Contents 1 Entering/Exiting 2 At the table 3 Chopsticks 4 See also 5 Links

Entering/Exiting

Japanese will take off their shoes when entering a house and slippers are usually prepared at the doorway. Place your shoes in the shoe box provided or if there isnt one place shoes neatly on the floor with the toes facing the door. When entering a room Japanese will sometimes say 'shitsurei shimasu' (I commit a rudeness) before entering.

If one goes to the bathroom it is considered bad manners to wear room slippers in the bathroom. one changes to the bathroom slippers inside the door and changes again when exiting the bathroom. Do NOT wear toilet slippers outside the bathroom.

At the table

Before you begin your meal, it is best to say, "Itadakimasu" (I humbly recieve). This is to give thanks to those who prepared for or paid for your food, the people who harvested the plants or raised the animals, the plants and animals that gave their lives, even the sunlight and rain that helped it all to grow. Even in casual settings this is a fine way to show your appreciation for what you are about to eat. Even for very small items- candy or snacks included, Itadakimasu is an appropriate way to accept. In some situations, it is appropriate to use Itadakimasu more than once during a meal, especially if some new dish or dessert has been brought to the table and offered to you.

Similarly, at the end of your meal, saying "Gochisousama deshita" (it was a feast) expresses your fulfillment upon having eaten the meal, and therefore your gratitude. It is also a clear way to announce the conclusion of the meal. In a restaurant, it is an especially nice gesture to your servers if upon paying for the bill rather than simply saying "Arigatou gozaimashita", you thank them with "Gochisousama deshita". Though many young people have discarded this extra formality, it is a polite way to express your enjoyment of a meal.

[[How to eat]]

A traditional Japanese meal is normally comprised of anywhere from two to several dishes placed before you from the start. Whereas in western culture dining begins with an appetizer which is finished before the arrival of the main course, and finishes with dessert, each dish being eaten completely before the next is brought out, the Japanese prefer to finish all dishes at roughly the same time. This means rather than tucking into your bowl of rice and finishing it off before moving to the miso, it is better etiquette to instead take a little rice, a little fish, have a sip of miso, and so on. By taking a bite here and there of each thing, you can enjoy the various flavors together and try different combinations. This is especially useful if you are adverse to something being served. Sometimes an unpleasant taste or texture can be offset by some other part of the meal, and many Japanese meals are prepared with how its parts compliment each other in mind. It may take a little getting used to, but eating in this way can make each bite a little bit different, which can be interesting and enjoyable.

For soup, especially with noodles, it is normal to slurp. For bowls roughly hand size or smaller, it is normal to pick up the bowl while you are eating from it. Opposite Korea, the Japanese think that hunching over ones bowl is less sophisticated than taking it in hand. For large bowls (donburi), especially the kind used to serve ramen, it isn't normal to lift the bowl until it's nearly empty (they can be quite hot, please be careful), and then it is normal to drink the remaining soup from the bowl.

Chopsticks

Chopsticks are the main eating utensil used for eating Japanese food and may be either lacquered or the disposable wooden kind that are joined together and split when they are ready to use. There are several unwritten rules for using chopstick when eating that one should observe in order not to cause offense.

1. Chopsticks are usually held with one hand with one chopstick held in the crook of the thumb and middle finger and the second chopstick is laid on top with the thumb exerting pressure on the top chopstick, acting as lever, in much the same way as one holds a pencil.

2. Chopsticks are not used to tear or stab at food but are usually used to pick up food or or to stir food or liquids.

3. Japanese do not pass food between chopsticks. In a Buddhist funeral Japanese pick up the cremated bones with chopsticks and pass them between chopsticks and its considered bad manners when done during meals.

4. Once you have picked up food off a communal plate dont return food to the plate using chopsticks, as its considered unhygienic. Take only as much food as you can eat at one time.

5. Avoid pointing or stabbing in the air while holding chopsticks.

6. Never stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice. This resembles offerings made to the dead and is in very poor taste.

7. When not using your chopsticks, either set them flat on the rim of a bowl or plate, or on the hashioki (a small block or flat ornament on which you place the eating side of the chopsticks, to keep them off the table), if available. If you can do neither, setting the tips of the chopsticks you use for eating on a napkin is preferable to setting them directly on the table.

To wash chopsticks, running them under water briefly and going over them a few times with a soapy sponge should be sufficient. Leaving some lacquered chopsticks to soak in water can ruin the lacquer. There are dishwasher safe chopsticks, but generally that degree of heavy duty washing isn't necessary.

See also

Links