JAPAN IN
ONE MINUTE 
~Japanese Dining Etiquette Explained: Greetings, Chopstick Rules, and More~
Alright, it’s dinnertime! Mmm! The meals Issy makes are always so delicious!
You’re welcome, Pecco.
But aren’t you forgetting something?
Ah, that’s right!
Itadakimasu!
By the way, there are a few other manners and etiquettes you should follow during everyday meals,
not just saying Itadakimasu.
Of course, there are additional rules for formal or high-end restaurants,
but what I’m going to share now are the basic manners you can use in daily life.
Of course! As I mentioned before, we say Itadakimasu before a meal and Gochisousama deshita after eating,
both are expressions of gratitude.
Also, there are rules about how to hold chopsticks properly.
Do you know what they are?
Yes! There’s a correct way to hold chopsticks.
Also, it’s considered bad manners to point at people with your chopsticks or to use them to move dishes around.
Yes! That’s right! Sticking chopsticks into rice is also considered bad manners and etiquettes.
I’ve never done that, but I didn’t know it was considered rude!
Sticking chopsticks upright into rice is part of a Buddhist ritual performed when offering food at a deceased person’s bedside, and it is not considered proper etiquette during regular meals. Placing chopsticks vertically in the rice symbolizes a bridge connecting the world of the living and the afterlife, expressing a wish for the deceased to peacefully journey to the next world.
There are so many manners with chopsticks!
I better remember them all!
Summary
Japanese dining etiquette includes expressing gratitude before and after meals with phrases and following proper rules for using chopsticks such as not pointing at people with chopsticks or sticking them upright into rice.
