Only in Japan: Saving a Seat with a Bag

When I was a kid, my mother always told me not to leave my things unattended, because someone might steal them. Hence, I became very attentive when it came to taking care of my things, especially when I went out.

I would never leave them lying around in random places, let alone on a seat. On the other hand, that changed when I moved to Japan.

How did it start?

During my first year in Japan, I attended Japanese lessons at the international community center in Yamagata. There, my teacher not only taught me Japanese but also about Japan’s culture and customs, too.  And one of them was leaving your bag on a seat so you could save a table in a restaurant, café, etc.

When I first heard of this I was so surprised! It’s the opposite of what my mother told me! However, my teacher assured me that people in Japan would rarely steal or do anything with your bag. So, I started ding the same whenever I ate out in Japan, and so far, I have not lost anything.

Saving a seat with a bag is one of my favorite Japanese customs, especially when you are a solo traveler.

Before, whenever I would go to a fast-food restaurant or café, I would need to order first and then look for a seat, which is kind of annoying. I hate it when I have to look for a seat while holding a tray with a cup of coffee or glass of juice on it. Then suddenly, I might lose balance and spill some of it on the tray or the floor. It’s even more frustrating when you haven’t even found a seat after all that mess!

I’m glad that in Japan I don’t need to deal with that drama.

What if you don’t have a bag?

If you don’t have a bag, you don’t need to worry. You can just leave a book or planner on the seat/table. I’ve seen some people leave their laptops, tablets, and even phones. I’ve never done it though, I’m not very comfortable leaving my phone or my wallet in any public place, even in Japan.

Can you do this anywhere in Japan?

Yes, but I tend to be extra careful in amusement parks or any place in Japan that has a lot of foreign tourists. Because I guess most of them don’t know about this custom.

For example, you go to Disneyland and you go to the food court to eat and decide to leave your bag to save a table. Afterward, a group of foreigners arrives. The only empty seat they could find was the table where you left your bag. Seeing that there’s no one was there, the foreigners would probably think someone left a bag, so they move it and just take your table.

I remember when I was in Germany with my husband, we went to have breakfast in the hotel we were staying in. When we finished eating some of our bread, we decided to get more coffee and food, but when we got back, someone had taken our table! There was still food on our plate, so we thought people wouldn't clean it or people won’t even dare to take a seat at our table because of the unfinished food. However, we were wrong. That’s the time we realized, we’re not in Japan.

In Japan, if you see plates with food on them, you won’t dare to sit on them, because people have that mentality in here, “if there’s something on the table, someone is sitting there.”

How about you? Have you always saved your seat by leaving your bag or other items?