Do
- Put your phone on silent (manner mode) and speak quietly.
- Queue at the marked lines on the platform and let people off the train first.
- Hold your backpack in front of you or put it on the rack at busy times.
- Give priority seats to people who need them.
Avoid
- Do not take phone calls on trains and buses.
- Do not eat on local trains and buses. Long-distance trains, such as the shinkansen, are fine.
- Do not walk and eat in crowded streets, or leave rubbish behind.
- Do not block doors, stairs or escalators with luggage.
On the train
Trains are quiet. Keep conversations low, set your phone to silent and avoid calls. Headphones should not leak sound. At busy times, take your backpack off and hold it in front of you or place it on the overhead rack.
Priority seats (yūsenseki) are for older people, people with disabilities, pregnant women and people with small children, and some railways ask you to switch your phone off near them when crowded. Some lines have women-only cars at certain times, marked on the platform. Large suitcases are best avoided at rush hour, and on some shinkansen lines the biggest ones need a reservation for the oversized-baggage area.
Queues, platforms and escalators
Queue where the platform marks show, step aside to let passengers off, then board. People walk and wait in orderly lines, so stopping in the middle of a walkway can cause trouble.
On escalators, habit in Tokyo is to stand on the left and leave the right for people walking, and in Osaka the other way round. Railways and some local rules now ask everyone to stand still and hold the handrail, because walking on escalators is unsafe. Nagoya requires people to stand still, and a national safety campaign was held in the summer of 2026. Standing still on either side is the safest choice.
Walking, eating and rubbish
Eating while walking is generally frowned on. Street food stalls usually have a spot nearby to stand and eat, and some tourist streets ask you not to eat as you walk. Looking at your phone while walking (aruki sumaho) is also discouraged because it blocks others.
Public bins are rare, so carry your rubbish with you until you find a bin, often at a convenience store or station, or take it back to your hotel. Sort it where bins are labelled.
Smoking, noise and photos
Smoking is allowed only in designated areas, and many streets ban it outdoors. Ask before photographing people, and avoid photos of strangers. Some private alleys in Kyoto's Gion district ban photography, with fines for breaking the rule.
Good to know
- If you need to take a call, step off the train and talk on the platform or in the station.
- Hold your ticket or IC card ready at the gate so you do not hold up the line.
- Pictograms in stations and trains show what is not allowed, so look for them.
- Say "sumimasen" lightly if you need to pass someone in a crowd.
Words you will hear
- マナーモード manā mōdo
- silent mode on a phone
- 優先席 yūsenseki
- priority seat
- 女性専用車両 josei sen'yō sharyō
- women-only car
- 歩きスマホ aruki sumaho
- using a phone while walking
- ごみ箱 gomibako
- rubbish bin
- 行列 gyōretsu
- queue, line
Learn Japanese
Learn Japanese through its culture
Readers, books and study bundles from The Japan Shop.
-
Japanese Culture Bundle
Digital books on Japanese culture, with the vocabulary to go with it.
See at The Japan Shop →
-
Learn Japanese with History & Essays
Japanese readers on history, with full furigana and audio.
See at The Japan Shop →
-
Learn Japanese with Haiku
Seventy-five Japanese haiku across three digital books, with audio.
See at The Japan Shop →
Sponsored links. We may earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
See also
Sources: general practice; railway operators' manner campaigns, including the 2026 escalator safety campaign. Customs vary by region, place and family, and they change over time. When in doubt, follow the signs, watch what others do, or ask politely. Being polite and trying matters more than getting every detail right.