Tokyo is the political, economic, and cultural heart of modern Japan, yet its identity is rooted in centuries of history. Originally a small fishing village known as Edo, it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, growing into one of the world’s largest cities while Japan remained largely isolated from foreign influence.
Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Edo was renamed Tokyo—meaning “Eastern Capital”—and became the imperial capital, symbolizing Japan’s transformation into a modern nation. Despite devastation from the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake and the Second World War, Tokyo rebuilt itself into a global metropolis where cutting-edge technology, fashion, and architecture coexist with centuries-old temples, meticulously tended gardens, traditional neighbourhoods, and seasonal festivals.
More than Japan’s largest city, Tokyo embodies the country’s enduring ability to balance innovation with tradition, demonstrating how respect for history, craftsmanship, and community continues to shape one of the world’s most dynamic urban centres.
Japan is generally characterized by a strong emphasis on group harmony, social responsibility, humility, and attention to context. Relationships are often guided by an awareness of one’s role within a community rather than individual self-expression.
Harmony (Wa / 和)
Maintaining social harmony is often prioritized over expressing disagreement.
Conflict is usually managed indirectly and with consideration for others.
High-Context Communication
Much meaning is communicated through implication, tone, timing, and shared understanding rather than explicit words.
Silence is often comfortable and meaningful.
Uncertainty Avoidance
Rules, preparation, punctuality, and predictability help reduce uncertainty.
Social expectations are generally well understood and followed.
Collectivism
Identity is strongly connected to family, workplace, school, and community.
Decisions frequently consider the impact on the wider group.
Hierarchy and Respect
Age, experience, and social roles influence interactions.
Politeness and appropriate etiquette demonstrate respect rather than distance..
Long-Term Orientation
Planning, patience, craftsmanship, and continual improvement are highly valued.
Quality and sustainability often take precedence over speed..
Restraint and Humility
Emotional restraint and modesty are often viewed positively.
Public displays of strong emotion or self-promotion are typically limited.
Do’s
Be punctual—arriving on time demonstrates respect.
Observe what locals are doing before acting.
Speak quietly in public spaces, especially on trains.
Queue patiently and wait your turn.
Keep shared spaces clean and tidy.
Carry your rubbish until you find an appropriate bin.
Bow slightly when greeting or thanking someone (a handshake is also acceptable if initiated).
Remove your shoes when entering homes and places where shoes are not permitted.
Be respectful of personal space.
Use both hands when giving or receiving business cards or gifts.
Wrap gifts neatly if giving one.
Learn and use simple Japanese phrases such as sumimasen (excuse me), arigatō gozaimasu (thank you), and onegai shimasu (please/I respectfully ask).
Follow local etiquette at shrines and temples.
Appreciate quiet moments rather than feeling the need to fill silence.
Respect photography rules, especially where signs prohibit cameras.
Return trays and tidy your table when expected.
Follow rules even when nobody appears to be watching.
Show appreciation for craftsmanship, tradition, and attention to detail.
Ask permission before photographing people.
Be patient and courteous when service is slower because of attention to quality.
Don’t
Don’t speak loudly on trains or public transport.
Don’t answer phone calls on trains unless absolutely necessary.
Don’t eat while walking in busy streets where it is discouraged.
Don’t cut into queues.
Don’t litter.
Don’t assume first-name familiarity with strangers.
Don’t point directly at people.
Don’t touch people unnecessarily.
Don’t enter homes, traditional accommodation, or certain restaurants with shoes on.
Don’t stick chopsticks upright into rice or pass food chopstick-to-chopstick.
Don’t blow your nose loudly in public.
Don’t pressure someone to give a direct “yes” or “no.”
Don’t mistake politeness for agreement.
Don’t display excessive public affection.
Don’t ignore signs or barriers simply because others are doing something different.
Don’t photograph restricted religious areas or geisha/maiko without permission.
Don’t expect every interaction to be conducted in English.
Don’t compare Japan to your home country in a way that implies one is superior.
Don’t bargain in shops where prices are fixed.
Don’t rush people or public services that value precision over speed.
Indigenous inhabitants
Japan has been inhabited for tens of thousands of years, and its history extends far beyond the emergence of the modern Japanese state. While the majority of Japan’s population today descends primarily from the Yayoi people, who migrated from continental Asia beginning around 900–300 BCE, the archipelago was already home to earlier peoples, most notably the Jōmon, whose distinctive pottery is among the oldest in the world. Over centuries, these populations mixed to varying degrees, but several Indigenous cultures maintained distinct identities.
The best-known Indigenous people of Japan are the Ainu, whose traditional homeland encompasses Hokkaido, southern Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. The Ainu developed a rich culture centred on fishing, hunting, trade, and a spiritual worldview that regarded animals, plants, and natural forces as kamuy (sacred beings or spirits). During Japan’s expansion into Hokkaido in the nineteenth century, the Ainu experienced land dispossession, restrictions on their language and customs, and policies aimed at assimilation. In recent decades, Japan has taken important steps toward recognition, formally acknowledging the Ainu as an Indigenous people in 2008 and passing legislation in 2019 to promote and protect Ainu culture.
Another Indigenous people are the Ryukyuan peoples, whose ancestral homeland stretches across the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa. For centuries, the independent Ryukyu Kingdom served as a maritime trading hub linking Japan, China, Korea, and Southeast Asia, developing its own languages, arts, music, and customs. The kingdom was annexed by Japan in 1879, and many Ryukyuan languages and traditions declined under assimilation policies, although significant cultural revitalization efforts continue today.
Films
Understanding Japan – Tokyo Story, Late Spring, Ikiru
Experiencing Tokyo – Perfect Days, Shoplifters, Lost in Translation
Japanese Philosophy & Aesthetics – Spirited Away, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, After Life
History & Identity – Seven Samurai, Tokyo Olympiad, The Wind Rises
Books
The Book of Tea
In Praise of Shadows — Jun’ichirō Tanizaki
The Book of Tea — Okakura Kakuzō
The Unknown Craftsman — Yanagi Sōetsu
Kokoro — Natsume Sōseki
Snow Country — Yasunari Kawabata
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind — Shunryu Suzuki
The Pillow Book — Sei Shōnagon
The Tale of Genji — Murasaki Shikibu
Our Land Was a Forest — Kayano Shigeru
Tokyo: A Biography — Stephen Mansfield
Albums
Hosono House — Haruomi Hosono
async — Ryuichi Sakamoto
Green — Hiroshi Yoshimura
Through the Looking Glass — Midori Takada
Solid State Survivor — Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sunshower — Taeko Ohnuki
Mint Jams — Casiopea
Long Season — Fishmans
Windswept Adan — Ichiko Aoba
Fantasma — Cornelius
Nujabes
Milo matsubara-Mayonaka n
The Blue Hearts