Kamiza is often explained as “the seat farthest from the entrance.” That is a useful basic rule, but real rooms are not always that simple. Some have two doors, and in others it may not be obvious which doorway should count as the main e...

Japan’s National Pension system divides insured people into three categories: Category I, Category II, and Category III. The numbers may sound as if they refer to three different pension plans or different levels of coverage, but they do...

Tokyo’s 23 special wards are the 23 local governments that make up the central part of Tokyo. Shinjuku, Shibuya, Setagaya, and Minato are examples. Each ward has its own mayor and assembly and handles many services that directly affect r...

Gokon and machikon are both ways of meeting potential romantic partners in Japan, but they work quite differently. **A gokon is usually a small gathering where you may know a little about the other participants in advance. A machikon inv...

One of the biggest challenges of gardening in Japanese cities is limited sunlight. On apartment balconies and in small residential gardens, nearby buildings, railings, and walls can block more light than people expect. In those situation...

A daruma with only one eye filled in is not unfinished. **It represents a wish that has not yet been fulfilled.** In the best-known form of this custom, you first fill in one eye when you make a wish or set a goal. Then, when the wish co...

In Japan, seeing someone often, drinking together, or spending time in the same group does not necessarily mean you have become truly close. Two people may look very friendly within a group but rarely meet one-on-one or ask each other fo...

In Japan, there is a widely known belief that keeping a piece of shed snakeskin in your wallet can bring good luck with money. Even people who have never done it themselves often know that snakeskin is supposed to bring good luck with mo...

At a sushi restaurant, omakase means leaving the selection, order, and overall flow of the meal to the chef instead of choosing each piece yourself. It is not simply a way of saying, “Just bring me whatever you recommend.” The point is t...

In Japan, travelers can send large bags ahead to their next hotel using a delivery service. But it is risky to assume that a hotel will accept and store your luggage no matter when it arrives. Each hotel has its own rules about how early...

When Japanese people are asked about their religion, many answer, “None in particular” or “I’m not religious.” This does not necessarily mean that they reject religion or deny the existence of gods and spiritual beings. Someone may visit...

If you spend enough time in Japan, you will eventually hear someone say that a person “cannot read the air.” The Japanese expression is *kūki o yomu*, literally “to read the air,” but in English it is closer to “reading the room” than to...

*Engi ga ii* means that something feels like a good sign, while *engi ga warui* means that it feels like a bad sign. This does not usually mean that Japanese people believe the future is certain to turn out a particular way. Most people ...

In Japanese, *kazoku*, or “family,” does not always refer to exactly the same group of people. In everyday conversation, it usually means the people who make up your current household, rather than everyone related to you by blood. For ex...

Japanese convenience stores are not only places to buy lunch, drinks, snacks, and daily necessities. You can also use them to take care of many small but important tasks in everyday life. One of the most commonly used services is the ATM...

Japan’s railways are not all operated by the same company. JR lines, private railways, and subways are run by different organizations, and each has its own fare and ticket system. JR developed from the former Japanese National Railways, ...

In Japan, if someone bows to you and you give no response at all, it can come across as rude. That does not mean people will immediately assume you ignored them on purpose. Bowing back is such an automatic response for many Japanese peop...

Shukatsu is the Japanese term for the job-hunting process that students go through before graduating. It is different from ordinary job searching, where people begin looking for work whenever they need a new position. In Japan, many univ...

The main reason is simple: many Japanese homes, especially in large cities, are compact. In a typical urban apartment, the available floor space has to be divided among the living room, bedrooms, bathroom, storage, and everything else a ...

In Japan, a dish called “vegetable curry” or “vegetable ramen” may still contain meat or fish. To a foreign visitor, this can seem confusing. If the word “vegetable” is in the name, it may sound as though the dish should be free of meat ...