While flip flops are a big no-no for most occasions (save for a trip to the beach or a midnight run to the conbini), comfy ballet flats, loafers, boat shoes, or even a nice pair of slip-on sneakers are practical options. You might also notice that open-toed shoes and sandals are uncommon.
Avoid things like tank tops, shorts, and mini-skirts. Opting for more conservative clothing is always a safe bet even if you don't plan to visit temples or shrines. It's also generally frowned upon for women to show cleavage. Clothing with offensive messages or designs.
Pointing at people or things is considered rude in Japan. Instead of using a finger to point at something, the Japanese use a hand to gently wave at what they would like to indicate. When referring to themselves, people will use their forefinger to touch their nose instead of pointing at themselves.
Zori and Geta
The country of Japan has a long and interesting history with flip flop styles of footwear. Zori are simple with a unique aesthetic and can be made of wood and other natural materials. Then there are "Geta", also typically in wood, which I could only describe as a combination of platform shoes and stilts.
In Japan, it is considered bad manners to leave food behind in restaurants. This is because leaving something that was made for you is considered disrespectful to the person who made it.
The answer to this is quite simple… not often. It is not usual in Japan to use swear words or bad language in public. Of course, you certainly shouldn't say any of the following swear words in Japanese or phrases to anyone higher up than you, as Japanese is a very respectful language and culture.
While you may be accustomed to chatting with your traveling companions while using public transportation, this is not the norm in Japan. Loud chatter or other disturbance is considered rude. You may notice that most Japanese train passengers stand or sit in silence.
Slipper etiquette
Remove your slippers before stepping onto tatami and place them neatly outside the tatami room. Furthermore, separate toilet slippers are often provided for use inside washrooms. The regular slippers are left outside the door when using the washroom.
Flip-flops in popular culture
For Latinos, "La Chancla" (the flip-flop), held or thrown, is a tool of child discipline. In public, sassing back to one's mother is well known to elicit being wacked on the head with a flip-flop. At home, thrown, to the same effect.
In most Japanese schools, everyone has to change out of their outside shoes and into their inside shoes (called Uwabaki or Uwagutsu) when they enter the school. By wearing indoor shoes they avoid bringing in dirt from outside.
In Japan, touching another person's body is considered rude, even with friends or family. Hugging and kissing are mostly for couples. Our editor Kanako said that she's never hugged any of her family members as a grown woman. She hugs her foreign friends but not the Japanese ones.
In Japan it's considered rude to yawn openly. Happily, you at least get to cover your mouth if you can't stop that yawn ... Prolonged eye contact (staring) is considered rude. Don't show affection, such as hugging or shoulder slapping, in public.
In Japan, crossing one's legs is seen as disrespectful. It is because when you do this you show the bottom of your feet to guests, and since they have picked up dirt, you are showing that dirt to your guests. This makes for very bad business relations.
It is generally acceptable to wear red in Japan, but some contexts such as religious sites or funerals may require more subdued colors like black or white. Neutral colors like black, gray, navy blue, light ... In short: Yes.
Trousers are fine, jeans are fine, skirts are fine. Many Japanese young women are covered up A LOT on the top half but have very short shirts and that seems to be fine, for some reason. If you do this, just keep in mind that you will be bending down to take shoes on and off, more often than normal.
The best outfits to wear as a tourist in Japan feature stylish, fitted tops and jeans or slacks. Japan rocks a fashion-forward style but maintains a more conservative fashion sense as well, avoiding things like crop tops, sweatpants, or low-cut tops.
According to YourOverseasHome.com, flip flops are banned on the island of Capri, in Italy, as it is illegal to wear “excessively noisy” footwear because locals value their “peace and quiet”. However, tourists can carry noisy shoes and wear them in the rest of Italy.
Don't wear flip-flops while walking long distances. Even the sturdiest flip-flops offer little in terms of shock absorption and arch support.
Wearing flip-flops can increase the risk of glass cuts, stubbed or broken toes and torn nail beds. You even expose your feet to the possibility of heavy objects crushing your toes. Flip-flops are notorious for worsening your existing problems, too.
If you've visited Japan, been in a Japanese home, or establishment, you may have noticed the custom of taking off shoes before entering. This is a custom practiced in Japanese homes, accommodations, restaurants, temples, and even some hospitals and hotels.
Japanese have developed the custom of eating meals sitting on tatami mats, not on chairs. They also roll out the futon on which they sleep on the tatami floor. Therefore, they take their shoes off when entering the house to avoid getting the floor dirty.
Most Japanese people will take off their shoes in their houses. So a Japanese home will very often have a designated place to leave shoes right after entering a home, even if there is not much space. This small space right after the entrance is called a 'genkan'.
PDA or public displays of affection might be common in your country but in Japan most couples will avoid kissing or hugging in public. Holding hands is popular, though. Even when first meeting up with a girlfriend or boyfriend or saying goodbye at the end of the night, Japanese people rarely hug or kiss.
Fortunately, your smile is unlikely to be considered rude or offensive, but it might cause misunderstanding since it is not a part of Japanese culture.
Japanese tend not to eat while walking along or standing around on the street. However, it is acceptable to drink while standing aside a vending machine. Eating and drinking on local trains, but not long distance express trains, is also frowned upon.