'Unspoken travel rule' Catriona Rowntree discovered in Japan

One of the big things travellers need to come to terms with when heading to another country is the travel etiquette, and for some it can come as quite the culture shock.There are often many unspoken rules in place that plenty of people don't discover until they accidentally break them. Something Getaway presenter Catriona Rowntree recently experienced on a trip to Japan."This is the first time I've ever been asked this," she shared in an Instagram post, revealing she'd been asked not "to film anyone walking around eating".READ MORE: Barcelona on a budget: The best free things to doDespite her surprise, the seasoned traveller said she can understand why."Whilst I may have eaten some sushi (that was so delicious) from a vending machine, we ate immediately and took our rubbish with us," she explained."We we're 'responsible for our own rubbish' and for the Japanese, they learn this concept as soon as they start kindergarten. Children have to clean their own classrooms and that included the loo's!"Locals do not eat in the street, only tourists have take away coffees (of course there are exceptions but we never saw a single local doing this) and the idea that showing people eating in the streets will encourage rubbish is a concept I can understand."READ MORE: These are the top sustainable travel destinations around the world in 2024In the comments, many of her followers agreed the rule was actually a great way to curb rubbish."Such a great philosophy to live by. Wish Australia could adopt some of their customs," one person wrote."No doubt teaching plays its part. We are a filthy nation and rubbish just gets dumped. So sad what it does to the environment," another said.Japan travel etiquetteIndeed, as tour operator WalkJapan shares, the Japanese tend not to eat while walking along or standing around on the street.However, it is acceptable to drink while standing aside a vending machine.Eating and drinking on local trains, but not long distance express trains, is also frowned upon.There are also rules for before and after eating.It is polite to say Itadakimasu (a humble-honorific meaning "to receive" ) once before eating or drinking, and Gochiso sama deshita ("It was a feast") to your host or the restaurant's staff after finishing your meal.READ MORE: The best places to be a digital nomad in 2024Another thing that may be frowned upon is leaving excess food.Make an effort not to leave food, especially rice. You can usually control the amount of rice you receive and can always have more. If you have ever grown rice the Japanese way, which is time-consuming and laborious, you will appreciate why they tend not to leave even one grain.Never pour soy sauce over rice. Japanese rice is considered good tasting – and it usually is – although other foods may be added atop the rice for flavour combinations. When eating sushi or sashimi a separate small dish is provided for soy sauce. Pour in only as much as you will use. You can always add more to your dish should you run out.FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest travel news and deals via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.