Custom requires the use of chopsticks when you eat Asian food in Japan. Chopsticks, called ohashi in Japanese, can be difficult for some Westerners to learn. In addition to learning the practical aspects of handling the utensils, visitors to Japan must follow Japanese table etiquette regarding chopstick use.
Step 1
Rest one chopstick between your thumb and index finger; two-thirds of the stick should be in the front of your hand and the last third rests behind your thumb. Place the second chopstick on top of the first and hold it steady with the top of your thumb and index finger. Grasping ohashi with your fists is considered bad form.
Step 2
Pick up small pieces of meat, vegetables, noodles or rice with the tips of your chopsticks as though you were grasping an item with a pair of pliers or like a bird would pick up food with its beak. Piercing the food with your chopsticks is an indication of poor table manners in Japan.
Step 3
Designate a separate pair of chopsticks as your serving utensils and use your personal pair only to transfer food from your own plate to your mouth. Communal chopsticks used for serving Japanese food might be larger than chopsticks used for eating, and are called saibashi.
Step 4
Use ohashi in Japan for eating and nothing more. Chopsticks are not meant to be used as drumsticks or to move around other items on your table. The Japanese term for this type of faux pas at the table is called "yosei bashi."
Step 5
Eat Japanese food and other Asian dishes with chopsticks while in Japan, but use Western utensils such as a fork and knife for Western-style foods. This separation of utensils according to cuisine type is tradition in Japan, according to Japan-guide.com.
Step 6
Apply your common sense regarding table manners, albeit Western or Asian, to the use of chopsticks in Japan. Pointing your knife or fork at someone across the table is considered rude in Western cultures; doing the same with chopsticks in Japan is also an example of improper etiquette.
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