★THE TRIP HYPE✦Japan’s now, delivered pop★MODERN VOYAGE & TECH✦Food · Shopping · Things to Do · Know-How · Culture★THE TRIP HYPE✦Japan’s now, delivered pop★MODERN VOYAGE & TECH✦Food · Shopping · Things to Do · Know-How · Culture

★THE TRIP HYPE✦Japan’s now, delivered pop★MODERN VOYAGE & TECH✦Food · Shopping · Things to Do · Know-How · Culture★THE TRIP HYPE✦Japan’s now, delivered pop★MODERN VOYAGE & TECH✦Food · Shopping · Things to Do · Know-How · Culture

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#Japanese Culture

Customs, etiquette, traditions, and cultural insights to help you get the most out of your trip to Japan.

89 articles

The character "dai" burning on the dark slope of Daimonji-yama above Kyoto

Kyoto Daimonji 2026: 4 Official Spots for the Aug 16 Okuribi Fires (8 p.m.)

A bronze statue of an Awa Odori dancer beside a bridge over the Shinmachi River in Tokushima, with strings of red and yellow lanterns hung along the street under a blue sky.

Awa Odori Tokushima 2026: Tickets, Dates, and Paid vs Free Viewing

Dancers (ren) performing at a Koenji Awa Odori stage as crowds line the street on a summer evening

Koenji Awa Odori 2026: August 29–30, Paid Seats, Free Viewing & Road Closures

Rows of glowing paper lanterns strung on bamboo poles against the night sky at the Akita Kanto Festival, each brushed with kanji and clustered like ears of rice.

Akita Kanto Festival 2026 (August 3–6): Which Night to Go — Tickets, Food Stalls, Drone Show

Several hands dropping plastic waste—water bottles and clear food containers—into a full trash bag against a green background, illustrating waste sorting and recycling.

No Trash Cans in Japan? Where to Throw Away Your Garbage (2026 Guide)

A yearly calendar on a wooden desk viewed through a black magnifying glass, with June and October dates enlarged under the lens, decorated with a small white flower and green ivy in the corner—evoking date-checking or trip planning.

Japan Public Holidays 2026 (Jul-Dec): Banks Close, Konbini Doesn't

A temple approach shopping street (Nakamise) decorated for a summer furin (wind chime) market: rows of colorful glass wind chimes with paper strips overhead, blue banners, five-color Buddhist flags, and senbei and other shops, with a temple gate in the distance. Signage reads "Kawasaki Daishi."

Kawasaki Daishi Wind Chime Festival 2026: 800+ Furin Near Tokyo, Dates & Daruma Charm

Unaju: tare-glazed grilled eel (unagi kabayaki) over white rice in a black lacquered box, garnished with a sprig of kinome (sansho leaf), with a piece being lifted on wooden chopsticks in the foreground.

Unagi Day 2026 (Doyo no Ushi no Hi): Why Japan Eats Eel on July 26

A staff member handing a mug of draft beer to a customer at an izakaya counter, with a second frothy beer and a small plate with chopsticks on the wooden countertop.

How to Order at a Japanese Restaurant in 2026: Ticket Machines, Otoshi & the Call Button

A summer night festival, rows of glowing paper lanterns lighting the path as crowds stroll beneath them

Mitama Matsuri 2026: 30,000 Lanterns at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine (July 13–16)

Red and green fireworks burst over a river at a Japanese summer festival, with lantern-decorated boats along the bank and illuminated trees and city lights reflected in the water.

Tenjin Matsuri 2026: The Complete Guide to Osaka's Boat Procession and Fireworks (July 24-25)

Gion Matsuri yoiyama in Kyoto, with the Minami Kannon Yama float lit by rows of paper lanterns — white lanterns bearing tomoe crests and red lanterns reading "Minami Kannon Yama" — glowing at dusk.

Gion Matsuri 2026: A First-Timer's Guide to Kyoto's Float Processions (July 17 & 24), Yoiyama Nights & Seats

Train

Japan Train Etiquette (2026): 8 Unwritten Rules Every Tourist Should Know

Collage of six major Tokyo summer fireworks shows lighting up the sky over rivers, bridges, city skylines, and Tokyo Skytree.

Tokyo Fireworks Festivals 2026: 6 Major Hanabi Shows to See This Summer (Dates, Access & Tips)

Colorful Tanabata streamers and Shitamachi Tanabata Festival lanterns line Kappabashi Hondori at night, with Tokyo Skytree lit blue in the distance

Shitamachi Tanabata Festival 2026: Asakusa's 1.2km Street of Wishes (July 3-7)

A Hōzuki-ichi market sign reading "Asakusa Hōzuki-ichi" and "Shimanrokusennichi," illustrated with red hōzuki (ground cherries), with Edo glass wind bells and paper strips in front.

Asakusa Hōzuki-ichi 2026: Sensō-ji's Ground-Cherry Market on July 9–10 (and the 46,000-Day Blessing)

An onsen bath fed by hot water pouring from a wooden spout, with steam rising

Visiting Onsen with Tattoos in Japan: Can You Bathe if You Have Ink? A 2026 Guide to Cover-Ups, Private Baths & Tattoo-Friendly Spots

Night view of the garden at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, with the illuminated three-storied pagoda (Entsukaku) rising above the trees and Tokyo Unkai mist drifting in the foreground

Fireflies at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo 2026: See Genji Fireflies in the City (Dates, Times & Prices)

A stone path lined with blue hydrangeas, leading past a small tiled-roof temple hall

Kamakura Hydrangeas 2026: A Guide to Meigetsuin, Hasedera & How to Beat the Crowds

A glass tip jar filled with US dollar bills and coins, tagged with a handwritten "Tips" label, beside a coffee cup on a wooden table

Do You Tip in Japan? A 2026 Guide to Tipping, Service Charges, and Kokorozuke

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