Essential Japanese Manners And Etiquette

In an elevator

It turns out that even here there are informal but clear rules. If you are the first to enter an empty elevator, you become the elevator captain, and you should stand close to the control panel. You’ll need to hold the door open until everyone has entered the elevator. Repeat so for each floor at which the elevator stops. You must also be the last to leave, and you need to do everything very quickly. If you are a tourist in Japan, we advise you not to be the first to enter an elevator!