Every country has different traditions when it comes to what is or is not acceptable at the dinner table. There are some specific things that are done, and some that are never done when eating in Japan. Here is a short list.
Eating
The Japanese use chopsticks most of the time, but forks and knives are available in most restaurants. If you want to eat out in Japan, it is probably a good idea to either learn how to ask for a fork and knife, or use chopsticks. Learning to use chopsticks will save you a lot of trouble in the long run. The Japanese words for fork and knife are taken from English, so if you simply say ‘fork’ and ‘knife’, most servers will understand what you need.
The word ‘itadakimasu’ (pronounced like ee-tah-dah-key-mass). Before every meal, most Japanese people with say the word itadakimasu. Some also place the palms of their hands together in front of them, though this part is not as common. The word literally means something like ‘I humbly accept’ and can either be interpreted as thanking the gods, or thanking the people who made the meal.
Oshibori. If you go to a moderately priced Japanese restaurant, you will receive an oshibori. This is a hot, damp towel presented before the meal for you to wipe your hands and face.
The phrase “gochisosama deshita” (pronounced like go-ch-soh-sah-mah de-shta). Like itadakimasu, gochisosama deshita is an expression of gratitude towards those who made the meal possible. A literal interpretation of this phrase would be along the lines of “it was a feast.”
Slurping hot noodles is not only allowed, it is recommended. If you were to go into a western restaurant, order spaghetti and make loud slurping noises as you ate, you would likely get some strange looks. If you go into a Japanese restaurant and order ramen or other noodles, it is almost expected for you to slurp. It is not considered rude at all. Of course, within reason, if your slurping is so loud that it disturbs the other customers, you should probably quiet down a bit. The reason for this is the fact that ramen is typically served and best eaten very hot. If you wait for it to cool down, it won’t taste as good. The idea with slurping ramen is to suck in air as you take in the noodles.
Chopsticks
There are certain things that one should never do when eating with chopsticks:
- Do not leave your chopsticks standing up in any food, especially rice. This is done as part of a funeral ceremony and basically implies that you are dead.
- Do not wave your chopsticks around.
- Do not move dishes with your chopsticks.
- If eating from a common bowl (sukiyaki, for example, which is delicious, by the way) use the back end of your chopsticks to take from the main bowl and move to your bowl. Then use the pointed ends to eat from your bowl. The idea is that the end of the chopsticks that go into your mouth don’t go into the cooking bowl.
Drinking
The important thing to remember about drinking in bars in Japan is to let other people pour your drink. If someone at your table pours your drink, you should pour theirs. If you want to refill your drink, pour someone else’s.
Also, the Japanese word for ‘cheers’ is ‘kanpai’. If someone shouts ‘kanpai’ and raises their glass, you should do the same.
