(Travel + Leisure) -- You're sitting in a hip Tokyo cafe, having a fish cake and sake. Your server has been especially attentive, so when the check arrives, you think nothing of pulling out some extra yen and leaving a healthy 20 percent tip. But suddenly things go horribly wrong: the server turns wide-eyed, becomes agitated, and walks away. What happened? ! You'll likely come across more people at a hotel that need to be tipped than anywhere else as you travel. Tipping in Japan and many other Asian countries is simply not a way of life. In fact, it's usually regarded as a vulgar display of wealth and a disregard for the culture. The same can be true in Europe and Latin America ... though not always. And in the United States, of course, tipping is expected (and sometimes demanded). With expectations all over the map, it's not surprising that anxiety and confusion about whom to tip -- and how much -- are commonplace for travelers.
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Tipping conventions overseas can be vastly different from those in the United States
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More people at a hotel will potentially need to be tipped than anywhere else
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Get small bills or coins from your hotel's front desk to make tipping easier
The legion of skycaps, cab drivers, bellboys, and waiters may perform the same services as their @placeholder counterparts, but they often have radically different expectations of a tip.