Japanese people often bow as a way of greeting when they meet. Depending on the occasion, the angle of the bow can vary greatly from a slight nod to a ninety-degree bow. When greetings are exchanged in a room with a tatami (Japanese-style straw mat), the Japanese usually start by kneeling on the tatami and bowing to greet each other. Regarding the angle of bowing, when the other person is someone with a higher social status than you, the angle of bowing should be lower than that of the other person and the salute should last longer. However, for tourists who are new to Japan, it will be fine if they can nod and greet each other cordially. In addition, bowing is also a way to express gratitude or apology. For example, when asking others for help or asking others to do things. Japanese people do not have the traditional habit of shaking hands when meeting each other. However, in modern society with frequent international exchanges, Japanese people sometimes echo the habit of shaking hands and greeting foreigners. When going to a Japanese home, you should take off your shoes at the door of the host's house and put on the host's slippers. Slippers should also be taken off when entering a tatami (Japanese-style straw mat) room. In addition, when using the bathroom, you will often see special slippers placed in the bathroom. At this time, you should take off your slippers outside the bathroom door and put on special slippers for the bathroom. In Japan, Japanese-style low tables and cushions are set up in Japanese restaurants and traditional Japanese homes. If you would like to learn more please visit our Tips and Rules for Seating page for more information. Restaurants with traditional low tables "I'm going to start eating" and "Thank you for your hospitality"
In Japan, people will say itadakimasu (I'm going to start eating) reverently before starting to eat. I want to say gochisosama (deshita) (thank you for the hospitality). ***Dine together. In Japanese families and restaurants (such as taverns), when ordering several dishes, you should use shared chopsticks to pick up some food from the big plate and put it on your own special plate. . Chopsticks
The correct use of chopsticks is an important part of Japanese table etiquette. For specific instructions on how to use chopsticks, please check Using Chopsticks. Table Notes: Blowing your nose in public places should be avoided as much as possible, especially at the dinner table. Try to eat as clean a plate as possible. Avoid bathroom or unappetizing topics during, and before and after your meal. Try to avoid behaviors such as hiccups. After a meal, return the used tableware to the place where you started the meal, including placing the lid on the bowl and returning the chopsticks to the chopstick box or paper bag. Learn more about the rules of using chopsticks on this page. Notes on Drinking
When drinking alcoholic beverages, Japanese people are accustomed to pouring alcohol for the other person, rather than pouring and drinking it themselves. So when drinking in Japan, you can do as the Romans do and always look at your friends' glasses and pour them some wine once their glasses are almost empty. Likewise, if a friend offers you a drink, empty the glass quickly and pick up the glass to accept the offer. In some high-end restaurants, such as Japanese restaurants that serve kaiseki (Japanese feast), getting drunk is considered a very bad behavior. In a foreign country, even in an ordinary tavern, you should try to avoid the unpleasantness caused by drunkenness. At the beginning of the meal, everyone usually says "kanpai" and then raises their glasses to drink. At this time, you should avoid saying "please, please (ching, ching)" in Chinese because the pronunciation of "please (qing)" can easily be heard by Japanese as "qin", and the Japanese pronunciation of "qin qin" refers to male genitalia. mean. How to eat... Rice
When eating rice, hold the bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other hand, and raise the bowl to your mouth to eat. Unlike sushi, white rice is generally not eaten with soy sauce. … Sushi
Pour the sauce into a small plate. Be careful to pour as much as you use. In Japan, where resources are not abundant, waste is considered a very impolite behavior. Generally speaking, there is no need to add green wasabi to the sauce, because except for some sushi that does not need to be eaten with wasabi, green wasabi is added to most sushi. If you prefer to add your own wasabi, adding a small amount is polite and respectful of the person making the sushi. If you’re not a big fan of wasabi, you can ask for sushi that doesn’t contain wasabi.
When eating sushi, it’s best to take one bite at a time. Eating it in portions often ruins the delicate appearance of the food. In addition, you can eat sushi with your hands or chopsticks according to your own habits. If it is nigiri sushi, turn one piece upside down and dip it into the soy sauce, with the fish part facing forward. There are several types of new nigiri that should not be dipped in soy sauce, such as marinated ones. If it is gunkan sushi, the correct way to eat it is to pour a small amount of sauce on top of the sushi instead of soaking the sushi in the sauce. … Sashimi
Pour the sauce into the prepared small dish. You can put some wasabi on sashimi, but not too much, as it will destroy the original flavor of the fish and may offend the sushi chef. When eating, pick up the sashimi and dip it in the sauce. Also some sashimi need to be tasted with minced ginger instead of wasabi. … Doenjang Soup
Pick up the bowl to drink the soup, and use chopsticks to pick up the soup and eat it. … Noodles
Put the noodles into your mouth with chopsticks and suck them rhythmically. It is normal to make noise when eating noodles in Japan, and it will not be considered impolite, so you can eat noodles boldly, as the Japanese around you are all doing the same. When drinking noodle soup, you can use the store's spoon, or you can drink it directly from the bowl. Japanese ramen, the soup tastes very good. I personally always take a sip of the soup before eating the noodles. … Japanese curry rice
(And other foods where rice and vegetables are mixed) Rice foods like Japanese curry rice, because they are topped with white rice (such as a large bowl of rice), the rice is mixed with rice. It may be difficult to pick it up with chopsticks, so you can eat it with a spoon. … Large pieces of food
(e.g. fried prawns, tofu) Use chopsticks to separate the food, take a bite, then put the rest back on your plate and enjoy at your own pace.