Get more Tips here! www.destinationtips.com The Japanese are relatively reserved and you probably won’t even realize that you’re offending them unless you follow this quick guide of things NOT to do in Japan. 1. Don’t Wear Shoes in the House They simply don’t want the dirt from the outside being trekked all over their clean floors and tatami mats. 2. Don’t Forget the Toilet Slippers The Japanese have a dedicated set of slippers for toilet usage. Every foreigner forgets to remove these at some point. 3. Don’t Expect Western Toilets If you’re lucky, you may encounter one these Super Toilets. However, many places in Japan still have this. A hole in the ground. 4. Don’t Bathe Dirty These deep “ofuro” tubs are NOT for cleaning! Get in AFTER you’ve already showered as several people may take a turn in the same hot water. 5. Don't Show Your Tattoos Tatoos are associated with Yak*za g*ngsters, so you'll often see "no tattoo" signs at pools, hotsprings, gyms and resorts. 6. Don’t Misuse Chopsticks Here are a few chopstick etiquette rules: Don’t wave them, drum, sword-f*ght, point at people, poke food, stand upright, pass food, stab food, pull dishes, lick, cross them or lay them like bridge. 7. Don’t Be Afraid to Slurp and Burp Japanese will sip, slurp, and even audibly burp throughout the meal as a polite sign that they are enjoying it! 8. Don’t Pour Your Own Drink The custom is to keep each OTHERS’ glasses full. It's challenging to keep tabs on how much you’re imbibing when someone else is constantly refilling your glass! Kanpai! 9. Stop Spreading the Germs If you’re sick in public wear a surgical mask! 10. Don’t Point to Your Chest for “Me” In Japan the gesture is to point to one’s nose! 11. Avoid the Number Four Four is a very superstitious number in Japan, akin to unlucky 13. It is pronounced ‘shi’ in Japanese, which has the same sound as their word for d**th. 12. Don’t Assume Yes means Yes Although "hi" translates to “yes”, it's more of a “uhuh, I hear you” kind of utterance. Don’t assume they’ve agreed with what your are saying. Also the Japanese rarely use a precise “no”. They prefer a subtle "maybe." or “we’ll try our best”. 'No' is considered too direct and confrontational. Yes and no questions can get very confusing. Now you know what NOT to do, enjoy your stay in this fascinating country.