I'm an American who's lived in Tokyo for 12 years, and there are 6 mistakes I often see tourists make when they visit the city

Tipping is complicated in Tokyo — the practice isn't universal here compared to the US. Over the years, I've seen people react differently when it comes to tipping. Some people seemed insulted when I tried to offer them gratuity, others were happy to accept a tip. While it's fine to offer a tip to a server, refrain from insisting that they accept the money as that can be perceived as rude.

When dining out in restaurants in Tokyo, don't wait for a server to come and take your order. Instead, call out to the servers in a loud voice and say "sumimasen," or excuse me in Japanese. Some restaurants have a button for diners to ring a bell so that you can get a staff member's attention.

While politeness is a big part of Japanese culture, some tourists overdo it and say thank you to a degree that makes people uncomfortable. So avoid being overly thankful to restaurant workers as many of them see it as only doing their job.

Like in many countries in Asia, it's customary to take your shoes off in Japan when entering someone's house, certain types of restaurants, or a ryokan — a traditional Japanese hotel.

The Japanese believe in keeping the inside of a building clean and will avoid placing things that touch the ground outside — like shoes — on the floor. There are often cabinets to store your shoes near the entrance.

In many houses and traditional restaurants, people eat sitting down on tatami, or straw mats. For this reason, bags also rarely touch the ground indoors — most cafes and restaurants will give you a little basket to keep your bags.

In general, speaking in a loud voice on the train or in public spaces is frowned upon — and the same also goes for speaking on the phone, especially on public transport. So wait until you've gotten off the train to take a call on your phone to avoid making other commuters uncomfortable.

In Japan, confrontation is avoided in most circumstances. It's better to communicate with others in a passive way when speaking about your concerns. In Tokyo, tourists should also avoid speaking rudely in English as many people in Tokyo understand the language.

Tokyo has one of the most vibrant nightlife scenes in the world, with some 30,000 bars. But not all bars are created equal — some have become overly touristy and might not be worth visiting. For example, Golden Gai in Shinjuku was once a fabulous street of small bars but now, too many tourists have flocked there. You can find cool small bars elsewhere, like Rhythm Cafe in Shibuya.

Another famous tourist attraction is Tokyo Sky Tree, an observatory with a view of the metropolitan area. But it's far from most things and can get pretty boring. You can get a nice view at Mori Art Museum or the Shinjuku Metropolitan Building — and can explore the area afterward too.

In Japan, people avoid eating while walking as it's seen as disrespectful. Until recently, walking and drinking coffee was also considered taboo, but it's now seen as acceptable and many people take part.

At restaurants, food portions are smaller and people only order what they can eat — so tourists should follow this norm when dining out in Tokyo too. Also, most restaurants don't use take-out boxes, as the law requires them to have a separate license to do so.

In Tokyo, many people don't subscribe to vegetarianism or veganism, unlike in the West. Perhaps as a result, vegan restaurants aren't all that common — in 2020, there were only 1,000 vegan restaurants in Japan. This means that vegan restaurants and food options are few and far between in Tokyo compared to major cities in the US.

So for tourists who are looking for vegan food, make sure to be specific about what you don't eat and be particular about what not to include in your dish. Some restaurants are more than happy to heed your requests.