Rules for serving Japanese food
Although many people have a vague idea of what it is, they may feel unsure when asked about the rules for serving Japanese food. Whether at home or in a Japanese restaurant, the basic serving method for Japanese food is "ichiju-sansai" (one soup and three side dishes). This is a combination of a staple food such as rice, one soup, a main dish, a side dish, and three side dishes.
The rules for serving food are to place rice in the front left and soup in the front right, the main dish in the back right, the side dish in the back left, and the other side dish in the back center, and pickles should be placed between the rice and soup.
There are various theories as to why rice is placed on the left side, but the most popular is the idea of "left superiority," which means placing important items on the left side. This idea is said to have been introduced from China during the Asuka period in Japan and spread widely. Occasionally, some people have their own rule of placing rice and soup in the opposite order, but this is not considered acceptable in Japan. This is because placing food in the opposite order represents offerings to the Buddhist altar.
It may be okay if you're alone, but you should be well aware of this when enjoying Japanese food with others or serving food to others.
Serving Japanese food is generally done with chopsticks held in the right hand, assuming the person is right-handed. So what should left-handed people do? They may need to use some ingenuity, such as holding chopsticks in their right hand only when eating, or getting used to serving Japanese food while holding chopsticks in their left hand.
Chopstick Manners
Holding chopsticks correctly is one way to make a good impression on others. However, if you pick up your chopsticks carelessly, your subsequent correct holding of them will also give a negative impression. It is important to pay attention to how you hold your chopsticks.
There are three steps to remember when picking up chopsticks.
1. Lift the chopsticks from above with your right hand (thumb, index finger, middle finger).
2. Place your left hand under the chopsticks and scoop up the food.
3. Switch chopsticks to your right hand
These three steps represent the saying, "Hold chopsticks in three hands."
Let's move smoothly through this and move on to the correct way to hold chopsticks. When putting your chopsticks down, simply reverse the steps above. Pointing at someone with chopsticks is called "sashi-bashi" and is a breach of etiquette. Be careful when holding a bowl, as it's easy to fall into the "sashi-bashi" position without even realizing it. When lifting chopsticks while holding a bowl, hold the bowl first and then lift your chopsticks. In addition to "sashi-bashi," there is also a breach of chopstick etiquette known as "kirai-bashi," or using chopsticks in a way that offends others, so let's look at some of the most common examples.
Passing food from chopstick to chopstick is considered bad luck as it is the same action as picking up bones at a crematorium. Empty chopsticks, which are put back without eating after being placed on food, and licking the food off the tips of the chopsticks are also considered bad manners.
Using chopsticks that you dislike is often something that you do unconsciously, so you need to be careful as there are cases where you do it without even realizing it.
▼▼▼Please also refer to the column below for more information on disliked chopsticks. ▼▼▼
Common mistakes in Japanese dining etiquette
"What we thought was good was actually bad manners." This is a common story, but similar cases also occur in Japanese cuisine. Here, we will explain some common mistakes in Japanese dining etiquette. A typical example of bad manners is using your left hand as a saucer to prevent soup from dripping or food from falling.
While this certainly serves its purpose, it's not exactly beautiful. In this case, it's best to transfer the food onto a small serving plate.
It is also not advisable to stack dishes after the meal has finished. Many of the dishes used in Japanese restaurants are delicate, and stacking them can actually damage them.
Basic etiquette for Japanese-style rooms
Let's also touch on basic etiquette in a Japanese-style room. In a Japanese-style room, the seat with your back to the alcove is the seat of honor, and the seat closer to the entrance is the seat of lower honor. Also, when sitting on a zabuton, you should only do so after being invited by a superior or the person who invited you.
It is also bad manners to step on or straddle the cushions. The basic way to sit is seiza. Of course, if you continue to sit seiza, your legs will go numb, so you should wait until the right time, such as after the toast, to relax your legs.
