Japan Travel Tips: What Japanese People Actually Say
From Japanese YouTube comments, translated into English
The closures, price hikes, crowd warnings, and etiquette notes Japanese commenters drop in the comments — often fresher than any guidebook. We translate the top ones and keep the like counts. Every quote links back to the source video.
39 rules that apply anywhere in Japan
Grouped by situation. Every answer comes from Japanese people, with the likes behind it.
Trains, buses & taxis14
- Is It Rude to Do Makeup on a Train in Japan?
Past lipstick, mostly yes. A leading Japanese answer (40,807 likes) says stop at lips; powder and brushes that hit the next rider are the problem.
41,495 likes
- Japanese people splitIs the Seishun 18 Ticket Still Worth It? What Japanese Say
Only if you ride far on back-to-back days. Japanese riders say the 3- and 5-day version suits rail fans, not workers or day-trippers (802 likes).
2,181 likes
- Is It Rude to Talk on the Phone on a Train in Japan?
1,961 Japanese comments on why you can't talk on the phone on trains in Japan: it's volume, not law (979 likes), and what riders do when it rings.
1,260 likes
- Shinkansen Reserved vs Unreserved: Why Free Seats Shrink
Japanese riders back the phase-out of shinkansen unreserved cars, and share the tactic that works: "only ever board at the origin station" (519 likes).
1,124 likes
- Night Bus or Shinkansen in Japan? What Japanese Riders Pick
Night bus or shinkansen? Japanese riders' top answer (880 likes) is the Sunrise sleeper train. Why bus fans still ride, and the seat rule they insist on.
880 likes
- Shinkansen Oversized Luggage: the Free Booking Rule
633 comments on unbooked use of the shinkansen's oversized-luggage space — the top reply (575 likes) likens it to parking in someone else's spot.
575 likes
- Can You Take a Stroller on Trains in Japan? Riders Answer
Yes, and Japan's official stroller mark says you needn't fold it. But 525 likes say a Tokyo rush-hour train has no room to yield: ride off-peak.
525 likes
- Japan Escalator Etiquette: Left or Right? Riders Are Split
Japan's railways now ask riders to stand on both sides and not walk — and 1,549 comments show why it hasn't stuck: hatred of single-file queues.
459 likes
- Do You Need a Suica Card in Japan? The One Limit
Do you need a Suica card in Japan? Yes — but 665 comments explain why no IC card crosses Japan's fare regions in one tap, and the workarounds riders use.
349 likes
- How to Get a Taxi in Japan: What Drivers Ask You Not to Do
Order one taxi app, not two: the request Japanese drivers repeat (335 likes) in a 796-comment thread, plus why no cab comes at all outside the big cities.
335 likes
- Is It Rude to Recline Your Seat on the Shinkansen?
English guides say ask first. In an 824-comment thread Japanese riders say don't ask — announce. Top comment (239 likes): "I'm reclining", not "may I?".
239 likes
- Should You Wear Your Backpack in Front on Japan's Trains?
Japan put front-carried backpacks on its rail nuisance list. In the top 100 of 305 comments, commuters say the back is worse (60 likes) and skip the rack.
120 likes
- Japanese people splitIs the JR Pass Worth It in 2026? After the 70% Hike
Is the JR Pass worth it after the roughly 70% hike? The Japanese verdict tourists rarely hear: it was too cheap all along (116 and 115 likes).
116 likes
- Can You Smoke on the Shinkansen? No, Since March 2024
No: every onboard smoking room on the shinkansen closed in March 2024. Japanese riders mostly welcomed it, 69 likes on the top comment. Where they smoke.
69 likes
Eating & drinking7
- Can You Share Food at a Japanese Restaurant? Ramen Answer
Usually yes, once everyone has ordered their own bowl. Top reply on a ramen-sharing row (8,048 likes): ask the staff on the spot. The shop decides.
8,048 likes
- Can You Eat Inside a Convenience Store in Japan? Yes, But
Yes, where there is an eat-in counter. Eating in is taxed at 10% rather than 8% if you declare it, and konbini staff say almost nobody declares.
4,381 likes
- Chopstick Etiquette in Japan: Do People Notice Your Grip?
Yes. Japanese adults notice a crossed or clumsy chopstick grip, but refusing to fix it is judged harder (2,993 likes). Fixers say it took days to weeks.
2,993 likes
- What Is Otoshi? Can You Refuse the Izakaya Charge in Japan
Can you refuse otoshi? In the top 200 of 1,255 comments the rule is: decline the dish, still pay the seat charge — plus the izakaya chains with none.
1,176 likes
- Japanese people splitWhat Is Ekiben? And Are Japan's Station Bento Worth It
Top 200 of 615 comments on why ekiben are vanishing: Japanese riders blame 30-second stops and sealed windows — and split on whether they're worth it.
258 likes
- Can You Buy Food on the Shinkansen? The Cart Is Gone
The Tokaido Shinkansen trolley is gone. Japanese riders say they had already quit it: the top answer (137 likes) is to buy at the station before you board.
192 likes
- Is It Rude to Slurp Noodles in Japan? What Japanese Say
No. Japanese commenters call slurping ramen and soba normal; the top reply (82 likes) says if it bothers you, don't eat out. Only overly loud slurps grate.
82 likes
Manners in public8
- Why Do Japanese People Wear Masks? Japan Answers
Why do Japanese people wear masks? In the top 200 of 11,939 comments the top reason (8,684 likes) is a face they'd rather hide — and when it comes off.
8,684 likes
- Are Kids Allowed in Restaurants in Japan? Japanese Answer
Yes, at most places. The top Japanese reply (7,400 likes): no one is angry at crying kids, only at parents who leave them to it. Some shops post rules.
7,400 likes
- How Much to Put in a Japanese Shrine Offering Box
A shrine asked visitors to stop offering 1-yen coins. Top 200 of 3,545 comments: Japanese say start at 10 yen (648 likes) — and why coins cost shrines.
3,696 likes
- Is It Rude to Blow Your Nose in Japan? Japanese Answer
Blowing your nose at the table is rude in Japan, but Japanese commenters say sniffling is worse: 353 likes on that complaint, 184 want it called out here.
2,687 likes
- Is It Rude to Wear Perfume in Japan? Japanese Answer
A little perfume is fine in Japan; a heavy spray bothers people. 1,079 likes back a light touch as just right, and commenters explain where they apply it.
1,079 likes
- Is It Rude to Wear Sunglasses in Japan? Japanese Answer
Is it rude to wear sunglasses in Japan? No rule or law bans them — the pushback is social, aimed at customer-facing staff. Drivers: 844 likes for safety.
844 likes
- How Many Claps at a Japanese Shrine? What Japanese Do
Two claps is the safe default — but in an 849-comment thread under a Shinto priest's video, Japanese visitors name shrines that clap four, five, even 17.
461 likes
- Why Are There No Trash Cans in Japan? Japanese Explain
Japan pulled its public bins — in the top 123 of 155 comments Japanese viewers call terrorism the excuse, not the reason. Plus where they put rubbish now.
83 likes
Money, konbini & shopping3
- Can You Use Convenience Store Toilets in Japan? The Rule
2,827 Japanese comments on whether you must buy something to use a konbini toilet: the 979-like rule, what counts, and why some stores now refuse.
1,514 likes
- Do You Need Cash in Japan? Why Cheap Shops Refuse Cards
Do you still need cash in Japan? Japanese shoppers say yes at cheap supermarkets and small owner-run shops, and 928 likes explain why: card fees.
928 likes
- Japanese people splitIs Don Quijote Cheap? What Japanese Shoppers Say
Not really. The top comment (359 likes) says Don Quijote isn't that cheap; Japanese shoppers buy groceries elsewhere and go to Donki for specific bargains.
359 likesWhere to go instead →
Cycling rules4
- Can You Ride a Bike on the Sidewalk in Japan? 2026 Fines
Japan now fines sidewalk cycling ¥6,000. Under a TV explainer of the 2026 rules, 1,927 likes say the roads are too narrow to obey it — plus the workaround.
1,927 likes
- Can You Wear Earphones While Cycling in Japan?
Yes, if one ear stays open: one earbud or open-ear headphones are legal while you can hear traffic. Both ears sealed risks a ¥5,000 ticket (314 likes).
759 likes
- Can You Drink and Cycle in Japan? What Japanese Riders Say
Can you drink and cycle in Japan? No. It has been a crime since November 2024, and 896 riders lost car licenses in 2025. What Japanese riders say.
441 likes
- Do You Need a Helmet to Cycle in Japan? The Real Rule
Japan's bike helmet rule is an "effort duty" with no fine — under a day-one news report, 75 likes say: make it mandatory and we'll wear one. Most don't.
95 likes
Seasons & holidays3
- What Is Open in Japan During New Year? The Japanese Answer
A TV report on New Year shop closures drew 477 likes for "let's just take New Year off." Which Japanese supermarkets shut, which stay open, what to buy.
477 likes
- Do Japanese People Still Ski? Lift Prices Priced Them Out
Kagura's adult day pass was 7,500 yen in 2025-26. Japanese skiers on the 30,000 yen day, who has quit, and the small local hills they name instead.
132 likesWhere to go instead →
- Japan's Year-End Rush: Shinkansen Without a Reservation?
Not on the Nozomi, which is all-reserved over New Year. On the Hikari, Japanese riders say board at Tokyo and let a train or two go (39 likes).
56 likes
City tips and guides
- Is Umeda Station Confusing? What Japanese Commenters Say
Yes, even for Osaka people: a top comment (1,720 likes) says Umeda's basement floors blur together. Plus the landmarks to learn and a Shin-Osaka tip.
1,844 likes
- Is Kyoto Dual Pricing Fair? What Japanese Commenters Say
Fair or not, it won't empty the buses: a Kyoto local (12 likes) says visitors ride because there is no other option. Take the train instead.
39 likes
- Japan in Winter: Do Tokyo Trains Stop for Snow?
Mostly the fully underground lines keep going. Japanese riders single out the Toei Oedo Line (621 likes) and say through-running lines pick up delays.
621 likesWhere to go instead →
- Japan in December: What Japanese Say About Winter Travel
JR's off-peak weekdays, then the New Year shutdown. Japanese comments on closures, cold, snow-country onsen and skiing, plus hotel prices tracked daily.
- Japan Trip Cost 2026: Is Japan Expensive? Hotels, Food, Rail
What a Japan trip costs in 2026: hotel prices in 8 cities measured every morning, plus what Japanese commenters say about food, rail passes and tickets.
- Getting Around Japan: What Japanese Riders Say
218 of 931 Japan travel questions were about getting around. Japanese riders answer them: shinkansen seats, airport trains, taxis and the rules on board.
FAQ
- Where do these come from?
- From the comment sections of Japanese YouTube videos — food crawls, hidden-gem tours, honest reviews. We quote real comments only, show the actual like counts at the time of collection, and link back to the source video.
- How accurate are the translations?
- Each quote keeps the original Japanese alongside the English. We adapt slang so it reads naturally, but we never change the meaning or invent comments.