I do appreciate It is difficult to slow down in a world of speed. Slow means wasting payed time Not producing enough Hamburgers You gone . Find some other performing artist with a brain eight arms and six legs for 10 dollar??? Its only a small matter of a clock ticking tock Shock 😲 Things change Bang
I am 60 years old Japanese. From my perspective, this video was very well produced. Explains modern Japanese eating etiquette. However, unfortunately, the reality is that many (or the most of） Japanese people cannot use chopsticks properly and do not know the etiquette of eating. So, I thought that Japanese people should watch this video and learn.
I am not Japanese, but I love to eat with chopsticks. Nobody taught me how to do it, I just figured it out myself, and came to see this video to double check if I'm doing it right. Turns out I am doing it perfectly! :D Also, I already knew most of the table manners. Maybe I was born on the wrong continent. 😂
The same goes for Americans using forks, spoons, and knives. They don't know how to hold them properly at all. But the worst "bad habit" is chewing with their mouth open which is disgusting to sit across the table from people who do this.
That makes me less nervous of looking foolish in casual restaurants when I visit Japan. I will still be a bit nervous when I have a kaiseki meal trying to have the best manners, but really that's not much different than having a formal meal here in the US - I don't get much practice.
Thank you for explaining all the manners. I did an exchange to Japan in high school and remember being shocked when we were eating with the family and Otōsan slurping his noodles. 40 years later it still makes me smile remembering it. The Japanese are so kind and such lovely people.
I used to live in Japan as a child and was fortunate enough to learn this as well as many other manners. It became part of my being and is to this day. I'm nearly 80 and thankful for such harmony and beauty I absorbed in such a wonderful country. ❤😊
I worked in Osaka at a steel mill in the middle 90's and we ate in the cafeteria for lunch on the first day I got my meal and asked my boss if chopsticks were mandatory he said only if you want respect. When we got to the table I everyone was watching and I grabbed the chopsticks and started to eat they all sat back down with smiles and watched me try to eat. I gained a lot of respect and was even given advise over my stay on the use of the chopsticks.
Being Native American, I was interested to see things we have in common. We are taught to be greatfull to the lives given (plant &animal) so we can eat and live. We also don't point with fingers, but use our chin or lips in the direction .😁
I truly love what you said... But I also wanted to say, THANK YOU for using "Being" or anything else instead of "As a" to start. Yes, It's such a small and silly thing to nitpick over... I'm an idiot, but I can't help it. "As a" just doesn't feel or sound right, and seemingly everyone uses it.
That could be because your ancestors most likely walked across the land bridge in Alaska coming from Asia. Both cultures are rich in ideas like honor , respect, and balance with nature.
"Itadakimasu" I am humbled by such great gesture Japanese people have. Gratitute for the lives that become our food and all others who have made the food and brought it to us. "Namaste" from India!! We too do "Namaste" by bringing hands together in a similar fashion.
Nah it's quite different, we do namaste to greet someone in indian way, whereas itakadimasu is done to show gratitude to the cook, and the people by whose efforts the dish was made possible. In indian culture we have a different way to chant a shloka(which is done rarely now) for the food and the God b4 having the meal
Wrong Chinese chopsticks still can do all what's Japanese can do and Chinese not only wood, plastic, metal ,gold or ivory in the rich and elite ? The Korean used metal chopsticks and spoon but am not here to about look it yourself 😂
In catholicism it is recommended to pray to god before meal but nobody does that really. Whether a plain thank you to god in your thought, or more elaborate is both ok as long as genuine. The one rule i would apply though is to do it the way that nobody notices you even do that because there is a line from the new testament to pray to god in secret from people - to do it not for attention or praise so that people see your virtue, but for god solely. Most accepted prayers before food in catholicism from my experience is during christmas where the eldest male is expected to lead the ceremony and call for prayer together with the family before taking seats and beginning eating, usually 'our father' so most classic. Matthew 6:6-7 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words." so it also supports for it to be short and effective and not long and watered down.
I loved this video. I have wanted to learn "Japanese Table Manners" for so long and finally I ran across this video. You have explained it so well. Japanese culture is so beautiful. Thank you so much.
Your instruction is exemplary and thoughtful. I instructed many executives during the 1990’s traveling to Japan for business meetings an your concise and thoughtful instruction would have been a superb example for me to use. Your revealing the Japanese name for the infractions was also very meaningful to me as well. Those are terms seldom taught inn Japanese lessons but very helpful to know and understand. You are a superb instructor.
I am really loving all the gratitude and appreciation at ~7:30 explaining ALL the different human hands and labor all the way up the supply chain. That is so valuable, to keep their labor in mind as one eats
Amazing video of using chopstick!!! Very interesting of a refine and understanding cultures of Japan. I enjoyed and am glad that you share with us!! Hey look, I am 73 yrs and getting a bit depress being 24/7 in a four walls but watching this sparked some sunshine into my spirit! Thanks from Auckland New Zealand
Thank you for appreciating and respecting the lives of all things that bring nourishment to us. Also the people who work hard to bring it to our table.
Your presentation on Japanese table manners and proper use of Chop Sticks is very much appreciated, especially the cultural aspects of the rituals involved. The concepts of thanksgiving and appreciation should be practiced everywhere.
I usually eat popcorn with chopsticks (hashi) to avoid getting butter or seasonings on my hands, and it is great practice. Also, you can use a chopstick rest or stand (hashioki) for the place setting when not in use. Thanks for the thorough explanations!
Thank you so much! I was raised in a huge American family that relied on convenience but I've always been a foodie. I love the ceremony around Japanese food. I eat slowly and really savor the flavors. It's important to me that I'm respecting the chef and the food. ❤
I think that prayer is fabulous. What a lovely thing to teach children to be grateful for everyone who contributed to their meal. I wish that was done every where.
I'm half Native American and I am also familiar with the principle of thanking the lives that had to be taken in order for us to eat to sustain ourselves - and to apologize to the animals that lost their lives so that we can sustain ours. Very good video, I am about to learn to use chopsticks because it's so much more elegant to eat with them than either grabbling with forks or spoons, or just using one's fingers as is common in the Middle East and South Asia.
I'm just a regular white guy, but I also do this. In good weather I often (multiple times a week) will eat my dinner outside while watching the sunset, and I thank God for my food, for my life, and I thank the animals for giving their lives for me to eat. I only eat fish meat though. I believe its important to be thankful for our food.
People who have had a garden or have been around hunting also have a greater appreciation. I know I do. I try very hard not to waste anything. I give thanks to the farmers, so many people are involved during every process of having food on your plate in front of you. Many many processes,and people. And always give thanks to an animal. You don't have to be Japanese or Indian, you just have to have awareness of how the food arrived to your mouth. 😊
Thank you for this video. As a Palestinian who loves Japanese culture and heritage, I really enjoyed this video and the other video about the Japanese home. I shared the knowledge and information with my family who have shown the same enthusiasm and enjoyment. Thank you. I hope to visit Japan again and apply what I learned. Arigato
Came here to learn how to properly eat miso soup. 🙏 It’s striking how similar yet different each Asian cultures are! Since you mentioned, I thought I’d share why Koreans use metal chopsticks and the historical significance behind it. Koreans eat a variety of side dishes which are mostly cold, some hot. The metal allows the food to stay in proper temperature ie. If the dish is cold, it will stay cold, vs if it’s eaten hot, it will stay hot. Metal was largely available for even the poorest of the population. It’s merely an imitation of silver which was mainly used for the Kings and rulers to detect Arsenic poisoning from food. It’s also table etiquette not to bring your bowl of food to your face, or hold it in your hand, thus we didn’t have to worry about burning our hands from a hot bowl of rice 😂 Nowadays, stainless steel is mainly used to keep the custom, but mainly because it is also anti microbial. Hope this knowledge was informational to your learning. Thank you for sharing this video!
@@outofahat9363I'm also left handed and leftie people tend to hold pencils in weird ways. I love holding chopsticks because it's fun to hold it weirdly (personally)
Thank you So much! My grandmother is Japanese yet my brother & I were never taught anything about her family or our Japanese heritage. Now in my 50's I'm learning as much as possible and planning a trip to Japan. You make everything easy - THANK YOU!
I love this video on table manners and on how to hold the chopsticks. I've visited Japan 4x and fell in love with your country, but what made shy to eat out was my inadequacy in using the chopsticks. Thanks for your clear direction on how to hold/use them.
No problem! Most restaurants will ask if you can eat with chopsticks. These days, of course! And most Japanese will give you a lot of room if your chopstick manners are inadequate, or still developing. Once I went with my boyfriend (a foreigner from a 3rd world country) who could not use chopsticks, to a small island resort area. The inn provided meals. Nobody asked if we could use chopsticks. I was afraid I would have to use my own chopsticks to feed my boyfriend. Miracle upon miracles -- after more than a year in Japan, somehow it clicked. He somehow managed to use chopsticks to get the food from the plate to his mouth. I was so thankful -- I didn't want to have to baby-feed him. Frankly, I think it was his fear of being baby-fed that finally made him figure out how to use the chopsticks. He was not elegant with his chopstick usage, mind you, but he functioned. Kind of a funny story, since I had never before encountered anybody who couldn't use chopsticks. And I grew up in a family that went to eat at a Chinese restaurant annually on January 1st, and then marveled and pointed at the Asian poeple around us whgo were using chopsticks and even feeding their children with them! My Dad would point around, saying "Look at that!" Years later, when I was Associate Professor in Japan, my students would often ask if I could use chopsticks. They were aged 18-19. I told them I'd been using chopsticks for 20 years. Then giggle, and ask for the next question. It takes a long time for ordinary folks to come to terms with customs and behaviors from other countries. But once it happens, a bridge is crossed. Some of my students even told me that they, for the first time, saw themselves and foreigners as part of the same group, and that they would no longer "be afraid of foreigners." I even had some students who would greet me politely on the street or in shops where they encountered me. It may seem like nothing important to people outside Japan, but at that time it was a great way to build a way to help young Japanese to get in touch with the oneness of humanity. I hate that phrase, but I don't know a better one. My students were not always great students, but they were fine human beings, and enjoy remembering the moments when they got to make a connection to the larger world around them.
I don't have ancestry Japanese but in my childhood and teens I just have Japanese friends and I learned a lot about culture and behavior. I'm love 💞 the culture and I keep to me many behaviors and especially cooking Japanese food for me and my family. Thanks do much for donating your time for teaching and share with us your amazing tradition and culture. Arigato 🤩🤩🤩🤩
I just showed this video to my year 8 Japanese class (we are learning about Japanese food culture) and it was so instructive and helpful. Thank you so much!
Slurping soup allows you to avoid being scalded by the hot liquid, because when you slurp, you simultaneously sip soup and air thereby cooling the hot liquid slightly enough for you to enjoy it without scalding your tongue and lips.
You get the same result by blowing gently the hot food. That way, no noise of slurping nor burping because you swallowed air. I get it is a cultural thing, not better not worse.
I guess that makes some sense, but here’s a thought too…wait until it’s cool enough that you don’t have to slurp to avoid burns. I was raised that if you can hear someone eating, it better be because they’re eating chips. Otherwise it’s rude because no one wants to hear what’s going on in your mouth. Sort of the same concept as chewing with you’re mouth closed and not talking with food in your mouth. No one wants to see your food.
@@dudanunesbleff I'm Japanese 74yrs old and I find Taiji slurps a lot when he demonstrate eating finished dishes. I think it's his home cultural thing. We don't usually slurp except hot soup noodles so that you can cool it to enjoy while it's still hot. Many Foreigners are not used to eating piping hot food but in Japan some dishes (including Ramen, Udon, Soba and some pot dishes etc. ) are served that way precisely bcz it's best while it's hot. So yes it's a cultural thing but it's uncomfortable to witness foreign ppl struggling to eat hot noodles of any kind just go ahead and slurp it you're doing Japanese cultural thing.
@@dudanunesbleff I was told that in Asian cultures it was a sign of respect to the chef indicating that you were enjoying the meal. It may be country/culturally specific, though.
Thank you for making this. I know how to use chopsticks properly. I had a boyfriend many years ago that could use chopsticks better than me. So I have been trying to learn over the years how to get my fingers correctly in using them. Up until now, I struggled with them. Now, I am happy that I can use them without fumbling!
The thanking for the food is something that really moved me, because it just shows the appreciation for the whole process, and it makes eating things "a little easier on the mind". It is hard to say. Itadakimasu :)
Very interesting and useful! I found your channel because I wanted to teach my son how to eat with chopsticks but now I’ll definitely try some of your recipes. Thank you 🙏
I really enjoyed your teaching on this with your culture , I have never visited Japan , someday I hope to , manners and way of eating , selecting food with right and wrong ways of doing things there , much appreciated for your lesson on this , lots of respect 🙏
I’ve been using chopsticks for 20 years, but I didn’t know how to use them with precise manners until I started working at a fancy traditional Japanese restaurant and found this video.😂 It was really helpful and in perfect English. Thank you so much!
Believe it or not, it is possible to pick up individual rice grains with Chinese-style chopsticks. I grew up in an American family, but we ate Chinese food a lot, so we had Chinese-style chopsticks made of bamboo to eat with, and I got used to them. I admit that we used them for Japanese food as well. And yes, my parents did teach me to eat everything on my plate and not leave leftovers :)
I LOVED this video. It’s so interesting learning more about your culture. I knew some of the taboos but not why they were taboos. I’m currently binge watching your videos and enjoying your channel immensely. Thanks for all the effort you put into it. I would enjoy a video about how to actually plan out a meal. All the different sides and dishes are interesting, but I’d love to see the thought process behind choosing which foods to serve with each other or what you wouldn’t combine etc. Kind of like tonkatsu with shredded cabbage. I’d also like to learn about how you decide which type of serving containers to use. It seems like I see rice in dark bowls a lot, but is there something specific to think about with other types of food too?
Great custom! Will now look at my food differently… what a great custom! Thank you for sharing this along with the proper setting! No one has done this, an ancient ritual that has great class and meaning… everything in its place working together…it’s quantum physics, all things have Energy and work powerfully when it works in tandem congruently…just awesome!
This was so incredibly informative!! I think most people know how to use chopsticks now, but it's nice to learn the reasons behind their use, and the backstory of Japanese table manners. Your channel is so interesting, and your English is amazing.
Hi, as you said , being a foreigner in Japan, I got a way with using chopsticks, it is important to use table manners and thank you for such useful information. 😊
I read that laying the chopsticks sideways on top of the dish usually meant you’re done eating though. I did it a ramen shop and the waiter immediately came by and cleared the table and gave me my bill and thanked me for coming by
I think placing the chop sticks across the edge of a bowl or plate mistake made by many westerners is fusing fork and knife with chopstick etiquette. Forks/knives are placed that way across dishes to signal to servers in a restaurant that you are finished with the dish/course. Much like for example at a special event banquet. Think of Downton Abbey or a state banquet with royalty like a v.i.p. Many different courses and utensils/plates for each in a certain order. Most people never need to learn all that.
In a fine dining or more conscious etiquette in Western culture (and sone other cultures), lying your silverware aligned on your plate diagonally let’s a server know you are finished. That could translate to some Japanese restaurants or servers as well.
As someone who is Canadian Japanese, and who has always somehow struggled with chopsticks for my whole 19 years of living, this is really great information!
Thank you for sharing the Japanese table manners. The only thing that I'm not comfortable is to do the slurping when eating. In other countries, it's a no no. But in Japan, it's o.k. The same thing with eating with barehands. Every culture has its own way of eating and table manners. Goodluck and more videos to share.
Agreed. I fully understand the cultural aspect but slurping is like this is like nails on chalkboard to this Cuban's ears. It is good to know to know to expect this in a Japanese restaurant.
I really appreciate your information. I learned to eat with chopsticks as a very young child starting at age 4. I learned many more manners regarding using chopsticks from you. I'm happy to say I knew most of them. Being left handed makes it a bit more difficult. Thank you. Thank you for the Japanese words associated with these manners. I have been learning Japanese and listening to your pronunciation is extremely helpful.
@@outdoorloser4340 hahaha, thanx so much!! I am getting subs each day, slowly but surely!! please share my channel with your friends!! as for the octopus, do you mean like live octopus, or recipe using octopus? i am planning to make Takoyaki sometime soon (probably end of this year or so).
I'm German/American and have been interested in Japanese tv shows, songs, movies, skits, music shows etc for years ever since I discovered a Hello Kitty anime when I was young. My family is Christian and prays to God before they eat but as an atheist I prefer to say "Thank you for the food" to who I'm recieving it from. This is showing me gratitude for the farmers if the food, the ones who packaged and delivered it and for the person who cooked/prepared it. I had a habit of announcing my arrival at home even if I didn't see anyone and it's helped me to not suprise my grandparents too much of know if someone was home. :)
I loved this video ❤ please do not apologise for all the 'rules' , I personally think it to be beautiful ❤ I believe I am falling inlove with everything-Japan ❤ I find most of it to be calming and done with so much peace and without any rush and craziness. It's beautiful ❤ I hope one day, some day, I'll have an opportunity to visit your country 😊 sending gratitude from Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦 17 October 2022
Thank you for such a properly detailed Japanese etiquette video, on eating. I absolutely love this video. You rock!! Thank you again this was AMAZING !!!
Japanese culture is so fascinating. Thanks for this video, it's really interesting! :) I like how there's an appreciation of how the food has been brought to the table, from the lives sacrificed to give the food, to the cooks, to the workers in the fields/factories, to the drivers who bring the product to wherever. Everyone should show that level of appreciation! :)
My friend is traveling to Japan in April and I sent this cuz she is learning Japanese speak and read it I thought it would be nice for her to have a table manners as well thank you so much
Thank you for this highly informative video. I love learning about other countires and their culture in every way and I learned alot from this video, thank you very much 😊
I thoroughly enjoyed this video, thank you soooo much! I realise that as a Malaysian Chinese, we kinda do all the not-to-do above almost every single meal 😂😂😂 (apart from sticking chopsticks in s bowl of rice, no we don't do that either). The only thing I've done right so far is, we do really enjoy our food. May I ask that you also do a video on how you'd eat a Japanese meal properly? And also the proper way to set a dinner table for a Japanese meal? So that we do not appear as bogan if we do visit Japan one day.
Taiji-san, thank you for making this video. It's great to have this quality video finally. As someone originally from Japan, I can give anyone an instant lesson for this topic no problem, but having seen many visitors from other cultures in Japan struggling with chopsticks, I'd like to give you a big thumb-up! Both the scripting and the presentation are impressive, well made to make viewers feel easy and the Japanese table/chopstick manners approachable.. This video is one that should not be missed by anyone who plans to travel to Japan for the first time, perhaps even by some Japanese themselves as a refresher video(!!).
This was fantastic! I lived in Japan for 4 years, in the 1980s, and wished for a book that would teach me Japanese manners, but I never found one. One thing that you forgot was about helping yourself from a community dish, and the need to use the butt-end of the chopsticks to take the food from a common plate, and then to switch the chopsticks to eat the food from the pointed end. Somewhere, I learned this, and learned to spin the chopsticks around, and to make sure the butt end were sanitary when reaching for food on the communal platters, and then spinning them around to make sure that only the narrow ends touched my mouth. I was complimented several times for my chopstick skills -- equating to sanitary skills. After all, nobody wants to eat off of somebody else's fork. In the days of Covid, I think this is especially important. In fact, there have been studies showing how diseases spread through the unsanitary use of chopsticks at Chinese banquets.
Really enjoyed this video and very informative. I especially liked the explanation of the difference between Chinese, Korean and Japanese chopsticks. Thanks for putting this video out.
Thanks a lot for this. I've discovered your videos only yesterday and I was actually wondering about the words you're saying before and after eating.... I would love to go visit Japan one day, and when I do so, I'll make sure I watch this video before going. :-)
This has taught me loads (and I feel retrospectively hugely embarrassed!) However, the pointers about practicing with chopsticks - now THAT is exactly what I'm going to do! Awesome video - THANK YOU 😊
I am going to Japan later this year. Only for a couple of weeks, but I think it is worth the effort to know at least some of the customs. So these sort of videos are great. Have saved it to watch again closer to my trip.
Hi! I'm gonna add some extra info about the history of Japanese meals positioning. It's said that we put rice on the left side because left side is considered as the greater side than right side in ancient Japanese culture. And also rice was used as money long time ago so we have to put it on the left side of the set. Not many people know the history but i hope it makes you more interested in Japanese culture!!
All the taboos you’ve mentions applies as well in Korean and Chinese culture 12:36 And please when you go in Japanese and korean resto please eat only don’t be too loud there specially if it’s traditional theme restos and don’t stay too long there as courtesy to the next customers and always leave your table clean
If I would have slurped food at my parent's table I would have most likely gotten smacked upside the head. Funny how some things are acceptable in different cultures.
I’m so grateful for this video. I’m going to Japan for the first time in 3 weeks and wouldn’t like to offend anyone or anything with inappropriate manners. Thank you 😊
So helpful because I’ve been watching Korean and Chinese videos of couples eating and they break all your rules. I needed to know the correct usage as I’m planning a trip to Japan in the near future.
One thing I noticed as a clear difference from the Chinese culture, as I lived in China for a few years, and also some western countries, is the habit of NO LEAVING FOOD BEHIND. It's very disrespectful and honestly quite cruel to waste any food at all. I was raised to cherish what we have and be thankful for it, and it hurts me when I see people wasting food in purpose
Thankfully I've been following many of these from eating sushi for many years! I thought it was interesting you mentioned learning to use chopsticks in school. I heard the first 4 years of school are dedicated mainly to teaching children to be well mannered & good people. Wow, that's incredible and what I think all countries should do!!! Being a good, well mannered person is more important than anything else, especially from the beginning. Well done 🤍
I’ve had people tell me I hold chopsticks wrong because they don’t make the X shape, but turns out I hold them correctly! This was the most intuitive way for me to use chopsticks and I have no issues with picking up even small grains of rice now. Good to know I was right to stick with the way I was using them
Who wants you to make the "X" shape when holding chopsticks? I'm a white American who is always embarassed when my fellow countrymen use the "X" shape for holding chopsticks. It should be a simple extension of the index finger and the thumb. No cramped "X" about it.
Interesting to see the arrangement of the meal is a full 180 on how we serve our meals. In most western dishes meats or fish are presented at the bottom of the plate in our case and vegetables to the left with rice or potatoes on the right, very cool to learn about Asian cuisine and cultural differences. 🤗
Really enjoyed the video and appreciated the opportunity to learn these manners. You explain everything so well. And I love the amount of respect Japanese people put into everything they do
I'm left-handed. A long time ago some good soul told me that it's considered impolite to use chopsticks in left hand. So, today, eating with chopsticks is the only thing i do using right hand. Thank you, good soul 😂
I love the idea of thanking the universe ---the animals and plants we eat and everyone who makes the meal possible.. that is one thing really lacking in the West, right now, gratitude. I believe as you do that all life matters, we consume life to live. We should always be grateful. "Itadakimasu" wonderful. Thanking the cook and workers at a restaurant just comes naturally to me. I know how hard kitchen work really is.
Thank you the lesson in good table manners. I will try to remember everything you mentioned in your video. I truly believe that proper table manners is essential and respect no matter what culture. Thank you for sharing 🙏
14:47 I'm glad you included that detail. As someone who unfortunately has OCD for surface contamination, I do not want to put the eating end of my chopsticks down where the bottom of the bowls have been sitting on. Better to have them hang over the edge of the tray because the bottoms of the bowls have been on many countertops and surfaces.
Last comment. You bring back family dinners where we sat at a table and I was encouraged to eat my food all up. My father grew up in a depression when food was scarce so as not to be wasted. My parent would say think of the children in Africa starving. I could not work out how eating my meal would fix starving children. However, I miss my meals with my parents as I was taught table manners and conversation skills and where family stories and histories were passed on Really miss that.
As hongkonger I have and use both Chinese n Japanese chopsticks at home. Only after u mentioned it I realise yes I personally use Japanese ones when eating small meals but switch to Chinese ones in big gathering 😂. Korean chopsticks I really struggle with.
I know this video is two years old, but I wanted to say thank you! I have been trying to learn how to use chopsticks for literally YEARS and have been unable to get it. (It doesn't help that I'm left handed and most methods are taught to right handed. 😅) Your explanation finally made since. I was able to mirror it with my own. I've been stuck using children's training chop sticks, but I finally was able to eat a whole meal with my wooden set now! Thank you so much! Also thank you for explaining some of the "why" behind the table manners and chopsticks use. Very informative. Thanks again!
When I was a little girl, my father (who’s definitely not Asian of any kind, and is totally a Black man who was born and raised in Brooklyn), would have me eat, and practice picking up grains of rice, with Japanese style chopsticks. I never forgot that. Nor how to use chopsticks. He also tricked me once when I finally asked what that “green stuff” was on his sushi platter. He said, “try it. It’s good.” I ate a lot; I turned red and teary, and also will never forget that. I love wasabi to this day. And all forms of seaweed. 😊 I’m 40 now and got my kiddo his first pair of chopsticks when he was about 2. We haven’t practiced much since he doesn’t like sushi, but this video makes me want to revisit it since he does take them from his kitchen drawer and play with them, even now as a 6 year old.
I love the fact that the Japanese people appreciate the entire process of brining food (lives) to the table. I wish everyone was so thoughtful.
As Christians we do 😇
@@kelliintexas3575 the pope plays with little boys
@@lilypad2 yeah, but like, respectfully. It's the little wangs in life.
I do appreciate
It is difficult to slow down in a world of speed.
Slow means wasting payed time
Not producing enough Hamburgers
You gone .
Find some other performing artist with a brain eight arms and six legs for 10 dollar???
Its only a small matter of a clock ticking tock
Shock 😲
Things change
Bang
@@johnskott6304 The little what?
I am 60 years old Japanese. From my perspective, this video was very well produced. Explains modern Japanese eating etiquette. However, unfortunately, the reality is that many (or the most of） Japanese people cannot use chopsticks properly and do not know the etiquette of eating. So, I thought that Japanese people should watch this video and learn.
They learn in school, but some don't get to eat with company often.
He mixed the second and third taboo as number two.
I am not Japanese, but I love to eat with chopsticks. Nobody taught me how to do it, I just figured it out myself, and came to see this video to double check if I'm doing it right. Turns out I am doing it perfectly! :D Also, I already knew most of the table manners. Maybe I was born on the wrong continent. 😂
The same goes for Americans using forks, spoons, and knives. They don't know how to hold them properly at all. But the worst "bad habit" is chewing with their mouth open which is disgusting to sit across the table from people who do this.
That makes me less nervous of looking foolish in casual restaurants when I visit Japan. I will still be a bit nervous when I have a kaiseki meal trying to have the best manners, but really that's not much different than having a formal meal here in the US - I don't get much practice.
Manners are free they don't cost anything . This was from my grand mother
Have to disagree with your grand mother, manners cost some time
This is said also in my country - Romania.
Thank you for explaining all the manners. I did an exchange to Japan in high school and remember being shocked when we were eating with the family and Otōsan slurping his noodles. 40 years later it still makes me smile remembering it. The Japanese are so kind and such lovely people.
I used to live in Japan as a child and was fortunate enough to learn this as well as many other manners. It became part of my being and is to this day. I'm nearly 80 and thankful for such harmony and beauty I absorbed in such a wonderful country. ❤😊
6:38 best explanation as to why the Japanese say “Itadakimasu” before every meals. Non denominational gratefulness.
I worked in Osaka at a steel mill in the middle 90's and we ate in the cafeteria for lunch on the first day I got my meal and asked my boss if chopsticks were mandatory he said only if you want respect. When we got to the table I everyone was watching and I grabbed the chopsticks and started to eat they all sat back down with smiles and watched me try to eat. I gained a lot of respect and was even given advise over my stay on the use of the chopsticks.
Thanks for sharing your heartwarming story
I love that! Respect for trying advice to get to where you need to be!
Being Native American, I was interested to see things we have in common. We are taught to be greatfull to the lives given (plant &animal) so we can eat and live. We also don't point with fingers, but use our chin or lips in the direction .😁
I truly love what you said... But I also wanted to say, THANK YOU for using "Being" or anything else instead of "As a" to start. Yes, It's such a small and silly thing to nitpick over... I'm an idiot, but I can't help it. "As a" just doesn't feel or sound right, and seemingly everyone uses it.
in russia it is impolite to point fingers at people, you wanna use your hand for that. for pointing at things it's fine.
Lol, Its weyyweyyy ober der. XD
I'm Native American as well, Wampanoag!
That could be because your ancestors most likely walked across the land bridge in Alaska coming from Asia. Both cultures are rich in ideas like honor , respect, and balance with nature.
Could never leave Japanese food uneaten - it’s too yummy
"Itadakimasu" I am humbled by such great gesture Japanese people have. Gratitute for the lives that become our food and all others who have made the food and brought it to us. "Namaste" from India!!
We too do "Namaste" by bringing hands together in a similar fashion.
Nah it's quite different, we do namaste to greet someone in indian way, whereas itakadimasu is done to show gratitude to the cook, and the people by whose efforts the dish was made possible.
In indian culture we have a different way to chant a shloka(which is done rarely now) for the food and the God b4 having the meal
@@niXrgI agree. Greetings and gratitude are two different things.
I also do that. And to indicate something other than mosquitos or cockroaches (I sometimes even point at them with my feet), I use my whole hand.
Wrong Chinese chopsticks still can do all what's Japanese can do and Chinese not only wood, plastic, metal ,gold or ivory in the rich and elite ? The Korean used metal chopsticks and spoon but am not here to about look it yourself 😂
In catholicism it is recommended to pray to god before meal but nobody does that really. Whether a plain thank you to god in your thought, or more elaborate is both ok as long as genuine. The one rule i would apply though is to do it the way that nobody notices you even do that because there is a line from the new testament to pray to god in secret from people - to do it not for attention or praise so that people see your virtue, but for god solely. Most accepted prayers before food in catholicism from my experience is during christmas where the eldest male is expected to lead the ceremony and call for prayer together with the family before taking seats and beginning eating, usually 'our father' so most classic.
Matthew 6:6-7 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words." so it also supports for it to be short and effective and not long and watered down.
I loved this video. I have wanted to learn "Japanese Table Manners" for so long and finally I ran across this video. You have explained it so well. Japanese culture is so beautiful. Thank you so much.
Much, much thanks. Very appreciative to share us japanese ways of eating with Chopsticks.😊
Your instruction is exemplary and thoughtful. I instructed many executives during the 1990’s traveling to Japan for business meetings an your concise and thoughtful instruction would have been a superb example for me to use. Your revealing the Japanese name for the infractions was also very meaningful to me as well. Those are terms seldom taught inn Japanese lessons but very helpful to know and understand. You are a superb instructor.
I am really loving all the gratitude and appreciation at ~7:30 explaining ALL the different human hands and labor all the way up the supply chain.
That is so valuable, to keep their labor in mind as one eats
I can’t love this enough especially the part about Itadakimasu prayer.
I'm from HK, and I prefer the Japanese chopsticks for so many years! Thank you Taiji for the taboos.
Amazing video of using chopstick!!! Very interesting of a refine and understanding cultures of Japan. I enjoyed and am glad that you share with us!! Hey look, I am 73 yrs and getting a bit depress being 24/7 in a four walls but watching this sparked some sunshine into my spirit! Thanks from
Auckland New Zealand
I hope you are well Anna ! 🙂 Just wanted to send you a smile. These videos are so nice to watch.
Thank you for appreciating and respecting the lives of all things that bring nourishment to us. Also the people who work hard to bring it to our table.
Your presentation on Japanese table manners and proper use of Chop Sticks is very much appreciated, especially the cultural aspects of the rituals involved. The concepts of thanksgiving and appreciation should be practiced everywhere.
I usually eat popcorn with chopsticks (hashi) to avoid getting butter or seasonings on my hands, and it is great practice. Also, you can use a chopstick rest or stand (hashioki) for the place setting when not in use. Thanks for the thorough explanations!
Thanks! That's a great idea to practice chopsticks.
Gracias por las explicaciones, fueron muy utiles. Saludos desde España.
Thank you so much! I was raised in a huge American family that relied on convenience but I've always been a foodie. I love the ceremony around Japanese food. I eat slowly and really savor the flavors. It's important to me that I'm respecting the chef and the food. ❤
I think that prayer is fabulous. What a lovely thing to teach children to be grateful for everyone who contributed to their meal. I wish that was done every where.
Yeah! I’m Colombian and my mom taught me this in our meal prayers 🥰
I'm half Native American and I am also familiar with the principle of thanking the lives that had to be taken in order for us to eat to sustain ourselves - and to apologize to the animals that lost their lives so that we can sustain ours.
Very good video, I am about to learn to use chopsticks because it's so much more elegant to eat with them than either grabbling with forks or spoons, or just using one's fingers as is common in the Middle East and South Asia.
Have fun learning!! ❤
I'm just a regular white guy, but I also do this. In good weather I often (multiple times a week) will eat my dinner outside while watching the sunset, and I thank God for my food, for my life, and I thank the animals for giving their lives for me to eat. I only eat fish meat though. I believe its important to be thankful for our food.
People who have had a garden or have been around hunting also have a greater appreciation. I know I do. I try very hard not to waste anything. I give thanks to the farmers, so many people are involved during every process of having food on your plate in front of you. Many many processes,and people. And always give thanks to an animal.
You don't have to be Japanese or Indian, you just have to have awareness of how the food arrived to your mouth. 😊
Why eat animals at all in that case? You don't need to eat animals to sustain life. Just an excuse.
@@plauditecives It's not like human biology and history revolved around eating meat right?
Thank you for this video. As a Palestinian who loves Japanese culture and heritage, I really enjoyed this video and the other video about the Japanese home. I shared the knowledge and information with my family who have shown the same enthusiasm and enjoyment. Thank you. I hope to visit Japan again and apply what I learned.
Arigato
Came here to learn how to properly eat miso soup. 🙏 It’s striking how similar yet different each Asian cultures are! Since you mentioned, I thought I’d share why Koreans use metal chopsticks and the historical significance behind it. Koreans eat a variety of side dishes which are mostly cold, some hot. The metal allows the food to stay in proper temperature ie. If the dish is cold, it will stay cold, vs if it’s eaten hot, it will stay hot. Metal was largely available for even the poorest of the population. It’s merely an imitation of silver which was mainly used for the Kings and rulers to detect Arsenic poisoning from food. It’s also table etiquette not to bring your bowl of food to your face, or hold it in your hand, thus we didn’t have to worry about burning our hands from a hot bowl of rice 😂 Nowadays, stainless steel is mainly used to keep the custom, but mainly because it is also anti microbial. Hope this knowledge was informational to your learning. Thank you for sharing this video!
I love using chopsticks 🥰 being left handed using chopsticks is really cool and it's amazing on how to properly use them.
Why specifically being left handed would make using chopsticks cooler? (I’m left handed and use them with left hand btw)
@@outofahat9363 I was just saying
@@outofahat9363I'm also left handed and leftie people tend to hold pencils in weird ways. I love holding chopsticks because it's fun to hold it weirdly (personally)
Thank you So much! My grandmother is Japanese yet my brother & I were never taught anything about her family or our Japanese heritage. Now in my 50's I'm learning as much as possible and planning a trip to Japan. You make everything easy - THANK YOU!
I love this video on table manners and on how to hold the chopsticks. I've visited Japan 4x and fell in love with your country, but what made shy to eat out was my inadequacy in using the chopsticks. Thanks for your clear direction on how to hold/use them.
No problem! Most restaurants will ask if you can eat with chopsticks. These days, of course! And most Japanese will give you a lot of room if your chopstick manners are inadequate, or still developing.
Once I went with my boyfriend (a foreigner from a 3rd world country) who could not use chopsticks, to a small island resort area. The inn provided meals. Nobody asked if we could use chopsticks. I was afraid I would have to use my own chopsticks to feed my boyfriend.
Miracle upon miracles -- after more than a year in Japan, somehow it clicked. He somehow managed to use chopsticks to get the food from the plate to his mouth. I was so thankful -- I didn't want to have to baby-feed him. Frankly, I think it was his fear of being baby-fed that finally made him figure out how to use the chopsticks.
He was not elegant with his chopstick usage, mind you, but he functioned.
Kind of a funny story, since I had never before encountered anybody who couldn't use chopsticks. And I grew up in a family that went to eat at a Chinese restaurant annually on January 1st, and then marveled and pointed at the Asian poeple around us whgo were using chopsticks and even feeding their children with them! My Dad would point around, saying "Look at that!"
Years later, when I was Associate Professor in Japan, my students would often ask if I could use chopsticks. They were aged 18-19. I told them I'd been using chopsticks for 20 years. Then giggle, and ask for the next question.
It takes a long time for ordinary folks to come to terms with customs and behaviors from other countries. But once it happens, a bridge is crossed. Some of my students even told me that they, for the first time, saw themselves and foreigners as part of the same group, and that they would no longer "be afraid of foreigners."
I even had some students who would greet me politely on the street or in shops where they encountered me.
It may seem like nothing important to people outside Japan, but at that time it was a great way to build a way to help young Japanese to get in touch with the oneness of humanity.
I hate that phrase, but I don't know a better one.
My students were not always great students, but they were fine human beings, and enjoy remembering the moments when they got to make a connection to the larger world around them.
Thank you I appreciate any review of manners, today our youth need manners, as my grandmother said, "manners don't cost anything".
There are many instructions on the Japanese table manners, but this one is by far the most informative and thoughtful that comes to mind.
I don't have ancestry Japanese but in my childhood and teens I just have Japanese friends and I learned a lot about culture and behavior.
I'm love 💞 the culture and I keep to me many behaviors and especially cooking Japanese food for me and my family.
Thanks do much for donating your time for teaching and share with us your amazing tradition and culture.
Arigato 🤩🤩🤩🤩
I just showed this video to my year 8 Japanese class (we are learning about Japanese food culture) and it was so instructive and helpful. Thank you so much!
Slurping soup allows you to avoid being scalded by the hot liquid, because when you slurp, you simultaneously sip soup and air thereby cooling the hot liquid slightly enough for you to enjoy it without scalding your tongue and lips.
You get the same result by blowing gently the hot food. That way, no noise of slurping nor burping because you swallowed air. I get it is a cultural thing, not better not worse.
I guess that makes some sense, but here’s a thought too…wait until it’s cool enough that you don’t have to slurp to avoid burns.
I was raised that if you can hear someone eating, it better be because they’re eating chips. Otherwise it’s rude because no one wants to hear what’s going on in your mouth. Sort of the same concept as chewing with you’re mouth closed and not talking with food in your mouth. No one wants to see your food.
@@dudanunesbleff blowing breathe spread saliva droplets. Best Avoid COVID and others germs and viruses.
@@dudanunesbleff I'm Japanese 74yrs old and I find Taiji slurps a lot when
he demonstrate eating finished dishes. I think it's his home cultural thing.
We don't usually slurp except hot soup noodles so that you can cool it to
enjoy while it's still hot. Many Foreigners are not used to eating piping hot
food but in Japan some dishes (including Ramen, Udon, Soba and some
pot dishes etc. ) are served that way precisely bcz it's best while it's hot.
So yes it's a cultural thing but it's uncomfortable to witness foreign ppl
struggling to eat hot noodles of any kind just go ahead and slurp it you're
doing Japanese cultural thing.
@@dudanunesbleff I was told that in Asian cultures it was a sign of respect to the chef indicating that you were enjoying the meal. It may be country/culturally specific, though.
Thank you for making this. I know how to use chopsticks properly. I had a boyfriend many years ago that could use chopsticks better than me. So I have been trying to learn over the years how to get my fingers correctly in using them. Up until now, I struggled with them. Now, I am happy that I can use them without fumbling!
The thanking for the food is something that really moved me, because it just shows the appreciation for the whole process, and it makes eating things "a little easier on the mind". It is hard to say. Itadakimasu :)
Very interesting and useful! I found your channel because I wanted to teach my son how to eat with chopsticks but now I’ll definitely try some of your recipes. Thank you 🙏
I really enjoyed your teaching on this with your culture , I have never visited Japan , someday I hope to , manners and way of eating , selecting food with right and wrong ways of doing things there , much appreciated for your lesson on this , lots of respect 🙏
I’ve been using chopsticks for 20 years, but I didn’t know how to use them with precise manners until I started working at a fancy traditional Japanese restaurant and found this video.😂 It was really helpful and in perfect English. Thank you so much!
Believe it or not, it is possible to pick up individual rice grains with Chinese-style chopsticks. I grew up in an American family, but we ate Chinese food a lot, so we had Chinese-style chopsticks made of bamboo to eat with, and I got used to them. I admit that we used them for Japanese food as well. And yes, my parents did teach me to eat everything on my plate and not leave leftovers :)
So much fun to learn this-makes our children more conscious of what they're doing and why.
I LOVED this video. It’s so interesting learning more about your culture. I knew some of the taboos but not why they were taboos.
I’m currently binge watching your videos and enjoying your channel immensely. Thanks for all the effort you put into it.
I would enjoy a video about how to actually plan out a meal. All the different sides and dishes are interesting, but I’d love to see the thought process behind choosing which foods to serve with each other or what you wouldn’t combine etc. Kind of like tonkatsu with shredded cabbage.
I’d also like to learn about how you decide which type of serving containers to use. It seems like I see rice in dark bowls a lot, but is there something specific to think about with other types of food too?
Great custom! Will now look at my food differently… what a great custom! Thank you for sharing this along with the proper setting! No one has done this, an ancient ritual that has great class and meaning… everything in its place working together…it’s quantum physics, all things have Energy and work powerfully when it works in tandem congruently…just awesome!
thanx for your comment! glad you like my videos!!
Japanese culture is so sophisticated. I just love it
Of course you guys have a proper way to pick up chops. Living in japan we were always saved by the gaijin factor and forgiven our mistakes. Arigato!
This was so incredibly informative!! I think most people know how to use chopsticks now, but it's nice to learn the reasons behind their use, and the backstory of Japanese table manners. Your channel is so interesting, and your English is amazing.
Hi, as you said , being a foreigner in Japan, I got a way with using chopsticks, it is important to use table manners and thank you for such useful information. 😊
O.k
I read that laying the chopsticks sideways on top of the dish usually meant you’re done eating though. I did it a ramen shop and the waiter immediately came by and cleared the table and gave me my bill and thanked me for coming by
Maybe the waiter was disgusted with your poor manners and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
箸をお椀の上に置く行為は日本人だとしても間違えて頻繁にやってしまいます😅
式典や高級日本料理店に行った時だけ気を付けてます
@@johnp139 Please that's so mean but I was cackling at this comment 😭😂
I think placing the chop sticks across the edge of a bowl or plate mistake made by many westerners is fusing fork and knife with chopstick etiquette. Forks/knives are placed that way across dishes to signal to servers in a restaurant that you are finished with the dish/course. Much like for example at a special event banquet. Think of Downton Abbey or a state banquet with royalty like a v.i.p. Many different courses and utensils/plates for each in a certain order. Most people never need to learn all that.
In a fine dining or more conscious etiquette in Western culture (and sone other cultures), lying your silverware aligned on your plate diagonally let’s a server know you are finished.
That could translate to some Japanese restaurants or servers as well.
Beautifully explained.. very detailed yet simple. Thank you 👍🏻
As someone who is Canadian Japanese, and who has always somehow struggled with chopsticks for my whole 19 years of living, this is really great information!
Thank you for sharing the Japanese table manners. The only thing that I'm not comfortable is to do the slurping when eating. In other countries, it's a no no. But in Japan, it's o.k. The same thing with eating with barehands. Every culture has its own way of eating and table manners.
Goodluck and more videos to share.
Agreed. I fully understand the cultural aspect but slurping is like this is like nails on chalkboard to this Cuban's ears. It is good to know to know to expect this in a Japanese restaurant.
I really appreciate your information. I learned to eat with chopsticks as a very young child starting at age 4. I learned many more manners regarding using chopsticks from you. I'm happy to say I knew most of them. Being left handed makes it a bit more difficult. Thank you. Thank you for the Japanese words associated with these manners. I have been learning Japanese and listening to your pronunciation is extremely helpful.
Thank you. I love learning things like this from other cultures.
you are welcome, and thank you for your comment!! glad you enjoyed it!!
@@taijiskitchen You deserve more subs. As a fan, I would love to see a video on octopus someday. 🐙
@@outdoorloser4340 hahaha, thanx so much!! I am getting subs each day, slowly but surely!!
please share my channel with your friends!!
as for the octopus, do you mean like live octopus, or recipe using octopus?
i am planning to make Takoyaki sometime soon (probably end of this year or so).
@@taijiskitchen I just mean a traditional octopus recipe.
@@outdoorloser4340 ok, ill give it a thought!! thanx for the request!!
All I'm seeing is discipline and mutual respect...makes it impressive for the rest of us who don't have it
I'm German/American and have been interested in Japanese tv shows, songs, movies, skits, music shows etc for years ever since I discovered a Hello Kitty anime when I was young. My family is Christian and prays to God before they eat but as an atheist I prefer to say "Thank you for the food" to who I'm recieving it from. This is showing me gratitude for the farmers if the food, the ones who packaged and delivered it and for the person who cooked/prepared it. I had a habit of announcing my arrival at home even if I didn't see anyone and it's helped me to not suprise my grandparents too much of know if someone was home. :)
I loved this video ❤ please do not apologise for all the 'rules' , I personally think it to be beautiful ❤ I believe I am falling inlove with everything-Japan ❤ I find most of it to be calming and done with so much peace and without any rush and craziness. It's beautiful ❤ I hope one day, some day, I'll have an opportunity to visit your country 😊 sending gratitude from Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦 17 October 2022
Thank you for such a properly detailed Japanese etiquette video, on eating. I absolutely love this video.
You rock!!
Thank you again this was AMAZING !!!
hahaha, thank you so much!!
Japanese culture is so fascinating. Thanks for this video, it's really interesting! :) I like how there's an appreciation of how the food has been brought to the table, from the lives sacrificed to give the food, to the cooks, to the workers in the fields/factories, to the drivers who bring the product to wherever. Everyone should show that level of appreciation! :)
My friend is traveling to Japan in April and I sent this cuz she is learning Japanese speak and read it I thought it would be nice for her to have a table manners as well thank you so much
I am not Japanese but I have the same feeling of gratitude and consideration toward people who make the event of a meal possible. Such a blessing!
Thank you for this highly informative video. I love learning about other countires and their culture in every way and I learned alot from this video, thank you very much 😊
I thoroughly enjoyed this video, thank you soooo much! I realise that as a Malaysian Chinese, we kinda do all the not-to-do above almost every single meal 😂😂😂 (apart from sticking chopsticks in s bowl of rice, no we don't do that either). The only thing I've done right so far is, we do really enjoy our food.
May I ask that you also do a video on how you'd eat a Japanese meal properly? And also the proper way to set a dinner table for a Japanese meal? So that we do not appear as bogan if we do visit Japan one day.
Taiji-san, thank you for making this video. It's great to have this quality video finally. As someone originally from Japan, I can give anyone an instant lesson for this topic no problem, but having seen many visitors from other cultures in Japan struggling with chopsticks, I'd like to give you a big thumb-up! Both the scripting and the presentation are impressive, well made to make viewers feel easy and the Japanese table/chopstick manners approachable.. This video is one that should not be missed by anyone who plans to travel to Japan for the first time, perhaps even by some Japanese themselves as a refresher video(!!).
I’ll remember this when I visit Japan later this year… I can’t wait 😊
This was fantastic! I lived in Japan for 4 years, in the 1980s, and wished for a book that would teach me Japanese manners, but I never found one. One thing that you forgot was about helping yourself from a community dish, and the need to use the butt-end of the chopsticks to take the food from a common plate, and then to switch the chopsticks to eat the food from the pointed end.
Somewhere, I learned this, and learned to spin the chopsticks around, and to make sure the butt end were sanitary when reaching for food on the communal platters, and then spinning them around to make sure that only the narrow ends touched my mouth.
I was complimented several times for my chopstick skills -- equating to sanitary skills. After all, nobody wants to eat off of somebody else's fork.
In the days of Covid, I think this is especially important. In fact, there have been studies showing how diseases spread through the unsanitary use of chopsticks at Chinese banquets.
Really enjoyed this video and very informative. I especially liked the explanation of the difference between Chinese, Korean and Japanese chopsticks. Thanks for putting this video out.
Thanks a lot for this. I've discovered your videos only yesterday and I was actually wondering about the words you're saying before and after eating.... I would love to go visit Japan one day, and when I do so, I'll make sure I watch this video before going. :-)
glad you like my contents!!
thanx for the comment!
@@taijiskitchen it's thx or thanks
@Joel what is the meaning of smh is it a slang
@@Wagia. smh = shaking my head
This has taught me loads (and I feel retrospectively hugely embarrassed!) However, the pointers about practicing with chopsticks - now THAT is exactly what I'm going to do! Awesome video - THANK YOU 😊
Thanks! Your explanations were clear and informative. When I go to Japan I don’t want to be rude or disrespectful inadvertently.
I am going to Japan later this year. Only for a couple of weeks, but I think it is worth the effort to know at least some of the customs. So these sort of videos are great. Have saved it to watch again closer to my trip.
Hi! I'm gonna add some extra info about the history of Japanese meals positioning. It's said that we put rice on the left side because left side is considered as the greater side than right side in ancient Japanese culture. And also rice was used as money long time ago so we have to put it on the left side of the set. Not many people know the history but i hope it makes you more interested in Japanese culture!!
Is this why we wrap the left side of a robe/kimono with the left side on top?
All the taboos you’ve mentions applies as well in Korean and Chinese culture 12:36
And please when you go in Japanese and korean resto please eat only don’t be too loud there specially if it’s traditional theme restos and don’t stay too long there as courtesy to the next customers and always leave your table clean
If I would have slurped food at my parent's table I would have most likely gotten smacked upside the head. Funny how some things are acceptable in different cultures.
I’m so grateful for this video. I’m going to Japan for the first time in 3 weeks and wouldn’t like to offend anyone or anything with inappropriate manners. Thank you 😊
So helpful because I’ve been watching Korean and Chinese videos of couples eating and they break all your rules. I needed to know the correct usage as I’m planning a trip to Japan in the near future.
One thing I noticed as a clear difference from the Chinese culture, as I lived in China for a few years, and also some western countries, is the habit of NO LEAVING FOOD BEHIND. It's very disrespectful and honestly quite cruel to waste any food at all. I was raised to cherish what we have and be thankful for it, and it hurts me when I see people wasting food in purpose
Thankfully I've been following many of these from eating sushi for many years! I thought it was interesting you mentioned learning to use chopsticks in school. I heard the first 4 years of school are dedicated mainly to teaching children to be well mannered & good people. Wow, that's incredible and what I think all countries should do!!! Being a good, well mannered person is more important than anything else, especially from the beginning. Well done 🤍
well, using chopsticks properly belong to good manner in Japan!
I worked in Korea and they said they made chopsticks in metal because the Japanese army took all their trees during WWII
Wow! And my Korean friend gave me some made from sterling silver
@@moodslingerz5209 I just received the chinese sterling needle for testing poison in food the chinese use back before the revolution.
I’ve had people tell me I hold chopsticks wrong because they don’t make the X shape, but turns out I hold them correctly! This was the most intuitive way for me to use chopsticks and I have no issues with picking up even small grains of rice now. Good to know I was right to stick with the way I was using them
hahaha, show those people, trying to force you the WRONG information, this video. now its your turn to correct them!!
Who wants you to make the "X" shape when holding chopsticks? I'm a white American who is always embarassed when my fellow countrymen use the "X" shape for holding chopsticks. It should be a simple extension of the index finger and the thumb. No cramped "X" about it.
Interesting to see the arrangement of the meal is a full 180 on how we serve our meals. In most western dishes meats or fish are presented at the bottom of the plate in our case and vegetables to the left with rice or potatoes on the right, very cool to learn about Asian cuisine and cultural differences. 🤗
he committed all the sins on camera to educate us 👏
Thank you, one of my sons lives in Japan and I like learning about the culture.
Really enjoyed the video and appreciated the opportunity to learn these manners. You explain everything so well. And I love the amount of respect Japanese people put into everything they do
I'm left-handed. A long time ago some good soul told me that it's considered impolite to use chopsticks in left hand. So, today, eating with chopsticks is the only thing i do using right hand. Thank you, good soul 😂
I love the idea of thanking the universe ---the animals and plants we eat and everyone who makes the meal possible.. that is one thing really lacking in the West, right now, gratitude. I believe as you do that all life matters, we consume life to live. We should always be grateful. "Itadakimasu" wonderful. Thanking the cook and workers at a restaurant just comes naturally to me. I know how hard kitchen work really is.
That is so insightful! Thank you!
Thank you the lesson in good table manners. I will try to remember everything you mentioned in your video. I truly believe that proper table manners is essential and respect no matter what culture. Thank you for sharing 🙏
14:47 I'm glad you included that detail. As someone who unfortunately has OCD for surface contamination, I do not want to put the eating end of my chopsticks down where the bottom of the bowls have been sitting on. Better to have them hang over the edge of the tray because the bottoms of the bowls have been on many countertops and surfaces.
Last comment. You bring back family dinners where we sat at a table and I was encouraged to eat my food all up. My father grew up in a depression when food was scarce so as not to be wasted. My parent would say think of the children in Africa starving. I could not work out how eating my meal would fix starving children. However, I miss my meals with my parents as I was taught table manners and conversation skills and where family stories and histories were passed on Really miss that.
As hongkonger I have and use both Chinese n Japanese chopsticks at home. Only after u mentioned it I realise yes I personally use Japanese ones when eating small meals but switch to Chinese ones in big gathering 😂. Korean chopsticks I really struggle with.
I know this video is two years old, but I wanted to say thank you! I have been trying to learn how to use chopsticks for literally YEARS and have been unable to get it. (It doesn't help that I'm left handed and most methods are taught to right handed. 😅)
Your explanation finally made since. I was able to mirror it with my own. I've been stuck using children's training chop sticks, but I finally was able to eat a whole meal with my wooden set now! Thank you so much!
Also thank you for explaining some of the "why" behind the table manners and chopsticks use. Very informative.
Thanks again!
Im here because taiji is cute 😊😍
Watching from Philippines
Your plant is beautiful. 💚
The elegant way to pick them up contradicts what you explain right after
Dude don't apologize for a beautiful culture . I love this and I learn a lot . Thank You
Oh, i truly appreciate this!
Never apologize for your culture. It is quite artistic. And respect for the history.
I appreciate their culture. They value everything I love it. 🙂
When I was a little girl, my father (who’s definitely not Asian of any kind, and is totally a Black man who was born and raised in Brooklyn), would have me eat, and practice picking up grains of rice, with Japanese style chopsticks. I never forgot that. Nor how to use chopsticks. He also tricked me once when I finally asked what that “green stuff” was on his sushi platter. He said, “try it. It’s good.”
I ate a lot; I turned red and teary, and also will never forget that. I love wasabi to this day. And all forms of seaweed. 😊
I’m 40 now and got my kiddo his first pair of chopsticks when he was about 2. We haven’t practiced much since he doesn’t like sushi, but this video makes me want to revisit it since he does take them from his kitchen drawer and play with them, even now as a 6 year old.
This the best lesson for learning to use chopsticks, I am encouraged to practice.. many similarities with my French traditions
I love learning about Japanese culture. I started learning Japanese and I’m enjoying it ( very beginner ). I hope some day I can visit Japan