While going through my travel notes for my ‘11 quirky things in Japan‘ article, I stumbled upon a word cloud which I had created in Japan at the end of my trip. The word cloud consisted of words that had come to mind, while I was reflecting on some typical daily life Japanese things I encountered and observed during my trip.

And guess what? I challenge you to try every single one of them (including complaining about the weather) ;). So here it is, my ‘Do As The Japanese Do’ For Travelers list.

11 x Do as the Japanese Do for Travelers! 

1. Read manga or sleep on the subway

Find more Manga and geeky Japan things to do in this article!

2. Eat sushi and drink sake

3. Go to an onsen (Japanese bathing house)

4. Do karaoke and sing as beautiful as you can

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5. Say ‘itadakimasu’ before dinner (meaning ‘I receive’)

6. In summer, carry a small towel around your neck

8. Take off your shoes when entering a room

7. Sleep on the floor

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9. Say -chan (child) or -san (adult) at the end of a name

10. Buy a bento box

11. Complain about the weather and say with a sigh ‘atsui’ (meaning it’s hot) or say with a brrr ‘samui’ (meaning it’s cold)

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 Have you been to Japan? Do you recognize any of the above things?

Recommended additional Japan reading: 

Staying at a female capsule hotel in Japan
Peace and quiet during a temple stay in Takayama
How much does your trip in Japan cost? 

8 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Toni! Thank you so much for this tip. I was with Japanese friends who said -chan at the end of the names, but maybe this was some sort of ‘name between friends’. I will change this in the article!

  2. Interesting and funny list. I’m keeping it for my anticipated travel in Japan. I probably won’t miss the Bento and I’m curious about the manga too though, I think I should learn to read Hiragana first. But sleeping on a subway?! Let me think about it.. =)….Enjoyed this post!

    • Haha sleeping on the subway is the best Vanessa! Distance in Tokyo are quite big, so I promise you: it will happen to you too! So, don’t forget to set an alarm!

  3. Very nice list! I managed to do about six of them during my first visit to Japan, but I’ll try the rest in October. But I don’t think I could sleep on the subway though…don’t know how they manage that!

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