The following tips are provided in the hope of making your life in Japan easier and smoother. In addition to legal regulations on subjects such as smoking and parking, there are some unofficial rules or manners you are expected to observe in Japanese society, from how you stand on an escalator to how you wait for your turn in line.

In some wards/cities in Tokyo, smoking while walking and/or in any manner in the street is prohibited and a fine may be imposed on violators. Smoking is also not allowed at many train stations today except for a designated smoking area. If you wish to smoke in public, always remember to find and use a smoking area.

In Tokyo, some trains have a carriage that is designated only for female passengers. You may find such "ladies-only" train carriages mostly during the rush hours in the morning and/or evening on weekdays. The car is clearly marked for easy recognition. Also listen carefully to the announcements.

It is an unofficial but common rule to reserve space for those in a hurry when you ride the escalator. Although there is no known reason, people in Tokyo stand on the left side on the escalator and leave the right side open, as opposed to many other cities in the world. For your information, you will find that people in the Kansai region (western Japan including Osaka) stand on the right side and leave the left open.

When you wish to use or receive almost any type of service in Japan, it is a common rule that you wait for your turn in line. It is rather rare to see someone not following this rule. For bank ATMs, public restrooms, or many other facilities that are available with more than one unit at one location, people will still make a line and the person in the very front of the line gets to use the next available unit. It is considered rude to go before a person who has been waiting longer and use the unit even when you are the nearest person to it. Although there is neither legal regulation nor punishment, it is a social rule you should follow to avoid getting involved in unnecessary trouble.

Illegal parking is one of the major social issues in Tokyo, where land space is limited while the number of cars owned as well as the population is large. Recent changes in the Road Traffic Law have tightened up the regulations against illegal parking, which, however, doesn't seem to ever stop increasing. Not only the police but also licensed private officers can exercise parking control in some parts of Tokyo today. The new law also defines that the owner of the car is responsible for any fines unpaid by the driver of the car, even if the driver isn't the actual owner. For more information about these regulations, visit the website of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.