>>2827757 (OP)
Yes, don't fall for it. Social media has absolutely nothing to do with reality and is straight up poison for the mind. I was there last autumn and had a great time. Most likely because I autisticly researched rules and social norms before the trip. I highly recommend doing so. I would go as far as to say you cannot overprepare for your first japan trip. Knowing all the dos and dont removes so much friction when interacting with locals. They will immediately think positive of you when they notice that you've done your homework. The only bigger cheat code is speaking fluent japanese. Some examples of important things to know and adhere:
- Don't even think about going inside an onsen without knowing how the procedure works, what the specific towels are for and when to (not) bring them.
- keep left on escalators (right in osaka only). do not walk while on escalators. especially not in shopping centers. only in public transport infrastructure if you are in a hurry. often there also signs telling you to not walk on escalators.
- lines, lines everywhere. even if you go to 7/11 and are the only customer, pay attention to the markings on the ground and approach the counter from the correct side. have your money ready to pay, especially when using yen coins. lines are also very important when waiting for the metro and trains. iirc with shinkansen you have lane 1 and lane 2, which starts filling up when lane 1 is full. lane 1 always goes first.
- just don't fucking talk when riding the metro. idk why it is so hard for w*stoids to shut their mouth during a 6 minute metro ride. it's the perfect opportunity to do travel stuff on your phone like planning a route on google maps or buying some tickets on klook.
- there's a million things more, good luck