Slowing down the pace of your English just a tad (while resisting the urge to drop less important words) will also help when speaking with non-native English speakers because it gives them more time to process information. Good enunciation will also help your listener identify words that can sound completely different depending on the speaker’s accent. Cut the jokes, too. Most second-language learners don't have the luxury of being able to understand sarcasm, innuendo, puns, etc. Again, just the facts, please!

If you’re meeting up with Japanese people, dress nicely. It’s amazing how often you'll see smartly attired Japanese people dining with a foreigner who's wearing jeans and sneakers. Don't be one of them! It’s disrespectful to your guests as well as the restaurant. In Japan, jeans and sneakers are for musicians and artists.

You’ll hardly ever see a Japanese person with shabby shoes. To the contrary, they’ll be clean, polished and probably of high quality. Why? It’s not just because Japanese people walk a lot to get around, but also because in Japan you often have to take your shoes off at the door to establishments (houses, restaurants, clinics, etc.) so you don’t want to display worn, smelly footwear. Instead, be well-heeled! Pity the poor woman (and yes, it is a woman!) who has to handle your shoes at the genkan and turn them around so the toes are pointing outward, so that when you leave, you can slip right into them.

And while we’re at it, during the shoe-to-slipper exchange, when you step out of your shoes in the genkan, step straight up onto the area where the slippers are waiting so as to avoid touching the dirty floor (where your shoes are) in your socks!

Men walking around bare-chested outside is considered uncouth. Going barefoot outside (naked feet) will also raise eyebrows as it violates the whole idea of keeping dirt out of the house or building since you’ll just track it back inside on the soles of your feet. If you don’t want to go to the trouble to put your shoes back on when you’re only going outside for a moment, then use the outdoor slippers provided for this purpose.

No one is saying you can’t give a Japanese person a hug if you feel touched by something they did for you, but keep in mind this well-intended gesture will most likely make the person feel very uncomfortable. Yes, despite the limited success of the free hug campaign in Japan and the world, this level of physical contact still isn’t common here. A general rule of thumb on this is if the person has lived abroad before, then give them a hug. If they haven’t, shake their hand instead.

Hopefully some of these tips will help you on your way to becoming a well-informed, Japanese-level-polite tourist to Japan! For that, we give you a hearty handshake!

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