Tipping in Japan: Why Not To, and What to Do Instead

The lit entrance of a small izakaya with a white sign — The entrance of an izakaya.Photo: Japanexperterna.se, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you come from a country where a tip is part of every meal and taxi ride, Japan can feel strange at first: there is no custom of tipping. Leaving money on the table usually doesn't make anyone happy; it confuses staff, and they may even run after you to give it back. This guide explains where tipping isn't expected, what may already be on your bill (tax, service charges, an izakaya's table charge), the few situations where a small gift of thanks is fine, and simple ways to show your appreciation instead.

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The short answer: restaurants, taxis and hotels
What's already on your bill
The few times a gratuity is fine, and how to give it
Better ways to say thank you

The short answer: don't tip

Japan's national tourism organization, JNTO, says it is not common to tip for services in bars, cafes, restaurants, taxis and hotels. The government-run Consumer Hotline for Tourists puts it plainly: there is no custom of tipping in Japan, so don't leave any tip. If you quietly leave money on the table as thanks, staff may come running after you to return the money they think you forgot. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's manners handbook adds that a tip at a restaurant will almost certainly be refused, that there's no need to tip a taxi driver, and that tipping isn't customary when shopping either.

This applies to everyone, wherever you're from. Nobody will think you're rude for not tipping; it's simply how things work here.

Tip or no tip?

Based on JNTO, the Consumer Hotline for Tourists and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's manners handbook (checked October 2026).

What's already on your bill

Instead of a tip, a few other things may appear on your bill. None of them is a tip, and you don't need to add anything on top.

Consumption tax. Shops and restaurants must show prices including consumption tax when they display a price to consumers. Japan's Ministry of Finance explains that this tax-inclusive "total price display" has been required again since April 1, 2021.
A service charge. Some restaurants add a service charge and say so on the menu. In the Ministry of Finance's own example, a dinner priced at 3,300 yen including tax, with a 10% service charge of 330 yen, comes to 3,630 yen. The Consumer Hotline for Tourists notes that where there is a service charge, it is generally included in the total you pay.
Izakaya table charge. Many izakaya serve a small dish called otoshi as you sit down and charge for it as a table charge. See our guide to otoshi.
Accommodation taxes in some cities are taxes, not tips, for example in Kyoto (Kyoto) and Osaka (Osaka).

Reading a bill with a service charge

Numbers from the Ministry of Finance's Q&A on tax-inclusive price display (checked October 2026). Many restaurants have no service charge at all.

The few times a gratuity is fine

JNTO explains that Japan does have a custom called kokorozuke, a small gift of money given "from the heart" in some situations. Its example: if you've hired a private guide or interpreter who is used to overseas customs, they may accept a tip as a gesture of thanks. Even then, it is not expected. If you decide to give one, JNTO suggests putting it in an envelope and handing it over discreetly; small cash envelopes are sold at convenience stores, stationery stores and 100 yen stores. Never just hand over loose notes.

What to do instead

JNTO's etiquette guide suggests showing your appreciation with "arigato gozaimashita!" (thank you very much) and a smile. A few other kind gestures that cost nothing:

After a meal, say "gochisosama deshita" (thank you for the meal) on your way out.
Keep your reservations, or cancel early; JNTO points out that small restaurants buy ingredients for the guests they expect.
Follow the house rules: line up where there's a line, and if you're not sure whether to pay at the table or at the register, ask.

If something on the bill doesn't make sense

Ask the staff to explain before you pay; most charges have a simple reason. If you still have a problem with a store, restaurant, bar or hotel, the Consumer Hotline for Tourists gives advice by phone at 03-5449-0906 (Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., except national holidays and December 29 to January 3), in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, French and Japanese.

Quick checklist

Restaurants, cafes, bars, taxis, hotels, shops: no tip.
Prices include consumption tax; a service charge, if any, is shown on the menu or bill.
Private guide or interpreter: a gift is possible but not expected; use an envelope.
Say "arigato gozaimashita" with a smile.

Last reviewed: October 4, 2026. Each business sets its own charges; please check the menu or ask.

References

Photo credits

The lit entrance of a small izakaya with a white sign. Photo: Japanexperterna.se, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A restaurant window display of plastic food samples with price labels. Photo: Lombroso, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A bowl of creamy pork-bone ramen with sliced pork, egg and greens. Photo: Alasdair at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

Plates of sushi in different colors moving along a conveyor belt. Photo: JIP, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

An empty wooden sushi counter with seats close together. Photo: Bobby.Creations, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A red lacquer bowl of miso soup with tofu, wakame seaweed and mitsuba leaves, seen from above. Photo: Douglas Perkins, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A home dinner on a wooden table: a bowl of white rice, miso soup with tofu and mushrooms, grilled fish and small side dishes. Photo: サフィル, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A plate of sashimi: slices of salmon and white fish on green leaves, a small mound of grated wasabi, a little wasabi on the salmon, and a sprig of shiso flowers. Photo: Ikusuki, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

The front of a small Chinese restaurant with a big red sign and a lit "open" sign on a street in Nagoya (Aichi). Photo: Eugene Ormandy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

Bite-size pieces of boiled octopus with purple-red skin and white flesh, topped with lots of chopped green onion. Photo: jim212jim, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A Japanese roast beef bowl: thin pink slices of beef piled over rice, topped with a raw egg yolk. Photo: Pocsywe, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A Japanese supermarket shelf lined with rows of soy sauce bottles in many sizes and label colors. Photo: Kanesue, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A small white dish of Japanese pickles: yellow takuan, orange carrot and green cucumber slices. Photo: Douglas Perkins, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A piece of tuna nigiri on a blue and white patterned plate. Photo: RuinDig/Yuki Uchida, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A takoyaki food stall with a bright octopus banner. Photo: whalt, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

Japanese yen banknotes and coins. Photo: ASTELUS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A set restaurant table with a reserved sign. Photo: David Baron, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

A plate of sashimi with wasabi and soy sauce. Photo: Douglas Perkins, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

Card images combine these photos with the page title. Photos are used under their licenses (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); adapted images are shared under the same license as the original.