26 Tips on How To Behave in a Japanese Restaurant

Sushi is perhaps the most well known Japanese dish. The word “sushi” refers to rice which has been seasoned and not raw fish as most commonly believed. Sliced fresh raw fish is called sashimi.
Japanese cuisine is the best in the world and for a while now Tokyo has been recognised as our world’s kitchen. For a foodie, Japan is definitely the place to visit. Many of us have an idea how to eat sushi, but the reality is, in Japan, things are being done completely differently. For example, before going to Japan, I didn’t know if I should tip, how to use my chopsticks properly, how to compliment the sushi chef and what things I should avoid doing with my food. Here are 26 tips to help you understand Japanese table manners.

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1. I’m sure everyone does this, but for the sake of argument: when entering a restaurant it’s always nice to greet your host.

2. If you wish to observe how your food is prepared, you can ask to be seated at the sushi bar.

3. You can ask your sushi chef ( itamae ) directly to prepare your favourite type of sushi. The rest of items such as drinks or miso soup should still be ordered from the waiters.

Sushi Sashimi

4. The sushi chef ( itamae ) may be very busy during peak times. Make sure you don’t disturb him if he’s unable to converse.

5. Upon arrival, you may be offered a hot wet towel called oshibori. Use it to wash your hands before meals. Do not use it to wipe your face! When you are done with it, roll it up the same way it’s been given to you and set it aside.

6. Never rub your chopsticks together as it’s a way of telling your chef his utensils are cheap.

7. Don’t pass on food from chopsticks to chopsticks.

8. Never stick your chopsticks upright into your rice. This is a reminder of funeral rituals.

Sushi Shinjuku

9. When you are done eating, place the chopsticks in parallel to your plate, on the holder provided. If a holder is not available, leave them on top of the soy sauce plate.

10. If you received your chopsticks wrapped in paper, make sure you always put them back after when you’ve finished eating. This is a nice gesture towards the waiters so they won’t have to touch the chopsticks you ate with.

11. Don’t put wasabi onto the soy sauce plate. Instead, pick up a small amount and place it directly onto the sushi rice, under the fresh fish.

12. NEVER mix wasabi into your soy sauce. This is considered bad manners in Japan.

13. Nigiri is often difficult to be eaten with chopsticks, its ok for you to eat it with your hands.

14. Never eat sashimi with your hands. Chopsticks only.

Sashimi Sushi

15. Sushi should be eaten in one bite. Don’t cut a sushi into pieces, it’s like cutting the chef into two. If the nigiri is too big, ask the itamae to make them smaller.

16. You don’t dip the sushi rice into soy sauce. Tilt the sushi fish-down to apply only a hint of soy sauce. Place the sushi on your tongue fish-down as well. This way, you get the full flavours and freshness of the fish. Remember that all respectable Japanese restaurants go to great lengths to serve you fresh fish bought from Tsukiji Market.

17. Gari (pickled ginger) is considered a palate cleanser. It’s used between different types of sushi and should only be eaten on its own.

18. If you can’t see a spoon around when you receive your miso soup, simply pick up the bowl and sip from it.

19. You should not drink sake with rice, sorry sake lovers. Sake is usually drunk before or after meals or with sashimi only.

Cory Uji Museum

20. It is not customary in Japan to pour your own drink. You should pour your companion’s drinks and they should do the same for you.

21. Don’t say chin-chin when toasting a glass of booze. Say “Kanpai!” which means to empty one’s glass. In Japan, chin-chin is referred to a man’s private parts.

22. It is not customary to tip in Japan. However, if you really liked your food and you were sat at the sushi bar, you can tip the itamae. There is usually a special jar next to the bar for this very purpose. If you can’t find any jars around, buy your itamae some sake, and down it together. Kanpai!

23. Don’t leave tips in Japan as you might make people really confused. They will likely run after you think you forgot your change.

24. Japan has the best service in the world. You too are expected to respect others and treat your hosts accordingly.

25. If you are sat at the sushi bar, it is polite to thank your itamae directly. You can say “ Domo arigato”. It essentially means “thank you for the meal”.

26. You can praise the sushi rice made by your chef. The itamae spent a lot of time crafting the perfect rice to go with the fresh fish.

I hope you found the above tips useful. Did I forget something? Share your tips in the comment section below.

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Cory from You Could Travel entering Senso-ji in Tokyo, Japan

Cory Varga – Cory Varga is a Tokyo-based licensed travel agent and published travel writer. Her main expertise is writing about Japan, where she happily lives with her husband.
Cory published her first book on Japanese customs and manners because she’s obsessed with everything Japan and wants to share more about the local customs with the rest of the world.
While Cory has visited hundreds of destinations and has lived in 7 different countries, Japan remains her favorite place to live and write about. Cory is multilingual, and she lives in Tokyo, Japan with her husband.

Comments

14 responses to “26 Tips on How To Behave in a Japanese Restaurant”

  1. Ahmed Avatar
    Ahmed

    Good tips as always go to sushi bars.
    Great pictures as well.

  2. Alise Harper Avatar
    Alise Harper

    My husband and I are looking to go to japan and want to make sure we are behaving correctly in the restaurants. I never knew that mixing wasabi into the soy sauce was bad manners. I do that all the time. I definitely won’t mix them when in a Japanese restaurant. Thanks for the tips!

    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      Hey Alise, I’m so glad I could help. You are going to have such good time in Japan, it’s an amazing country. Which city are you going to? As for the soy and wasabi, try eating sushi by adding a bit of wasabi under the fish and onto the rice. Dip the fish part only into soy sauce. Honestly, the sushi tastes soooo much better this way.

    2. TaxiOnna Avatar
      TaxiOnna

      A lot of younger Japanese people actually do this, so if you’re at a kaiten-sushi place or a more hip sushi joint, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you are doing an omakase menu at a really nice place, then it should be avoided.

  3. Sally Avatar
    Sally

    Wow, I’ve been very rude at Japanese restaurants.

    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      Hi Sally, I’m sure it wasn’t too bad. The Japanese are kind people and understand not everyone is familiar with their customs and manners. They don’t get easily offended by foreigners, however, it’s always nice to try and respect their culture and tradition.

  4. Johne344 Avatar
    Johne344

    Hello there! This post could not be written any better! Thank you for sharing!

    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      Thank you for your kind words.

  5. Hari Ini Avatar
    Hari Ini

    Thankyou for the tips

  6. Yilliang Peng Avatar
    Yilliang Peng

    I loved looking at all of these pictures of Japanese food! One thing that I love about going to a Japanese restaurant is how much respect you must show and how much respect they show you — it is a mutual trust and respect. I was unaware that you could be asked to sit at the sushi bar to observe how they make sushi; that would be really fun! Thanks again!

    1. pancakes, Avatar
      pancakes,

      bookmarked!!, I really like your site!

  7. Claire P Avatar
    Claire P

    I really appreciate you for taking so many efforts for writing this article. Its worth a follow! Thanks for the great share.

  8. Jack Smith Avatar
    Jack Smith

    Trustly, I really appreciate Your kind efforts for writing this article. Mostly,I am goes to so many japanese restaurant and I always noticed that they always take care of their customers. Whenever we go to the Japanese restaurant, we should keep in mind that we always order the Japanese Dish.Thanks for the great share.

  9. Mary Muennig Avatar
    Mary Muennig

    I think I’m homesick.

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