<h2 class=”slide-title-text”>Don’t break the rules of chopstick etiquette.</h2>
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The Japanese will be impressed if you’re comfortable using chopsticks. But making the following faux pas will definitely raise eyebrows. Never stick your chopsticks vertically in your bowl of rice — this resembles a funeral ritual. If you need to put them down, always use the chopstick holder next to your plate. Avoid using your chopsticks to pass food to someone else’s chopsticks, as this is another taboo. When sharing dishes, use your chopsticks to take the food and put it on your own plate before eating it. And don’t rub your chopsticks together – it’s rude.

 
<h2 class=”slide-title-text”>Don’t wear shoes indoors.</h2>
If you’re visiting a Japanese home, your shoes should be immediately removed once you’re through the door. “Outdoor” shoes are considered unclean, and for this reason they’re replaced with “indoor” slippers at the entranceway. This no-shoe rule also extends to traditional ryoken hotels, some public spaces like temples and shrines, and schools and hospitals. If you see shoes lined up at a doorway or entrance then you can be sure that they must be removed, and usually slippers will be available for you to slip on.

 
<h2 class=”slide-title-text”>Don’t ignore the queuing system.</h2>
 

The Japanese love to line up in orderly single file whether they’re waiting at a bus stop, on a train platform, or even for the elevator! On platforms at train stations, there are lines on the floor indicating where to stand and wait for your train. When the train arrives, the doors will open exactly in-between the two parallel lines that have been formed by waiting commuters. Needless to say, do wait until passengers have left the train before boarding single file.