Japanese Chopstick Manners

Just as putting your elbows on the table while eating is considered impolite in the U.S., the Japanese have etiquette for the use of chopsticks (hashi). Here is a list of "what not to do" (the ones I've found at least) and the traditional names for doing such rude things.

Mayoibashi (indecisive hashi)

Lingering over dishes with chopsticks, undecided as to what to take next.

Utsuribashi (capricious hashi)

Picking up one kind of food with chopsticks only to change your mind and pick up another.

Yosebashi (drawing hashi)

Drawing a bowl towards yourself with chopsticks.

Kakibashi (shoving hashi)

Holding a bowl to one's mouth and "shoving" rice in using chopsticks.

Komibashi (stuffing hashi)

Stuffing an already-full mouth with food using chopsticks.

Kuwaebashi (holding in mouth hashi)

Closing your mouth around the end of the chopsticks.

Neburibashi (sucking hashi)

Sucking the tips of chopsticks.

Saguribashi (stirring hashi)

Stirring a bowl of soup with chopsticks, in order to get certain ingredients.

Namidabashi (crying hashi)

Dripping soup from the tips of chopsticks while moving them.

Sashibashi (piercing hashi)

Piercing food with chopsticks.

Yokobashi (adjacent hashi)

Using chopsticks like a spoon by holding them parallel to each other.

Tatakibashi (beating hashi)

Tapping your chopsticks on the side of your bowl to demand attention.

If you want to cut something with chopsticks, do so by exerting controlled pressure with your chopsticks. Don't use them like a saw.

When you are not using your chopsticks, place them on the chopstick rest (hashioki) or on the table or a dish. Don't plant them vertically in your rice as this is how rice is offered by Buddhists to their deceased ancestors.

Also, don't pass food from your chopsticks directly to someone else's chopsticks. At funerals, the bones of the burned body are passed that way from person to person.

Finally, don't point to something or someone with your chopsticks and don't wave them in the air too much.