How to eat in a Japanese Restaurant

There are countless restaurants in Japan. Before you begin your meal in Japan, you say "itadakimasu" which means I gratefully receive. After you are done with your meal you say "gochisosama (deshita)" which means Thank You for the meal. AsiaRooms.com will give you a deep insight on how to eat in a Japanese Restaurant.

It is a common practice at certain restaurants (e.g. izakaya) to share several dishes of food at the table rather than serving each person with his/her individual dish. If such a situation arises, you are supposed to move some food from the shared plates on to your own plate on your own using the opposite end of your chopstick. Chopsticks may be given to you before the food is served, or there may be special chopsticks that may be provided for the purpose. The proper usage of chopsticks is the most fundamental element of Japanese table manners.

If you are in a Japanese Restaurant and would like to have rice, you must take the rice bowl into one hand and the chopsticks in to the other and lift it towards your mouth while eating. You must not pour soya sauce over white cooked rice.
While eating sushi, you must pour some soya sauce in to a small plate which is provided. It is considered in correct to waste soya sauce so you must take as much soya sauce that you require. Wasabi is not required to be added in soya sauces since the sushi already contains it, but some sushi pieces are also to be eaten without wasabi. I you choose to use wasabi, you must take a small amount in order to not offend the chef. If you do not prefer wasabi, you can request that none of it be added to your sushi. You are supposed to eat a sushi piece in one bite and attempts to break the piece into two may destroy the beauty of the sushi.

If you choose to have Sashimi you must pour some soya sauce into a small place provided. Put some wasabi on the sashimi piece but do not put too much because you might spoil the taste and also offend the chef. You must use the sauce for dipping the sashimi.