Japan wants foreign tourists to avoid ‘public flatulence’

This file picture taken on February 6, 2015 shows foreign tourists checking suitcases on the street in front of a bag shop in Tokyo. A Japanese tourism board called on foreign tourists to refrain from public "belching or flatulence" in an etiquette guide which was hastily rewritten, reportedly after complaints from a Chinese resident. - AFP

TOKYO: A Japanese tourism board has called on foreign tourists to refrain from public “belching or flatulence” in an etiquette guide which was hastily rewritten, reportedly after complaints from a Chinese resident.

The Hokkaido Tourism Organization, which represents Japan’s northern-most island, published a downloadable brochure on its website, with polite instructions on everything from public bathing to using a Japanese toilet.