Japan Etiquette Quiz
How well do you understand what Japanese people actually think?
10 questions · 2-3 minutes · No sign-up needed
These figures come from public Japanese-language posts we collected and read by hand — a window into real feelings, not a scientific poll.
Theme quizzes
Shorter rounds, one scene at a time — same real voices, new territory.
What this quiz covers — 10 real scenarios
Each question is a real moment from a trip: shoes at the door, a phone on a quiet train, a small towel by an onsen bath. You predict first — then the quiz reveals what share of the Japanese voices we collected actually minded, or smiled. The percentages stay hidden until you play; that's the fun part.
- Holding chopsticks in an unusual wayDining · Relax — most don't mind
- Entering a home with shoes onAt home · This one matters
- Trying a few words of JapaneseLanguage · Relax — most don't mind
- Being photographed without being askedPhotos · This one matters
- Leaving a tipMoney · It depends
- Saying 'itadakimasu' before eatingDining · Relax — most don't mind
- Giving a small bowGreetings · Relax — most don't mind
- A visible tattoo in an onsenOnsen · It depends
- Talking on the phone on a trainTrains · It depends
- Standing chopsticks upright in riceDining · This one matters
Questions travelers ask about Japanese etiquette
What are 5 Japanese etiquette rules?
Five moments come up again and again in the Japanese voices we collected: taking your shoes off at the door, saying “itadakimasu” before a meal, keeping phone calls off quiet trains, asking before photographing someone, and rinsing off before entering an onsen bath. None of them needs to be perfect — the voices soften quickly when they see a visitor trying.
What Actually Matters (And What Doesn't): A Temperature Guide to Japanese Etiquette →
What should you not do in Japan as a tourist?
The “don't do this” lists look long, but the voices we collected point somewhere gentler: most don't expect visitors to know every rule. The moments they mention most are shoes worn indoors, loud phone calls on quiet trains, and chopsticks stuck upright in rice — each easy to get right once you've seen it. In the voices, delight at small efforts far outweighs complaints about small mistakes.
Culture Shock — Explained by Japanese People: 'Here's Why We Do These Things' →
Is it rude to tip in Japan?
Tipping isn't part of everyday life in Japan — restaurants, taxis and hotels simply don't expect it, and staff may politely decline or even hurry after you to return the money. Of the voices we collected on tipping, most described confusion or a warm “the thought is enough” rather than offense. In those voices, a spoken thank-you — “gochisousama” after a meal — was welcomed far more often than money.
Do Japanese people get upset when tourists make etiquette mistakes?
In the voices we collected, reactions to honest mistakes are mostly quiet — many said they would never point one out, and plenty admitted Japanese people get the same things “wrong” too. What comes through far more strongly is delight at small efforts: a light bow, a tried “sumimasen”, shoes lined up at the door. The gap between what visitors fear and what the voices actually say is exactly what this quiz measures.
How these numbers are made
Every percentage in this quiz comes from 635 Japanese-language public posts we collected and read by hand, one by one — voices from Q&A sites and social posts, with each question tied to its own named collection. It's a window into real feelings, not a scientific survey or a population poll. Where our linked articles use numbers, they cite public data and major press; where they use feelings, they quote the voices themselves.