The Kyoto City Official Tourist Guide has produced an etiquette guide for foreign tourists featuring an array of unfriendly locals with tips on how not to annoy them.
Among the tips are to remove hats and sunglasses when visiting shrines and temples, politely asking maiko if you can take their picture, not canceling restaurant bookings at the last minute and queuing in an orderly manner.
Also you are advised not to smoke outdoors. We suspect that is why there is a constant smokey haze inside coffee shops like Dotour and Veloce.
Suggested Activity
Experience Tea Ceremony in Kyoto
Dive into Japanese history with a traditional tea ceremony, followed by a stroll around the World Heritage Site of Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Highlights Experience an authentic Japanese tea ceremony Visit a world-famous Buddhist temple Taste Kyoto's unique sweets Your guide will show you the historical streets of Kyoto, pointing out old tea shops and other interesting spots. If you're lucky, you ...
To see the full etiquette guide info graphic, click through to the site and click on the “AKIMAHEN” graphic.
