If you’re traveling through Asia, you have many options including the Philippines and Japan. With all the sights to see and things to do in Japan, who wouldn’t want to take a vacation in the Land of the Rising Sun? There are countless places to visit in Japan like the Imperial Palace, the Tokyo Tower, and Tokyo Disneyland. But that’s not all Japan is known for. The country is also known for being very conservative and superstitious. Here are some tips in observing proper Japanese etiquette so you don’t offend the locals.

1. When entering a Japanese house, you should take off your shoes and change into slippers, which are usually provided by the host.
2. When visiting temples, behave calmly and respectfully. You can show respect by saying a short prayer in front of the sacred object or by throwing a coin to the offering box.
3. At some temples, visitors burn incense in large incense burners. Buy a bundle, light them, and burn for a few seconds then extinguish the flame by waving your hands. After putting the incense in the incense burner, fan the smoke towards yourself, as the smoke is believed to have healing powers.
4. In Japan, you say “itadakimasu” (I gratefully receive”) before starting to eat, and “gochisosama (deshita)” (”Thank you for the meal”) after finishing the meal.
5. When eating, it is considered proper to empty your plate down to the last grain. Not doing so is an insult to the person who cooked the meal. Burping is also considered bad manners.

As mentioned earlier, Japan is a country that is full of superstition. Some of the things they don’t do since they are thought to cause bad luck are the following:

Whistling in the night - if you whistle in the night, a snake will come to you.

Cutting nails at night - the belief is that if you cut your nails at night, you will not be with your parents when they die.

Sticking chopsticks into the rice - this is thought to be bad luck since this practice is only done during funerals.

The number four - similar to the number 13 in Western culture, the Japanese believe this number to bring bad luck since it is pronounced the same as the word for death (shi). In some hotels and hospitals, the room number four is skipped.

Everyone has the option to believe or not to believe in superstitious practices, but it wouldn’t hurt to follow tradition especially when in a foreign country. To follow any country’s cultural beliefs is not only a way to show respect, but also a way to learn and appreciate their culture.