Tipping in Japan

[Sanchome]

If you live in Japan or have visited Japan, what do you think of the fact that tipping is not part of Japanese culture? Tipping is normal in America and most parts of Europe, but in Japan people don't tip and, in fact, many Japanese people might consider tipping to be rude.

When someone gives you excellent service at a Japanese hotel, bar, or restaurant, or when someone delivers pizza to your hote/apartment, and you know they aren't being paid very much, do you sometimes wish you could give them a tip?

The ironic things about the no tipping policy in Japan is that the quality of service is actually higher in Japan than in many countries that do support tipping.

I have often wanted to give someone a tip while spending time in Japan!

[saikyo]

I'm American, so from a tipping country, and can say that I don't miss tips in Japan. I have been here for 5 years now, and it never really crosses my mind.

Service in Japan is very "by the book". It's manual service. So the service is good, but you get the same service from every employee.

There are also more rules to social etiquette in Japan than there are in the states, I my humble opinion. If tipping were introduced in Japan, I bet it wouldn't be long until everyone always gave the "recommended" tipping amount no matter what the level of service. Be it 12%, 15%, whatever, they would abide by it to the yen. After time, it would just be added onto the bill anyway.

If you go to fancy bars in Japan, occasionally people will tell the bar tender to "keep the change". This could be considered tipping. It never happens from what I have seen, at restaraunts though.

Likely the waitress would come chasing you down the street telling you that you forgot your change!

すみません！お客さん！おつり忘れてるよ！！！

BTW, what other countries tip other than the US?

[yamashita]

tsometimes I work as a waitress. I know that its not usual in japan to give tip, but many other waiters who work together with me
tell me things like:

japanese people never give tip, thats unpolite!

.. funny

[samokan]

Originally Posted by yamashita

tsometimes I work as a waitress. I know that its not usual in japan to give tip, but many other waiters who work together with me
tell me things like:

japanese people never give tip, thats unpolite!

.. funny

in your country perhaps.. but if you give a tip that is consider unethical. every country has its own rules and culture, it might be impolite in your country but its not here. tipping usually occurs among "night-shift" works in kabakura and host( hosto) but not in other establishment.

[Sanchome]

Originally Posted by yamashita

tsometimes I work as a waitress. I know that its not usual in japan to give tip, but many other waiters who work together with me
tell me things like:

japanese people never give tip, thats unpolite!

.. funny

The same way that many Westerners cause problems by tipping in Japan, maybe many Japanese don't realize that they should tip when they are traveling in the West. I wonder what it says in Japanese travel guidebooks about tipping. It must be a little bit of a pain for Japanese people to have to pay extra for good service outside of Japan. It's like an extra tax.

[Sanchome]

Originally Posted by saikyo

There are also more rules to social etiquette in Japan than there are in the states, I my humble opinion. If tipping were introduced in Japan, I bet it wouldn't be long until everyone always gave the "recommended" tipping amount no matter what the level of service. Be it 12%, 15%, whatever, they would abide by it to the yen. After time, it would just be added onto the bill anyway.

BTW, what other countries tip other than the US?

Great point about the idea that Japanese might just tip the exact amount, no matter what the service. I didn't think about that.

As far as other countries that do tipping, service industry workers in most of the countries in Europe (West and East) that I have been to seem to appreciate tips.

[SakuraSan]

Thats pretty wierd :O
Ive never been to Japan but, i bet they think some western stuff like that is wierd.Like we have and been taught different manners so...errm,im trying to think of an example,cant think.
Stupid science homework messes with my brain...

[yamashita]

samokan. I know that when I m in japan i dont have to give a tip.
also that its unethical..

but many western (european people- I meant espacially my colleagues) dont know it and wondering about that japanese people dont give tip. because THEY dont know the facts.

the situation that I know it and they dont and getting angry about is funny for me
do you understand me ?

[cocoluvnihon]

this is what i love soo much about japan the fact that i don't hav to tip hehe but besides that tipping is insulting because GOOD service is expected and that's the whole point and I believe it should be like that in america too

[jasonbvr]

No tipping is great, but sometimes I do go into like the Skylark and wish there were more than two servers running the whole place.