Itadakimasu!
September 07, 2016
Hey everybody! I thought I
would do some posts about what’s different here in Japan. The first topic I am
going to talk about is restaurants. A lot of the things that were surprising to
me when we first visited are the same everywhere you go in Japan. If you are
thinking about traveling here my biggest advice would be to remain self-aware.
In the states people are pretty expressive and for the most part being loud or
doing things your own way is not noticeably offensive. Culturally in the U.S. we
are encouraged to accept people for who they are as individuals. Here in Japan it is pretty different. There is an
expectation that everyone should act in a way that is comfortable for the community of people
around them. It’s pretty obvious to see what this expectation is if your willing to look around and observe people. As long as you are being polite and
kind you will be fine.
-Napkins! OK this sounds so
silly if you grew up in the States. Napkins are everywhere and why would I even
need to bring this up? To you a napkin is a napkin. WELL. In Japan tissue of all forms
is limited. I don’t really know why and wasn’t able to find a reason when I looked
into it (I will elaborate when I talk about bathrooms). BUT when you sit down at a
Japanese restaurant you are handed a towel. This “washcloth” size towel is
called a oshibori. This is used to clean your HANDS before eating. After
cleaning your hands you can fold the towel up and set it aside (DO NOT blow
your nose on it). You do not use this to clean your face during the meal.
Instead if you need a napkin there are these small tissue paper like squares available
on the table.
Oshibori
Strange tissue paper napkins available
- There is NO TIPPING in
Japan. I absolutely love this. People take their jobs very seriously and
service is incredible. I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience
with a waiter or waitress in Japan. There is an expectation that people want to
do their job well. There is no ulterior motive, people just want to take care
of you because it’s their job. And when you get your bill it is exactly what
you seen on the menu. Love it!
- Food options are displayed
in plastic molds outside of restaurants or in the windows. It's so fun and bazaar
when you first see this. Displays like these are pretty much everywhere in
Japan. Also, menus are mostly photographs. What you see is what you get. This
makes it super easy to order while visiting Japan or living here. I love that I
can just point to something and my order is understood. To go along with this
though you can’t make changes. I once tried to say I didn’t want a side of rice…
The waitress was so confused and I still don’t think she ever really knew what
I was saying. The picture in your menu is EXACTLY what you are going to get when
you order that item.
Crepes are everywhere! SO yummy
- How to sit in restaurants is
also something that can be very different in Japan. A lot of restaurants have
two options. You can sit on a mat or you can sit at a western style table.
I think sitting on a mat is definitely something everyone should try but I
personally prefer to sit in a chair. Generally we are seated at a table with
chairs without even asking.
- Chop sticks! There will only be chop sticks available at your table…There
are also a couple things that are done traditionally that you should not do at restaurants
with your chop sticks. DO NOT pass your food from chop sticks to chops sticks
(this is done only during a funeral involving bones of a cremated person) DO
NOT stick your chop sticks upright in rice (done only at funerals when rice is
offered to the spirit of the dead person). There are cute little holders for
you to set your chop sticks on. So it is pretty convenient to just use those
when you need to set them down. When eating sushi you eat it in full pieces, do
not cut it with your chop sticks.
Hope you enjoyed reading about what I have found different here in Japanese restaurants! If you have any questions or comments feel free to post
below and I will do my best to answer.
0 comments