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Fact Sheet

Cell Phone Etiquette in Japan

Contributor
By Connie Whiting
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)
Cell Phone Etiquette in Japan
Cell Phone Etiquette in Japan

The "keitai" or cell phone culture in Japan resemble cell phone culture in the West. Text messaging, taking pictures, and other phone features coincide with daily life resulting in a few rules of keitai etiquette.

    Poor Etiquette

  1. Millions of Japanese use cell phones, which lead to poor etiquette initially. For example, shouting into the phone on crowded trains disturbed other passengers.
  2. Manner Mode

  3. Messages play on Japanese trains asking people to put their phones on silent, or as the Japanese call it "manner mode." Texting continues to be extremely popular in Japan because of this and a very low text rate cost.
  4. Driving

  5. Japanese law prohibits driving a car or riding a bicycle while using a cell phone. Furthermore, it cautions against walking while using the phone to avoid annoying other pedestrians.
  6. Pictures

  7. Do not take pictures at shows and performances, as it is not allowed. When taking pictures outside of these places, use discretion and respect other people's privacy.
  8. Hospitals and Elderly

  9. Japanese cell phone etiquette requires cell phones turned off when around the elderly on public transportation or in hospitals. Doing so avoids disrupting medical equipment, for example, pacemakers, with the cell phone's electromagnetic waves.
  10. Airplanes

  11. The same rule for hospitals applies to cell phone use on airplanes as well and for the same reasons. Ignoring the rule may cause penalization by law.

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eHow Article: Cell Phone Etiquette in Japan

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