This blog is to foreigners visiting Japan.
When it comes to eating in Japan, there are quite a number of implicit rules, but they’re fairly easy to remember. If you’re worried about putting your foot in it, relax- the Japanese don’t expect you to know what to do, and they are unlikely to be offended as long as you follow the standard rules of politeness from your own country. Here are a few major points to keep in mind.
Chopsticks in rice: Do not stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice. This is how rice is offered to the dead in Buddhist rituals. Similarly, do not pass food from your chopsticks to someone else’s. This is another funeral rituals.
Polite expression: When you’re eating with other people, especially when you’re a guest, it is polite to say “itadakimasu” (literally “I will receive”) before digging in. This is as close as the Japanese come to saying grace.
Kampai: It is bad form (rude) to fill your own glass. You should fill the glass of the person next to you and wait for them to reciprocate. Raise your glass a little off the table while it is being filled. Once everyone’s glass has been filled, the usual starting signal is a chorus of “kampai”, which means “cheers!”
Slurp: When you eat noodles in Japan, it’s perfectly OK, even expected, do slurp them. In fact, one of the best ways to find ramen (egg noodle) restaurants in Japan is to listen for the loud slurping sound that comes out of them!
Thank you