Umitober Day 19: Kuina

tokidokitokyo:

Chopstick Taboos

Like all utensils, chopsticks have their own set of etiquette. This is a list of the 10 main Japanese taboos for using chopsticks to help improve your table manners.

お箸　おはし　ohashi　chopsticks

箸置き　はしおき　hashioki　chopstick rest

1. 移り箸　うつりばし　utsuri-bashi
   Do not move your chopsticks back and forth above the food, trying to decide what to eat first. Decide what you want to eat before you move your chopsticks to the item.
2. 渡し箸　わたしばし　watashi-bashi
   Do not put down your chopsticks on bowls like a bridge to rest them. Instead, use a chopstick rest, or fold up your chopsticks paper package to make a rest.
3. 刺し箸　さしばし　sashi-bashi
   Do not stab your food with your chopsticks. Instead, pick it up or request different silverware if it is too difficult.
4. 寄せ箸　よせばし　yose-baishi
   Do not use your chopsticks to move the plates or bowls closer, because then you will be dragging the tableware along the table. Always use your hands to move the plate or bowl.
5. 探り箸　さぐりばし　saguri-bashi
   Do not use you chopsticks to dig in the food to look for something. Rather, eat the food in the shape that it comes in and from the top to the bottom of the bowl or plate.
6. もぎ箸　もぎばし　mogi-bashi
   Do not eat the small pieces of food off of your chopsticks. Instead, ignore it, or remove it with a paper towel.
7. かき込み箸　かきこみばし　kakikomi-bashi
   Do not put your mouth on the bowl and use chopsticks to shovel food into your mouth. Instead, pick up the item and carry it to your mouth with small bites.
8. 振り上げ箸　ふりあげばし　furiage-bashi
   Do not use chopsticks to point at people or at things. It’s best not to point with your finger either, but rather to explain using words. You can point at menus, but not at people or things far away.
9. 拾い箸　ひろいばし　hiroi-bashi
   Do not pass food from chopstick to chopstick. During funerals, the remaining bones of a loved one are collected with chopsticks and can be passed between chopsticks during collection. Thus, passing food between chopsticks is considered bad luck. If you would like to pass food to someone, put it on a plate or a bowl for the other person to pick up.
10. 立て箸　たてばし　tate-bashi
    Do not stand your chopsticks upright in your food. Chopsticks are stood upright in offerings (usually of rice) to those who have departed. Thus, doing so during a meal is considered bad luck. Instead, place your chopsticks on a chopstick rest.

Information from Let’s ask Shogo