Japan
The safest country on Earth - ultramodern tech, ancient culture and world-class healthcare
Key Scores
Why people move to Japan
Hyper-organised, deeply polite, and culturally cohesive - Japan rewards observation and patience over speed.
People, religion & languages
Low overall. Train stations, airports and major hotels are signed in English; daily life and bureaucracy are not. Locals are helpful with translation apps.
Most Japanese practice a syncretic blend of Shinto and Buddhism - closer to cultural ritual than active belief.
Religion is mostly invisible day-to-day - visible at shrines, festivals (matsuri), New Year's visits and weddings/funerals.
Culture & etiquette
What locals value and what to watch for
- Bow instead of shaking hands (depth signals respect level)
- Queue strictly - even for elevators and station escalators
- Receive business cards with two hands and study them briefly
- Speak softly on trains, no phone calls
- Tipping - it's confusing and can offend
- Eating or drinking while walking
- Sticking chopsticks upright in rice (funeral imagery)
- Loud or boisterous behaviour in public
Conservative. Cover shoulders in temples and traditional venues. Office wear is formal - suits standard for men, modest professional for women.
Fast and precise in cities, slower in countryside. Public space is calm; nightlife is loud.
Polite to all foreigners, but deep friendships take time. Long-term integration requires Japanese - many expats settle into international bubbles.
Holidays & food culture
Beyond sushi - Japan has 47 prefectures, each with its own specialties. Seasonality and presentation are taken seriously.
Lunch 12:00–13:00 (sharp), dinner 18:00–20:00. Many restaurants close 14:00–17:00.
No tipping ever. Vegetarian/vegan options exist in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka but are rare elsewhere - dashi (fish stock) hides in many 'veg' dishes. Drinking with colleagues (nomikai) is culturally important.
Work culture & business norms
Hidden Gems
Off the beaten path
Kanazawa - Edo-era castle city with Japan's most pristine historic geisha district, without Tokyo's crowds
Yakushima Island - ancient cedar forests so old they inspired Princess Mononoke
Shirakawa-go - UNESCO-listed mountain village with traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses
Single person, before income tax