple the reason is to avoid polluting the atmosphere today discrimination has decreased but the rules at this sop Peak remain unchanged in front of the path leading to the top of the temple Mountain there is even a sign clearly stating this rule in addition to omine Mountain another
Famous place that also prohibits women is osima Island located in kushu this island is also recognized as a world cultural heritage site because of the great historical value that the island according to the rules people coming to the island can bring objects to worship but are not allowed to take anything off
The island even a stone not only that but there is also a rule here that men must wash before going to the island and women are forbidden to go on the island Japanese women are also not allowed to set foot in the Sumo ring not allowed to register marriage 6 months after divorce
And many other harsh rules it can be said that despite being an extremely developed country Japan still has discrimination against women number 11’s taboo numbers each country in the world has its own ideas about numbers that bring bad luck and avoid using these numbers the Japanese are the same they abstain from the
Number four this comes from the Japanese people’s belief that the number four has a homophone pronunciation with the word shy meaning death therefore number four is said to bring bad luck people in Japan also afraid of this number to avoid using the number four Japanese people often use many different methods
To avoid encountering bad luck for example some buildings elevators do not have the number four instead people number this floor with 3 a3f or instead with a letter T some apartment buildings offices and hospitals do not have the fourth floor numbered this makes many tourists visiting Japan think they have
Gone to the wrong place when they cannot find the fourth floor like the number four the number nine is considered an unlucky number in Japan because the pronunciation of number nine is similar to the word suffer in Japanese most hotels in this country do not have have
Room numbers 9 4 or 49 this causes a big conflict in cultures while in the US the number nine is considered lucky American people love this number and consider it a perfect number number two gifts that are forbidden to give Japanese people love giving gifts this is considered an
Indispensable ritual in their daily life in an average year there are about 70 occasions when Japanese people give gifts to each other some important occasions such as New Year’s Day New Year gifts for Father’s Day Mother’s Day promotions birthdays and other occasions such as weddings good news about the
Family welcoming new members admission ceremonies graduations Coming of Age welcoming a new home visiting the sick it seems that because there are so many occasions to give gifts they also come up with a lot of rules for doing this most especially regulations about gifts that should not be given first
Absolutely avoid giving gifts related to The Numbers four and nine reason for this is as we just said these are two numbers that Japanese people are very taboo about next you should not give a Japanese person a hair comb because the word comb in Japanese is Kushi Q is
Endurance suffering she is homophone with the word death Kushi are to add up both of these misfortunes in addition you should not give pictures of foxes glasswar or Cutlery gifts have the shape of a fox because they believe this is an animal that symbolizes greed and cunning
Do not give items made of glass or fragile materials because they will bring bad luck in relationships do not gift sharp items such as Cutlery as it is believed to sever your relationship and most importantly you cannot give chry senum and tea flowers if you have to give flowers to Japanese people you
Should avoid chrysanthemums and tea flowers because these are flowers used for funerals in Japan if you intentionally give this gift to Japanese people they may get angry and attack you because they think you are cursing them and their family number nine don’t sit cross-legged in most countries sitting cross-legged is
Very normal once again the Japanese have become difficult and strange people when it comes to Banning this style of sitting of course the Japanese government is not prohibit it but if you do this when you come to Japan you will turn into a rude and dangerous person in
The eyes of the Japanese in Japanese culture there is a particular emphasis on respecting others especially when in public spaces or when participating in meetings sitting cross-legged can be considered impolite because it can create a feeling of discomfort or annoy japanes think that this sitting position is provocative and extremely rude only
Cheap prostitutes sit in such a position to invite customers when coming to Japan instead of sitting cross-legged sit in the Caesar style sitting on your knees a traditional Japanese way of sitting to have a neat posture number eight do not give up seats to the Elder on the bus a country
Famous for its poess and many noble rules but has a paradoxical rule of not giving up seats to the elderly could it be that the Japanese are just a bunch of fake people Japanese people don’t fake it they really do it for a good reason in Japan today public transportation
Always has priority compartments for the elderly pregnant women children and people with disabilities if this row of seats is full the person coming next will have to stand of course it will be uncomfortable for a young person to see an old person standing on a bus but they
Cannot do anything else because the old person himself does not need their help giving up your seat is a very normal thing in many parts of the world but in Japan this can make them feel ins in Japan people always consider everyone in society to be equal meaning if you
Arrive first you will get a seat the person who comes after them will stand no one would complain if why doesn’t a man give up his seat for a woman or why don’t healthy young people give up their seats to the elderly when you come to
Japan if you really want to give your seat to someone stand up pretend to get off the station or change to another line then the Japanese will sit down comfortably and they won’t have to think about you giving up your seat for them number so smoking Outdoors is
Prohibited this is one of the most controversial regulations in Japan when it is both reasonable and unreason since 2018 Japan has introduced a new law priting smoking in public places it is known that the law aimed at preventing the dangers of passive smoking applies to schools hospitals government agencies
And local authorities agencies that allow smoking will be fined in amount equivalent to 4,600 USD individuals who break the law will be forced to pay up to 2700 USD if they smoke in the wrong place despite warnings at the same time the law also regulates places specifically reserved for outdoor smoking despite bringing
Great benefits to the community it is difficult to understand that in other crowded places such as restaurants and hotels the Japanese government still allows smoking in restaurants and bars as well as in other public places private Corporation causing great discomfort to the Japanese people if it is banned it must be completely banned
Or else let it be as before and allow them to smoke Outdoors because at least the amount of air circulating in the streets will be reduced dilute cigarettes smoke more than the stuffy air in restaurant number six avoid touching in Japan touching another person without their consent is rude this is the minimum
Courtesy in Japanese culture so each person here respects the personal space of others if you visit Japan don’t touch people even shaking hands is not recommended in this country Japanese people believe that shaking hands is quite silly and impolite instead they bow at an angle of about 90° to show
Politeness and respect to the other person if you meet someone of high status or an elderly person Boeing deeply will help them feel that you are someone who respects them tissing in public is also considered disrespectful to others in Japan before 1945 it was considered a violation of public order
And punishable by imprisonment before and after World War II cultural attitudes and legal regulations in Japan may have undergone many changes the ban on kissing in public can be understood in the context of Asian culture where public display of affection are less accepted than in many other Western
Countries however over time many of these regulations have become more flexible and or no longer as strictly applied as before currently kissing in public is no longer illegal in Japan however there is still cultural restraint and respect when showing affection in front of others in public
Spaces number five do not dirty the rice Japan is a country famous for its harsh rules at the dinner table from clearly regulated things like not passing food with chopsticks or using the tip of Chopsticks to point at others to principles that are unspoken but must always be implicitly understood to avoid
Becoming clumsy ignorant and rude elegant in the eyes of those around you but it doesn’t stop there there are even seemingly normal things that Japanese people notice and quietly evaluate for example whether you should pick up food and put it on white rice in a bowl before eating that’s right you heard
Right just picking food into a bowl or putting food straight into your mouth is enough to make people judge you it’s annoying when you have to pay attention to so many things when eating so how can you eat well yet this trivial issue is very important and has caused the
Japanese people to engage in heated debate one side Advocate putting food on Rice before eating while the other side strongly opposes this way of eating saying it causes the eater to lose points immediately putting food on rice is said to dirty the rice and lose the flavor of each dish that’s why most
Japanese people hate this therefore if you have the opportunity to dine in Japan it’s best not to put food on top of the rice number four do not wear shoes into the house when you wear shoes or slippers inside the house or room Japanese people will judge you as
Disrespectful to them so take off your slippers or shoes in front of the door and instead wear your own pair of slippers indoors otherwise you can wear socks or bare feet the rule of changing slippers before entering the house has been around for about 2,000 years due to
The hot and humid weather in the summer the architecture of traditional houses will often have floors higher than the ground to avoid moisture and allow cool winds to blow below helping to reduce heat in the house furthermore in traditional houses Tatamy mats are lined with almost the entire floor surfit
Wearing shoes on a mat will be unhygienic and damage the tatami in the book working culture with a Japanese first published in 1984 sociologist n she emphasized the importance of internal space called uteral space called T the inside of the house is considered a clean private place compared to the dusty and chaotic
Outside therefore most traditional houses have a separate entrance hall between the two spaces a place to change shoes into slippers in addition to cleanliness reasons removing shoes is also considered a sign of respect when entering someone’s home or place of business this way of thinking is no longer so strict in Modern Life
But many people still pay attention therefore before entering the door Japanese people often ask the homeowner or business owner to know for sure whether they can comfortably wear outside shoes or not number three and do not heat while walking a famous British YouTuber named Jack recounted his shocking experience
When traveling to Japan while he was walking on the street and enjoying oaki Japanese dumplings suddenly he was looked at with unsympathetic Eyes by the people walking next to him two older men even cursed and chased him away town the guy was extremely confused when encountering such a situation and after
Finding out the reason he was even more confused in fact the unpleasant attitude that passes by gave him was only because he ate while moving an extremely normal action in most countries around the world but in Japan it becomes a very dangerous thing for you in Japan people
Do not eat or drink while traveling they believe that the of eating while traveling on the road or on the subway will affect those around them and the smell of food and chewing will create the noise will annoy others if you intentionally eat on the street you will
Be scolded by the elderly or look at you with unsympathetic eyes number two St cop sticks to pick up food for others the Japanese are truly the most sensitive people in the world they are very sensitive to tattoos touching and even quite basic acts of showing affection such as Pi picking up
Food for people to eat with a prohibited in Japan people often use chopsticks to pass the remaining bones of the deceased during cremation therefore using Chopsticks to pass food to others is considered an impolite act no different from cursing the person who gets the food sticking Chopsticks in a bowl of
Rice is also strictly prohibited the Japanese are influenced by many ideas from Confucianism and Buddhism sticking Chopsticks into a bowl of rice looks like you are burning incense for the deceased if you do that during a meal you will immediately be kicked out of the house and severely humiliated by the
Home advice for anyone who wants to go to Japan is to only use chopsticks to eat don’t do anything else with them if you don’t want to get into trouble with the Locals number whistle at night signit to with a nation Japanese children are often threatened by adults don’t whistle at night there are many opinions that whistling at night is simply a method to scare children so they can go to sleep quietly without making noise besides there are many explanations for this
There are many human stories about snakes that are often associated with whistling sounds for example a short story recounts that there was a man with a cruel mind he often killed people by controlling a poisonous snake and relying on the sound of the wind at night if he hates someone he will order
A poisonous snake to bite that person to death in fact snakes are a species that can completely perceive the sound of whistling as if calling them therefore people who train and teach snakes often use whistles to Signal them Japanese also believe that if you play the flute
At night do and demons will come there is a belief that thieves will come because in the past thieves used whistles to signal each other when you whistle the villagers May mistakenly think that you are one of their accomplice thank you for watching the video about 15 forbidden things in Japan
With us despite being famous as a developed country Japan still has many strange harsh and even discriminatory laws let’s continue to explore and learn about the Mysteries hidden deep in the culture and history of every country don’t forget to like And subscribe to discover new content together in the
Future thank you and see you on your next Adventures
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Video “15 Taboos In Japan !” was uploaded on 01/06/2024 to Youtube Channel DiscoveryQuest