Japan’s tipping taboo rides the tourism surge: what Thai readers should know
As Japan welcomes a record wave of foreign visitors, the country’s tipping taboo remains stubbornly intact. A sharp rise in international travelers has unfolded alongside a broader trend toward “omotenashi” — the deeply ingrained Japanese hospitality ethos that treats excellent service as the norm rather than a price to be rewarded with cash. In practice, that means most service workers in Japan do not expect tips, and many locals prefer that guests refrain from tipping altogether. Yet the ongoing flood of visitors has also nudged a small, cautious experiment into public view: a few bars and restaurants are placing tip jars beside registers, a gesture that has sparked debate among locals and visitors about what constitutes proper gratitude for good service.