No. The Japan National Tourism Organization says it is not common to tip at bars, cafes, restaurants, taxis, or hotels. Tokyo's official visitor guide says a restaurant tip will almost certainly be refused, and that there is no need to tip a taxi driver. The narrow exception on the JNTO page is a private guide or interpreter used to overseas practice. Even then the tip is not expected, and it goes discreetly in an envelope.
Do you tip at restaurants in Japan?
JNTO groups restaurants with bars, cafes, taxis, and hotels: tipping is not common. Go Tokyo, the Tokyo metropolitan visitor handbook How to Enjoy Tokyo, is more specific about the table. "Tipping is not customary at restaurants in Japan and will almost certainly be refused." Express thanks in words. The same handbook says tipping is not customary when shopping, and that gratitude belongs in words rather than a tip.
Travel Tipper sets Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto to 0% and shows the JNTO note. Osaka and Kyoto use the national page, not a separate city percent. Open Tokyo, ¥8,000, two people, 0%. The tip line stays at zero. The per-person share is the bill split, with each share rounded up so the two payments cover the check.
Do you tip taxi drivers in Japan?
JNTO's taxi page says drivers do not expect or accept tips. Fares run on the meter. A late-night surcharge is added from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and the rider pays highway fares. For a sense of the daytime price, a seven-kilometer Tokyo ride of about 25 minutes should cost ¥2,500 to ¥3,000. Go Tokyo's taxi panel says there is no need to tip the driver, and that tipping is not customary.
A ¥2,800 daytime fare with a ¥0 tip is the whole payment. To see that yen amount in dollars, use the currency converter. The converter names its rate source and time. It is not the amount a card terminal will post.
Do you tip at hotels?
JNTO includes hotels in the list of places where tipping is not common. The Tokyo handbook's lodging section covers shoes, baths, and rates. It does not ask guests to tip the desk or the room attendant. A ryokan-specific cash custom is not stated on either page, so this guide does not add one.
When is a tip appropriate in Japan?
JNTO describes a custom called kokorozuke, "from the heart," in some situations. The situation it names is a private guide or interpreter accustomed to overseas practices. They may accept a tip as thanks. Tipping is not expected, and it should be discreet even then. A restaurant meal, a cafe, a bar tab, a taxi, and a hotel stay are not that situation.
How do you give a gratuity in Japan?
If you do offer one, JNTO says it is customary to put it in an envelope. Small cash envelopes are sold at convenience stores, stationery stores, and 100-yen stores. Hand it over quietly. The page does not give a yen amount for that envelope. Type a percent in Travel Tipper only if you have decided to leave one. The default stays at zero.
What are the extra charges on a Japanese bill?
| What you may see | What the source says | A tip? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otoshi (お通し) | At an izakaya, an appetizer served with the drink you ordered. Often added to the bill as a cover charge. | No | Go Tokyo |
| Water and oshibori | A glass of water and a wet hand towel are typically provided at no cost inside the restaurant. | No | Go Tokyo |
| Listed shop prices | Product prices are listed with consumption tax included. The handbook dates those rates as of March 31, 2025: 10%, and 8% mainly for food and beverages excluding eat-in meals and alcohol. | No | Go Tokyo |
| Kokorozuke envelope | A discreet gratuity for a private guide or interpreter used to overseas practice. Not expected. | Only in that case | JNTO |
If a bill prints サービス料 or another fee this table does not define, read the line and ask. JNTO's tipping page does not state a restaurant service-charge percent, so none is filled in here.
Is tax included in prices in Japan?
Go Tokyo says product prices are listed with consumption tax included. It describes two rates, current as of March 31, 2025 in that handbook: 10%, and 8% mainly for food and beverages, excluding eat-in meals and alcoholic beverages. A shop price you see is the tax-inclusive price. A restaurant meal is the eat-in case the 8% line excludes, so do not assume the lower rate applies at the table. The handbook is a Tokyo manners guide, not a National Tax Agency ruling.
What to do instead of tipping
Say thank you. Go Tokyo tells shoppers to express gratitude in words instead of a tip. JNTO's list of ordinary services does not ask for cash on top. South Korea is the other Travel Tipper country whose tourism board says a tip is not required or expected. A U.S. 15% to 20% sit-down habit is a different setting, covered in the restaurant guide. The comparison chart is tipping when traveling.
Who the sources say will take a gratuity
| Place | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant, cafe, or bar | Do not tip. In Tokyo a restaurant will almost certainly refuse. | JNTO; Go Tokyo for the refusal |
| Taxi | Pay the meter. Drivers do not expect or accept tips. | JNTO taxis; Go Tokyo |
| Hotel | Tipping is not common. | JNTO |
| Shopping | Not customary. Thank the shop in words. | Go Tokyo |
| Private guide or interpreter | May accept a discreet envelope. Not expected. | JNTO |
Japan tipping FAQ
Should I tip in Japan?
No, not at ordinary restaurants, cafes, bars, taxis, or hotels. The Japan National Tourism Organization says tipping is not common for those services. A private guide or interpreter used to overseas practice may accept a discreet envelope. It is not expected.
Do I tip a taxi in Tokyo?
No. JNTO says taxi drivers do not expect or accept tips. Tokyo's official visitor guide says there is no need to tip the driver. A daytime ride of about 7 kilometers, roughly 25 minutes, should cost ¥2,500 to ¥3,000. A late-night surcharge applies from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
What is the extra charge on an izakaya bill?
Tokyo's visitor guide says drinking places such as izakaya may serve an appetizer called otoshi with the drink you ordered, and that this otoshi is often added to the bill as a cover charge. That line is not a tip. Water inside the restaurant is typically free.
Related: Travel Tipper for Osaka, Kyoto, and the guides hub.