Manners in Japan ~ living version ~

It is better to know the Japanese manners and customs for visiting and living in Japan. Here are some manners so please put them on your mind and enjoy Japan!
How to take the public bath!

Blue Ridge Hotel in Hyogo prefecture. Home page is above.

Before taking the big bath tab, you must wash your body first to keep better clean the hot water in a bath tab.
There are showers, chairs, and mirrors outside bath tab. You wash your body there. After clean, then you can enjoy the bath!

Do it at home!

It may be the same with your countries. Do not make up in the train because it is the public space. Also it is prohibited to talk on the phone in the train.
Besides, you must turn off the cell phone around the priority seats because the radio wave from the cell phone affects to the heart pacemakers.
Escalator manner

We stay left side of escalator. People, who are in hurry, take right side and step on escalator. However, recently the railroads companies recommend to not to walk on steps even you are hurry to keep customers safety.

Cover your mouth and nose with mask if you are sick!

Mask is one of the must items to live in Japan. In the spring and autumn, there are many pollen allergy people put the mask to avoid inhale the pollen in eyes and nose. And sneeze and cough are impolite in public especially in the trains.
During the winter, we put the mask again to avoid virus to catch the sick. If you have symptom of sick, you must put the mask to avoid spread the virus.
We don’t think wearing mask looks strange at all.

Mask becomes one of the fashions and these cute and colorful masks are sold!

Manner at shrines

There is a place to clean your hand and mouth near the gate in shrines.

Dazaif tenmangu in Fukuoka prefecture

Take ladle with full of water on your right hand, and clean your left hand. Change hand and clean right hand. Pour water on your left hand and put it in your mouth and rinse. Clean your left hand again. Then stand the ladle, the water drops and cleans it.

Tokyo Daijingu

After you clean your hands and mouth, you can move to main shrine.
The next picture is showing to correct way to worship.

Tooka ebisu jinja in Fukuoka prefecture

Bow once.
Bow again but deeply this time.
Applause twice.
Bow deeply.
And bow again.

coulmun