GENCHI.JAPAN 現地
genchi (現地) — the actual place, seen for yourself

The Japan that never gets translated.

Real local voices + official rules for 4 places, aggregated and sourced. Most of what Japanese people say about their own tourist spots stays behind the language barrier. I'm Japanese — I translate it, verify it, and show you how to visit like someone who knows.

Gion

Kyoto

The women in kimono are commuting to work, not posing for you. What locals say about the alleys — and the ¥10,000 sign.

¥10,000 fine · private alleys

Shibuya

Tokyo

Locals are happier to see you than anywhere else we sampled — with one exception they will not forgive.

Street drinking banned · 6pm–5am

Dotonbori

Osaka

"Even a terrible takoyaki shop survives here." Where Osakans actually eat — and the ¥1,000 fine most visitors don't know exists.

No street smoking · ¥1,000 fine

Nara Park

Nara

"The deer are not pets." Why teasing one gets you bitten, and hurting one can get you 5 years.

National Natural Monument

Japan Logic — the country-wide honne

Some things confuse you everywhere in Japan, not just at one spot. Same method: the official face (tatemae), what locals really say (honne), and why.

Why Japan Has No Trash Cans

Japan Logic

The cleanest country with nowhere to throw anything away. It started on one specific date in 1995 — and locals argue about it more than you'd think.

Carry it home

The Konbini Toilet

Japan Logic

Free to use — officially. The unwritten ¥150 price tag locals pay without being told, and why the toilet exists at all.

The unwritten rule

Coming: tipping (really, don't), train etiquette, onsen & tattoos, eating while walking.

How this is made

  1. We read what locals post publicly about each place — in Japanese, where they assume you're not listening.
  2. We aggregate behaviors, not people. Posts attacking nationalities are excluded; grievances are counted only when corroborated by multiple independent posts or news reporting.
  3. Every rule links to a primary source — the ordinance, the ward office, the news report. If we can't source it, we don't print it.
  4. Then we tell you what to do instead. Not a lecture — a cheat sheet.

Individual posts are never reproduced or linked. Local voices appear only as aggregated themes.

Suggest the next place — or make this page better

Spotted something outdated? Know a place I should cover? Tell me below — it opens right here, no account needed. Every report is verified before publishing.