Local Rules
Escalator Etiquette in Japan: Which Side to Stand On, and the Law That Says Don’t Walk
Stand left in Tokyo, stand right in Osaka, and in Saitama Prefecture walking on an escalator has been against a local ordinance…
Line E · Etiquette
Local Rules
Line E — the written and unwritten codes. Onsen and tattoo policies, shoes at the door, garbage sorting, queueing, temple and shrine conduct. The rules locals learn as children and visitors are expected to already know.
13 guides
Local Rules
Chopstick Etiquette in Japan: The Two Rules That Actually Matter
Chopstick etiquette in Japan, sorted by what actually matters: the two funeral-echoing gestures to avoid, the smaller habits nobody really minds, and…
Local Rules
Korean Etiquette: Table Manners, Drinking and Local Rules
Korean etiquette for visitors: the bow, table manners, drinking rules, what to wear and the 2026 laws that catch tourists out.
Local Rules
What to Wear in Vietnam: Dress Code, Etiquette and Laws in 2026
What to wear in Vietnam by region and season, the dress code for pagodas, Hue's royal sites and the Ho Chi Minh…
Local Rules
What to Wear in Thailand: Temple Dress Code, Etiquette and Local Laws in 2026
What to wear in Thailand by season and region, the Grand Palace and temple dress code, wai and monk etiquette, and the…
Local Rules
Eating While Walking in Japan: The Real Rule, and Where It Doesn’t Apply
No law bans it, but a real custom does: buy, step aside, finish, then walk on. Where that habit matters most, the…
Local Rules
Shrine Etiquette in Japan: The Bow, the Bell, and the Purification Fountain
No dress code and no entrance fee at most shrines, but a real sequence to get right: bow at the torii, wash…
Local Rules
Drone Laws in Japan: Registration, No-Fly Zones and the Rules Tourists Miss
Almost every city center in Japan is a legal no-fly zone, and any drone over 100 grams must be registered before it…
Local Rules
Can You Smoke in Japan? Indoor Bans, Street Fines and the Vaping Trap
Indoors has been banned almost everywhere since 2020, but plenty of streets ban it too — the reverse of what most visitors…
Local Rules
Shoes Off in Japan: Where, When and How
The genkan, the slipper hierarchy, the tatami rule, and how to spot the boundary before you cross it in your boots. Plus…
Local Rules
Japan Garbage Sorting Rules for Visitors (and Why There Are No Bins)
Japan is spotless and has almost no public bins. Where rubbish actually goes, how the categories work, and the routine that stops…
Local Rules
Onsen Tattoo Rules in Japan: Where You Can Bathe and What to Do Instead
Many hot springs still refuse tattooed guests. Why the rule exists, how strictly it is applied, cover stickers, private baths, and how…