Tipping in Japan and
Etiquette
Setting Expectations
Going to Japan for the first time is both a thrilling and scary
experience because Japan is entirely different than any country in
the west. The manner of speech, politeness, the set of expectations
and orderly conduct are but few things unique to Japan and in many
ways would make Canada blush.
However, there is one aspect of Japan that may confuse some
foreigners (
gaijin 外人) such as
Americans and that is the tipping system in Japan or rather the
lack of one. You see, in Japan the concept of tipping is viewed
entirely differently than in the west and despite what the
employers may or may not be paying to their employees, tipping is
certainly frowned upon.
Japanese Currency: The Yen
How to say tip / tipping in Japanese: Chippu | チップ
For those of you here learning Japanese, unlike English where tip
has multiple meanings, chippu チップ means to tip a worker while
taoreru 倒れる means tipping something
over and sentan 洗濯 meaning the tip of
an object.
The Western World of tipping versus Japan
In the western world, the concept of tipping was originally
intended to reward service that was given above and beyond, meaning
that someone had to do something that was beyond their expected set
of duties or perhaps show a high level of appreciation of someone’s
work. Receiving a tip was the equivalent to the ultimate compliment
and as time changed, it essentially became an integral part and
almost a requirement in most dining experiences across North
America and some other parts of the world.
In Japan, instead of tipping being viewed as the ultimate
compliment, it is seen as the ultimate disrespect. Why would that
be you may ask? Well, as it so happens there is a work mentality in
Japan that if you have a job you are appreciative of the fact and
that you must give your 100% in return to show that you are not
only appreciative of having a job but also because you are good in
character. Giving less than your best means that you have poor
character and likely will not last in that company.
When giving a tip to a taxi driver, or at a diner of some sort, you
are essentially telling them that they either
A) Did a poor
job
B) You are pitying them and see yourselves at a much
higher level.
That’s right, when you give someone a tip you are seen as someone
who’s very rude and condescending but if the person knows about
western customs (which they most likely will) they will outright
refuse you and say “no thank you”.
Where can you tip in Japan?
You can tip at a Japanese-style hotel known as a Ryokan and
certainly not at a modern hotel where they will refuse tip. In
order to tip at a Ryokan, you will need to find an envelope and
place your money (yes, cash) in it and give it to the person you
wish to tip. It is never acceptable to give money directly
hand-to-hand in Japan no matter the circumstance. To pay with money
you place money in a money tray (next to the register) and give a
tip or pay someone directly you would use an envelope.
Will using an envelope will lesson confusion?
Yes absolutely! While tipping is not observed and people are paid a
decent salary and are expected to do their best every day and do
not require tips to make ends meet, you can avoid any confusion or
insult if you first place your money in an envelope and let them
know that you appreciate their service and wish to give them
gratuity. Don’t be surprised if 9.9 times out of 10 your tip
will be refused and certainly apologize and say you didn’t mean to
offend but only compliment.
Your heart says yes but reality says no
Simply put, don’t put too much thought into whether you should or
shouldn’t tip. Simply avoid tipping unless visiting a traditional
Japanese hotel and when you do decide to tip (it’s not mandatory or
expected), use an envelope and tip at least 1000Yen.
Thank you for your interest in Japanese culture! If you would like
to learn more about Japan or learn Japanese, you are free to browse
other parts of our website. We strive to provide as much as we can
for free and hope that you will find many things you like about
Japan.
Would you like to learn how to respect people in Japan with
the concepts of Honne and Tatemae? If so, click here.
Acknolwedgements:
Unfortunately Photoshop would
not permit me to edit a picture of Japanese Yen and I had to rely
on an existing picture taken from www.japanexperterna.se/?attachment_id=2589
(Generously licensed, thank you)