Chopsticks Manners

Sushi, Tempura, Wasabi…Today, many Japanese foods are known worldwide.

Many foreigners enjoy Japanese food, and some even mastered how to eat with chopsticks, not forks and knives.

Learning how to use chopsticks in good manners is quite difficult, but well, if you are to enjoy Japanese food in the Japanese way, practice makes perfect

1 Hold the upper chopstick with the index finger, the middle finger, and the thumb, in the same way with holding a pencil.

2 Put the other chopstick between the bottom of the thumb and the tip of the ring finger.

3 Move the upper chopstick only when you pick up food.

The correct and incorrect way to hold chopsticks

Below are some taboos in the Japanese manner.

• Waving chopsticks above food dishes.
• Sticking chopsticks into food instead of picking them up.
• Picking up a cup/bowl with the hand that is holding your chopsticks.
• Sucking chopsticks.
• Sticking chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice.
• Passing food from your chopsticks to somebody else’s chopsticks.

Now, an advanced technique.

This is the formal way to pick up chopsticks, but don’t bother doing it at casual restaurants or at home.

1 Pick up chopsticks by the thumb, the index fingers, and the middle fingers.

2 Support the chopsticks by the other hand.

3 Hold the chopsticks properly as written above.

Information from About.com

By the way, eating manners in eastern Asia might seem to be all same, but there are quite a few differences.  You can see some differences in chopsticks:

Japanese chopsticks are mainly made of wood or bamboo.
Chinese chopsticks are made of China.
Korean chopsticks are made of Iron.
Also, Chinese and Korean chopsticks are longer than the Japanese ones.

Not only does it differ from country to country, but each person has different chopsticks that fits him/her: the size of the chopsticks you should use differs according to the size of your hand.

chopsticks for babies/kids

If you are looking for a Japanese chopsticks that really fits you, there are some stores specializing in chopsticks in Tokyo.

Ginza Natsuno (銀座　夏野) is one of them.

Ginza Natsuno has a few stores in the center of Tokyo: Ginza, Aoyama, Marunouchi, etc.

Why not check out the numerous chopsticks with various colors and materials, and find your only-one pair of chopsticks?

–
Higherground Co.,Ltd.
2-8-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
TEL:03-6459-2230
MAIL:info@higherground.co.jp
HP:http://www.higherground.co.jp/
TOP PAGE: http://livingtokyo.net/

関連する投稿

• Unique Architecture in Aoyama (0)
• Toy Park in Ginza, Tokyo (0)
• Supermarket in Azabu, Tokyo (0)
• Shopping Japanese Stationary (0)
• Shopping Food at Department Stores - Depachika (0)