What are the rules to follow when staying at a house?

Shoes: The Japanese take their shoes off in the entrance area (genkan), where they swap shoes for slippers. (The special slippers for the toilets should not be used in other parts of the house.)
Waste sorting: The Japanese take the sorting of household garbage very seriously (separating plastic, paper, glass, etc.). Japan Experience expects you to live in harmony with your neighbours by respecting the community's environmental standards. Mindful sorting of your trash is the first mark of respect for your neighbours.
Noise: Japanese houses generally have thin walls and are quite badly insulated from noise. You should never forget this when watching TV, playing music, or talking loudly, especially if it's late at night.
Staircases: The houses we offer can have extremely steep stairs, very different to Western standards or customs. To help prevent falls and accidents at our houses, we have installed handrails on both sides of the staircase wherever possible. We urge guests not to wear socks when going up or down stairs, but to have bare feet, which generally offers better protection from slipping.
All our houses are non-smoking. Even on balconies, or in front of the house entrance.