In Japan, it is not customary to leave tips in cafes or restaurants. 5-10% of the order cost goes into the salary of waiters. This is the same for restaurants in European countries. Be sure that you will always receive the highest level service, even if in the last visit you did not leave any tips.

Tips, or 心付け sometimes are received by Ryokan staff after taking a large group of Japanese tourists. It is considered rude to transfer money directly by hand, so the bills are put in a beautiful envelope. There is no such practice in a cafe. Sometimes I happen to listen to funny stories about how local waiters run out of the restaurant for visitors to the street to return the coins “forgotten” on the table. Or about how the personnel at the hotel refuses the 1000 yen bill or, even worse, runs to ask their boss for permission to take the money of a foreigner.

However, I have heard from friends that some Japanese still do not refuse the gratitude of the foreigners. For example, taxi drivers or waiters in clubs, where there seem to be more foreigners than the Japanese themselves.

Have you ever left tips in Japan?