{"id":85168,"date":"2025-07-10T06:14:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T20:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=85168"},"modified":"2026-02-13T06:06:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T19:06:32","slug":"japan-cultural-faux-pas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-cultural-faux-pas\/","title":{"rendered":"Travelling in Japan taught me not to fear the cultural faux pas\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Laura has always struggled with anxiety. But in Japan, she was finally able to let go.&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I step into the traditional teahouse in rural <a href=\"\/japan\">Japan<\/a>, I hear a sharp intake of breath. I freeze, shoulders tense, as I realise that my Doc Martins are about to hit the wooden floor \u2013 something I know is an absolute no-no in traditional restaurants.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Somebody&#8217;s watching me, it&#8217;s my anxiety<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve struggled with chronic anxiety my entire life, in literally every context. The good news: I&#8217;ve loved travelling for almost as long and most of my adventures have had a lovely way of resetting my chaotic brain. It\u2019s hard to ruminate on your perceived character flaws and moral failings when boating through a fjord in Norway, standing in slack-jawed admiration of the northern lights or floating in the Dead Sea.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But sometimes the voice in my head shouting &#8216;Am I good enough?&#8217; takes over.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery alignwide is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:50.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1600&#038;ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"Laura in an autumnal Nara\" data-height=\"1067\" data-id=\"85178\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?attachment_id=85178\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer.jpg\" data-width=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 2 in full-screen\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:50.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer-2.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer-2.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer-2.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer-2.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer-2.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1600&#038;ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"Laura and a deer in Nara, Japan\" data-height=\"1067\" data-id=\"85177\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?attachment_id=85177\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer-2.jpg\" data-width=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nara-Deer-2.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\" aria-label=\"Open image 2 of 2 in full-screen\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Like, on that fateful day, when my boots were about to besmirch the clean polished wood of the teahouse floor, and the tea master was preparing to explain the rules to yet another clueless foreigner. (At least that\u2019s how I was worried I was being viewed.) Realising my mistake, my face turned red, I muttered an apology cobbled together from a few rushed Duolingo lessons and stowed my shoes in the cubbies by the door. I berated myself. This wasn&#8217;t my first trip to Japan and I should have known better.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as damning as my feelings of failure felt, something funny happened during my teatime. Nothing. No lectures, no shaming and no demands for the ignorant American to put on her shoes and leave the shop. Instead, I had a lovely time sipping matcha, retrieved my boots, paid and left.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery alignwide is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:50.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Making-tea-1280x1920.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Making-tea-1280x1920.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Making-tea-1280x1920.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Making-tea-1280x1920.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1280&#038;ssl=1 1280w\" alt=\"Traditional Green Tea is served at tea house in Kyoto\" data-height=\"1920\" data-id=\"85176\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?attachment_id=85176\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Making-tea-1280x1920.jpg\" data-width=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Making-tea-1280x1920.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 2 in full-screen\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:50.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Green-tea-1280x1920.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Green-tea-1280x1920.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Green-tea-1280x1920.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Green-tea-1280x1920.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1280&#038;ssl=1 1280w\" alt=\"Traditional Green Tea is served at tea house in Kyoto\" data-height=\"1920\" data-id=\"85175\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?attachment_id=85175\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Green-tea-1280x1920.jpg\" data-width=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Green-tea-1280x1920.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\" aria-label=\"Open image 2 of 2 in full-screen\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Respect the rules \u2013 but don&#8217;t stress about them&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you believe social media, the social fabric of Japan is woven with rules. Don\u2019t talk on the subway. Carry your trash. Don\u2019t walk and eat. Stand on the correct side of the escalator. For someone with anxiety, this can lead to the belief that if you fail at meeting every unspoken expectation, then you\u2019re a disruptive traveller \u2013 one hellbent on tearing down the society you\u2019ve come to visit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh no.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2013 I\u2019m not going to argue against following cultural norms to the best of your ability. Collective actions, like keeping noise pollution on public transit to a minimum and holding onto your trash until you can find a (very rare) trash bin are part of the reason why visiting Japan is such a pleasant experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But let\u2019s pause for a reality check: even when travelling in good faith, wherever you go, you\u2019re probably going to miss the mark when it comes to local customs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes by a lot.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking back, I feel a lot of compassion for myself during that trip to Japan, worried about the moral implications of my dirty shoes. And certainly, I\u2019m now extremely diligent about removing them at traditional hotels, restaurants and teahouses. But after numerous visits, many of them over several months long as I took the opportunity to experience the country at a slower pace, my views on international etiquette have changed. I now know it\u2019s not a case of<em> if<\/em> I\u2019ll make a social error, but <em>how.&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Read more: <\/strong><a href=\"\/adventures\/tokyo-robot-cafe\/\"><strong>Forget AI: This Tokyo robot cafe is all about human connection<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Tokyo-exploring-food-market-trying-fresh-sushi.jpg\" alt=\"A group eating sushi with chopsticks in Japan\" class=\"wp-image-85179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Tokyo-exploring-food-market-trying-fresh-sushi.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Tokyo-exploring-food-market-trying-fresh-sushi-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Tokyo-exploring-food-market-trying-fresh-sushi-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Tokyo-exploring-food-market-trying-fresh-sushi-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Tokyo-exploring-food-market-trying-fresh-sushi-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Intrepid-Travel-Japan-Tokyo-exploring-food-market-trying-fresh-sushi-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Making peace with myself in Japan<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Japan has helped me to understand that those moments of learning and course correction can be a blessing. That\u2019s not to say finding out that you\u2019ve done something wrong gets any easier!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I still cringe when I think about the time when I sat in the wrong seat on the shinkansen. (Uh, I definitely didn\u2019t book the green car, aka first class, and the person whose seat I was sitting in was not amused.) Ditto for the time I forgot to tie my hair up in the onsen \u2013 which should have been self-explanatory, given that I had to scrub myself from head to toe just to get in the tub. (I now carry hair ties in nearly every bag and pocket.) Or even the sheer number of times I dropped my chopsticks before mastering them enough to finish a meal. (I have the coordination of a klutzy romcom heroine \u2013 so if I can do it, so can you.)&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But every time I\u2019ve had my behaviour gently corrected \u2013 by a train conductor, an older woman with an extra hair tie or a patient waiter \u2013 I\u2019ve never once been made to feel like my inability to read the situation was a moral failing. If anything, the willingness of locals to walk me in the right direction \u2013 sometimes literally across several train cars \u2013 has been a gift. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I remember the lessons they taught me about how society functions and how I can respect it, far more than the embarrassment of realising how much more I have to learn. In Japanese society, politeness is the social standard and harmony is a collective goal. So, while I didn&#8217;t expect it, on reflection it made sense that they would extend their core beliefs to an outsider.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those experiences made me realise something else: I\u2019m far too hard on myself. It\u2019s a truth that applies to my life on the road and at home. How much of my anxiety is rooted in not being perfect \u2013 something that\u2019s only exacerbated while travelling, when you don\u2019t have all the cultural context? Or a fear of being perceived as &#8216;less than&#8217; because I need to ask a few follow-up questions to get my bearings? And \u2013 perhaps most damning \u2013 how often does spending this much time in my head cloud my ability to appreciate travel as a transformative experience?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Approaching travel \u2013 with all its ups and downs \u2013 as an opportunity for personal growth is a skill that\u2019s taken me a long time to develop. But here\u2019s a shortcut: accept people\u2019s kindness as you learn and adapt. Japan is not a fragile country that can be undone by the scuffing of a wood floor \u2013 but being reminded to take off your shoes might help strengthen you.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Experience a unique culture and learn something new (about the place and perhaps yourself too) on one of Intrepid&#8217;s <\/strong><a href=\"\/japan\"><strong>Japan trips<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Laura was terrified of breaking Japan&#8217;s social rules &#8211; but once she accepted that it was a case of when, not if, her anxiety faded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16389,"featured_media":85183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3108],"tags":[180,21],"class_list":["post-85168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-good-stories","tag-asia","tag-japan","ipf_region-japan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.3.1 - 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