Japan guide

Eating out

Chopsticks

Nobody expects perfect chopstick skills from a visitor. A couple of habits, though, are linked to funerals — those are the ones worth knowing.

7 steps · 7 common mistakes· Show in Japanese (1)
A bowl of white rice with chopsticks laid on a chopstick rest.

Photo: Ocdp / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

How to hold them

Step by step

  1. Rest the lower chopstick in the crook of your thumb and on your ring finger. It stays still.

  2. Hold the upper one like a pencil, between thumb, index and middle finger.

  3. Move only the upper one to pinch food against the lower one.

Common mistakes

  • Gripping both sticks in a fist and stabbing.

Resting them — and what not to do

A person lifts a rice bowl and eats with chopsticks; beside them three cards: chopsticks standing upright in rice (don't), food passed from one pair of chopsticks to another (don't), chopsticks laid on a rest (do).

Step by step

  1. When you pause, lay them on the chopstick rest (hashioki), or fold the paper sleeve into a rest.

Common mistakes

  • Laying chopsticks across the top of your bowl — use the rest instead.
  • Sticking chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice — it's how rice is offered to the dead.
  • Passing food from your chopsticks to someone else's — it echoes a funeral rite.
  • Pointing at people or waving chopsticks around while talking.
  • Licking the tips or pulling a dish toward you with them.

Sharing dishes

Step by step

  1. Use the serving chopsticks (取り箸, toribashi) if there are some, or ask for a pair.

  2. Put food on your small plate first, then eat from there.

  3. Lifting a rice bowl or miso-soup bowl to your mouth is normal.

Common mistakes

  • Eating straight from the shared plate.

Good to know: Struggling? Asking for a fork or spoon is completely fine.

On HAKOBUNE Spot

Try it out: sushi, soba and set meals at places that welcome first-timers.

See all places

Sources

Sources (checked 2026-11-04). Facts, numbers and prices on this page come from these official pages.

  1. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)Japanese Customs and Etiquette (Responsible Travel Guide)(opens in a new tab)JNTO: Japanese customs and etiquette for responsible travel
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