Kokorozuke at ryokans

[Lomaster]

Have you ever stayed at a ryokan? And if so - did you give kokorozuke on checking in? Have you ever heard of a person who didn't give kokorozuke? Were there any consequences? I'd also like to learn more about tipping in Japan in general, not only at ryokans.

 

[thomas]

We had a discussion here where the general consensus was that there is no tipping in Japan. Kokorozuke seems to apply only to those cases where guests have special requests. We never had to pay it when staying at a ryokan. Taxi drivers do accept tips too.

Practical - Tipping in Japan | Japan Forum

 

[mdchachi]

"do"? I've never given a taxi driver a tip.

 

[thomas]

"do"? I've never given a taxi driver a tip.

Do, when offered. That is not common though.

I have never tipped taxi drivers either, but witnessed "rounding up" a couple of times.

 

[mdchachi]

My wife says she's paid kokorozuke at ryokans. Seems like more a matter of a tradition than anything else. It's not that much money and you probably won't notice any difference in service if you don't pay.

 

[Lomaster]

Now that's a relief! I'm not a tipping kind so your replies are quite reassuring.
The article Thomas linked is also brief and to the point.
Thank you mdchaci, thank you thomas (haven't noticed before that your nickname begins with a lower-case "t")

 

[Dotanbatan]

One of the things I like about Japan is that it's a place you can relax and not worry about tipping.

The one place I've seen it done regularly is in Ryokans, as mentioned above. My experiences have been business trips where the company paid. It seems like non business kokorozuke is paid by guests with a high social standing or a lot of money ...but even then it's not a necessity.

It's also not unusual to give a smaller anount to the furniture transport company workers who helps you when moving house.

The other situation I've seen it is when a nurse at a hospital is given an envelope after caring for a family member. My wife tells me that this is now also rarely done and a gift is given instead.

When in a hurry I sometimes round up when paying for a taxi, but this too is often refused.