Tips for Surviving in Japan

International travel is among the most self-fulfilling hobbies available to modern thrill-seekers and everyday people with a taste for the unusual. When visiting Japan, especially for the first time, it is important to keep in mind a few basic rules and guidelines to make your traveling experience a pleasant one.

First, when referring to the fascinating culture of modern Japan, there are NO basic rules or guidelines, meaning that there is nothing basic about them. When traveling for pleasure, perhaps in a large city that is familiar with tourist interaction, the standards of proper protocol are slightly more lax. To the natives that actually live in the city, they are every bit as prominent as anywhere else in Japan, but a city-dweller is more likely to recognize and accept your ignorance to their customs.

Some things, however, they will most likely hold you responsible for knowing despite how ignorantly foreign you may appear. The as-basic-as-its-gonna-get survival guidelines are as follows:

1. In Japan, cars drive on the LEFT side of the road. If you, for any reason, feel the urge to avoid Japan's fabulous, fuel-efficient and cost effective public transportation system and pilot a car for yourself, you are not likely to be easily forgiven if caught barreling down the highway into oncoming traffic, shaking your fists and cursing at the other crazy drivers going the “wrong way.” Most locations have a wide variety of inter-city travel options, such as busses, trains, trolleys, and subways designed to provide maximum mobility for even the most culturally impaired of tourists.
2. Carry a dictionary. Yes, language is an important tool for communication in pretty much every form, and no, not every member or every other country in the world knows English. If you find yourself lost, or in need of any other vital information, it is not always wise to walk up to just anyone and start asking them where stuff is in English. It is true, most Japanese citizens were required to take English as a language at some point throughout their high school education, but a surprising few have actually retained it or are exceptionally willing to use it. Japanese people may appear to be very friendly and overwhelmingly helpful, and most all of them are, but if they cannot understand what you are saying, then you are both likely to only end up frustrated and further confused. In some horrifying and rare instances, Japanese people have been known to shake off insistent, ignorant tourists by simply pointing them in a random direction without having the slightest clue what anyone was asking, just to get rid of them (*raises hand). If this happens, and you find yourself stranded in a shady part of town after dark, find a police officer (they often patrol on most major streets in large cities, making them easy to find) and ask directions from them. Most have had extensive training in English and handle confused-tourist woes all the time. Normally, if you can feed someone a few key words from your dictionary, they'll be able to figure out what you need, but the trick with that is understanding what they're saying when they've accurately assessed your needs and then try to offer help.
3. Japanese money is not American money. In Japan, they use Yen, and it is exceptionally important to become familiar with the exchange rates of Yen to dollars and reverse, and what the Yen value of certain products and services is. If you don't go in knowing what you SHOULD be paying for something, it is easy for merchants to take advantage of you and try to sell you a pack of gum for the equivalent of five American dollars.
4. Try to have a plan and know exactly where you're going before you try to get there. That's pretty much standard anywhere you go, but is especially important when navigating yourself through some of Japan's uniquely maze-like cityscapes.
5. Avoid the subway at rush hour. You will be literally “packed in” with an impossible number of sweaty strangers. It is not uncommon, quite seriously, for limbs to be broken during the transit or for babies to be smothered. If your destination is within a mile or two, do as the Japanese do and walk. You will see much more of the city that way and experience a lot more of the colorful, pleasing bouquet that is Japan. If you wish to travel a considerable distance, take a bus, trolley, or cab, if available. WOMEN!!: The subway is one of the few places where it is important to be exceptionally aware of yourself and the people (men) around you. Understanding that most men are very proud, mostly quiet and reserved, while Japanese women are meek, passive, and non-confrontational, can give you a better insight into why certain things Americans deem inappropriate, such as groping strangers on the morning transit to work, does not appear to seem inappropriate to many Japanese men. Many female tourists get violated on the trains, and if this should ever happen to you, treat the situation exactly as you would in America. Slap, kick, mace, do whatever it takes to get the point across and draw as much attention to the offending pervert as possible, and then alert the nearest authorities.
6. Avoid eating while walking. It's considered very rude. To be safe, try not to eat in public at all.
7. DO NOT LITTER. You should notice pretty quickly how amazingly clean and virtually litter-free most places in Japan are, even the big cities. They take a lot of pride in their cleanliness and frown heavily upon those who disrespect their clean streets. In Tokyo, it can be hard to find trash cans out-of-doors, as they give a bad appearance to the layout of the sidewalks, so keep that in mind while walking around.
8. Don't tip the waitress. I know that sounds off, but in Japan, waitresses will normally not accept tips, and some will consider it an insult if you try. They are paid like any other employee, so additional money is not considered a part of their fair wages. If one truly desires to show their gratitude to a waitress in a tangible manner, leave them a small gift, but it is certainly not required or expected.
9. Some tourists live and die by the way they wield their chopsticks. You probably won't be expected to know all the rules right away, but some basic ones include (1) no sucking on the chopsticks (2) no pointing at other people with the chopsticks (3) no sticking the chopsticks in rice (4) no passing food from chopstick to chopstick and (5) no serving food or passing food to another plate with the eating end of a chopstick. If you are uncomfortable with your chopstick skill level, carry your own fork with you. Not many restaurants can readily provide them, but I have never known a Japanese person to be offended by their use.
10. Some personal products are not so easily available in all of Japan. Certain items that can sometimes be tricky to find include deodorant (don't ask me why), tampons, and specific shades of makeup. Bring your own. Also, many of the hair products available, such as shampoos and conditioners, are designed for Japanese hair, which is often considerably coarser than what most Caucasians have, the result being that the Japanese products will often make your hair much more oily than what you may deem comfortable.
11. Just eat it. Don't always feel like you have to ask what's in a specific dish. Sometimes, you may not like the answer. If you open yourself up to simply try as many things as you possibly can, you are more likely to find unusual, unique dishes that you enjoy.
12. Respect the shrines. Tokyo is dotted with innumerable shrines and temples. Most of these are open to the public, but be respectful when visiting these landmarks as they are often historical and hold some religious value to many citizens.
13. Don't mess too much with the buttons on the toilets. Unless you have a taste for adventure of an unusual breed, some of the functions of the toilet require some mental preparation. Before actually “using” the toilet, fiddle a little with the control panel to find out which button does what, and mark the symbol for the button for “flush” somewhere where you can refer to it later.
14. If you are involved in an international incident of any kind, have the number to the American Consular on speed dial. If you lose your passport, or require legal assistance, they'll be your best friends.

Japan is a fascinating, beautiful, and thoroughly enjoyable country for those who have the proper common sense to survive out in the general public. Try not to let the rules and customs overwhelm you or make you hesitant to experience the country to its fullest potential. Japan has so much to offer to those who are genuinely interested in making the most of its hospitality.