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Hold chopsticks towards their end, and not in the middle or the front third. Chopsticks not in use should be laid down in front of the meal with the tip to the left. This is also the correct position in which to place chopsticks after the meal's conclusion. Do not pass food with chopsticks directly to somebody else's chopsticks.
Chopsticks (はし, hashi) have been used in Japan since the Nara period (710–794). [17] There are many traditions and unwritten rules surrounding the use of chopsticks. For example, it is considered particularly taboo to pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks, as this is how bones are handled by the family of the deceased after a cremation.
While etiquette customs for using chopsticks are broadly similar from region to region, finer points can differ. In some Asian cultures, it is considered impolite to point with chopsticks, or to leave them resting in a bowl. Leaving chopsticks standing in a bowl can be perceived as resembling offerings to the deceased or spirits. [18]
Japanese chopsticks are typically sharp and pointed, in order to dissect fish and seafood. They are traditionally made of wood or bamboo, and are lacquered. Lacquered chopsticks are known in Japanese as nuribashi, in several varieties, depending on where they are made and what types of lacquers are used in glossing them.
Japanese movie-theater etiquette inspired me I learned another unspoken rule while seeing a movie at a theater. After the film, everyone around me stayed seated until the end of the credits.
During the Asuka period, chopsticks were introduced to Japan. Initially, they were only used by the nobility. [5] The general population used their hands, as utensils were quite expensive. Due to the lack of meat products, Japanese people minimized spice utilization. Spices were rare to find at the time.
Alternatively, soup may be served in a single large communal pot to be consumed directly or ladled into individual bowls. Dining utensils will include a pair of chopsticks and a spoon. Common chopstick etiquette should be followed, but rice is generally eaten with the spoon instead of chopsticks. Often some form of protein (meat, poultry, fish ...
Chopsticks are only stuck upright into rice in the bowl on the altar at a funeral or when paying respects to the deceased. This is called hotokebashi. [11] When sharing food, items should never be passed from chopstick-to-chopstick, as this is done only in a ceremony where bone fragments from cremated remains are placed in an urn. [3] [5]