Japan really only has one rule: Don’t inconvenience others.

But when you’re a foreign tourist, you’re not necessarily aware of all the ways that might be happening. By adapting to Japan—rather than expecting Japan to accommodate you—your visit will be smoother for both you and everyone else.

Use a Suica card to pay for things, follow the flow of people, avoid eating on the go, put your luggage in a coin locker, learn a couple Japanese phrases, and simplify your language.

While most places accept credit cards—sometimes even Apple Pay—you might not want to rely on it. Running a card manually takes a lot more time than everyone else spends paying for their stuff.

It’s a good idea to have some cash on you, but you don’t need cash for most things. Sifting through unfamiliar coins with a cashier—while others are waiting—is not desirable. When you have a pocket full of coins, go buy something from a vending machine.

You can pay for almost anything with a Suica card. If you have Apple Wallet, hit the plus button, add a transit card, and load money onto it directly from Apple Wallet. If you make Suica your express transit card, paying at a shop is as easy as saying “Suica de onegaishimasu” or simply “Suica de.” Staff will probably respond, “touch please,” while gesturing to the touchpoint.

In short, use Suica as your default payment method, with cash and card as your backups. And when paying with cash or card, place it in the tray on the counter.

Cities and train stations can be very crowded. Watch how people move. Crowds walk like schools of fish swim. People navigate together to specific exits or transfers. If you stay aware, you can move with groups going in the same direction you are.

In train stations, floors and stairs have arrow stickers for the direction of traffic. Sometimes, you can even walk along sticker paths to specific trains. On escalators, stand on the left and walk on the right. In Osaka, it’s the reverse.

To find the right train, platform, or exit, signs are above paths and on walls when exiting trains, in both Japanese and English. White or black signs point to train lines, whereas yellow signs point to exits. Map apps often tell you which numbered train car will be easiest for you to transfer or exit. That’s advice worth taking.

People go to work before 9am, and leave work after 6pm. Avoid those times and you’ll be avoiding the most crowded trains. If you do find yourself on crowded trains, embrace being a sardine. Even if it looks like no one else can fit, more people will board the train. So move inward to make as much room as possible for more people.

Wear your bags in front of you to avoid unintentionally bumping people with them. Put luggage on the racks so your bag doesn’t occupy space a person could be standing.

Exiting busy trains is a combination of gently pushing and saying “sumimasen.” When everyone seems to be trying to get off the train, you should too. Step out and to the side of the door so you aren’t in anyone’s way. Then, jump back on.

If you see a train arriving at the platform while you’re on your way to it, don’t run. There’s a good chance the next one is just 3 minutes behind it. It’s not worth rushing if you’re going to hold up the train and make the doors close twice. Instead, take the opportunity to find a vending machine and have a drink.

Most places don’t have English menus. If you don’t see one, it’s easier to just open your translation app and snap a photo to translate the text. Don’t be afraid to point to the item you want to order. No one’s going to judge you for it.

Most people know that vegetarian means no meat, but don’t know that vegan means no eggs, milk, or honey. No one knows what gluten-free means. Instead of using these terms, just say what you can’t eat. However, be prepared to hear that you can’t make any substitutions. Order something else.

Everything you see on a menu is everything they have. Asking for things you don’t see on a menu is probably putting a little unnecessary pressure on the staff.

Coffeeshops usually open after 10am, and breakfast isn’t a meal people have outside their homes very often. If you’re looking for that, find something in advance, because you probably won’t find it simply by strolling around.

There’s no country-wide ban on drinking alcohol outside. So you can get a drink from a convenience store and drink it at the park! However, not everywhere has an alcohol vibe. While I’ve seen people drink on the train before, I wouldn’t do it. Other traingoers might be in shock.

As far as eating on the go, while some people have bottled tea on them or eat onigiri while walking, it’s fairly rare. People avoid it because if they make a mess, someone else has to clean it up. No one wants to be that person. Be tidy.

You won’t find trash cans on the street, but you can sometimes find them at train stations, shopping malls, and convenience stores. Keep in mind though, trash and recycling bins found at vending machines and konbini are offered for items purchased from those places. Be considerate of that.

Lots of shops and restaurants are too small to be rolling your suitcase around. Keep them at the hotel, have them sent ahead of you, or put them in a coin locker.

Coin lockers are in many larger train stations and tourist-heavy locations, even at some museums. But be sure you remember where yours is. The last thing you want to be doing is hunting down which coin locker location in Kyoto Station has your suitcase in it.

When leaving a shop, you can say “arigatou gozaimasu.” No one will really look down on you for saying just “arigatou,” but it’s really just for friends or people you’re close with.

If you’re leaving a restaurant, instead of saying “arigatou gozaimasu,” you’ll want to say “gochisou sama deshita,” which means “thank you for the meal.” If you can’t spare the extra syllables, you can just say, “gochisou sama.”

As a foreigner, no one expects you to bow, but it can be a nice thing to do if you don’t overdo it. A small nod suffices in most situations. If you’re obviously a foreigner and meeting Japanese people in Japan, they’ll probably extend their hand for a handshake rather than bow anyway.

Lastly, simplify your language. Even though everyone studies English in school, few are fluent. Assume the vocabulary everyone has is a lot less than yours.

I find that people who speak English as their second language are more effective at communicating with others who speak English as their second language, just because they often share the same vocabulary.

Japan is a collectivist society, which means that people give everyone else priority over any one person. That’s different from many Western societies that are individualist, where individual freedom is the priority.

In Japan, it’s better that you to adapt to everyone than for everyone to accommodate you.

I sincerely hope that this helps anyone who travels to Japan. I’m sure it would’ve helped me to hear some of these things before I first visited!

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