Japanese etiquette
If you find yourself dining in Japan or at Japanese barbecue, there are certain rules of play which should help you fit in well. Here's how to perfect your etiquette and dine with Japanese finesse and style:
The floor is the limit
In Japan diners often sit round a low table on straw mats. There are special ways of sitting – men often sit cross legged and women normally sit laying their knees to one side – not the best for circulation but a common Japanese tradition nonetheless.
Wear your best socks
As Japanese people often sit on the floor to eat, its essential to keep the floor sparkling and clean. This means wearing no shoes. In Japan removing your shoes before visiting someone is common courtesy and you’ll normally find a place to put your shoes before entering someone’s house. This means a Japanese event is a good excuse to buy some new socks if you’ve been meaning to do so.
Get it word perfect
In Japan it's common to say "itadakimasu" before a meal to show you are grateful for your food – as it means "I gratefully receive". Following a meal, "gochisosama" is another phrase you would commonly hear - meaning "thank you for the meal". Saying this after eating at a Japanese barbecue would not only impress your fellow diners - but would also be considered very polite. Who said good manners were dead?
Get stuck in
Sharing a number of dishes rather than eating an individual plate alone is common in Japan although it must be done gracefully - and with chopsticks. Not a problem for the more deft of chopstick users but for the rest of us, all fingers and no thumbs, the famous Japanese saying "like a bull in a Yakitori" would be appropriate.
Keep your chopsticks to yourself
Just as there are good manners when it comes to using a knife and fork in the west, the Japanese have definite rules when it comes to using chopsticks. Don’t point at people with your chopsticks, move plates with them or wave them about.
Stay away
Got a cold? If you have, it may be best to stay home if you are dining Japanese style – blowing your nose in public is seen as rather rude in Japan. A bit like belching in the UK, it won't win you any popularity votes and is also seen as fairly uncouth.
Eat everything
In the UK most of us are often brought up to eat all of the food on our plates - as are, in fact, the Japanese. But what about that tiny slither of carrot or fluffy bit of mash left behind that hardly seems bothering about? Surely that doesn't count? In Japan it does as it is considered polite to eat every single morsel of food on your plate - right down to the last grain of rice. The rule is: if you can see it - eat it! As this mode of behaviour is normal to many of us in the UK anyway, you may even find you do this without thinking - showing genuine Japanese finesse that you may not have even known you had. How very inspiring!
Enjoy a top up
Rather than pouring your own drinks, the norm in Japan is to serve each other. If someone wants to pour you a drink, finish what you have left and offer them your glass to fill – but beware – doing this with wine or Sake could lead to a speedy and harsh hangover!
Don’t forget the toast!
We have more in common with our Far Eastern friends than you'd think as the Japanese quite like to make a toast before drinking. They simply wait until everyone has a drink and then collectively shout: "Kampai!"
Know when you're being honoured
If someone offers you barbecued eel at a Japanese style barbecue you can feel very privileged – this is a true Japanese delicacy – thank them graciously.
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