Chopsticks Etiquette, Mostly 嫌い橋

First off, learn how to use chopsticks. It takes approximately 5 seconds to learn.

Now you know

Done? Now that you’ve learned, here are some rules that go along with them.

Most of these are common sense, and things like ‘don’t stick chopsticks in your nose or in your mouth (銜え箸) and then make walrus sounds’ are not mentioned. The key ones are:

Don’t stab and leave your chopsticks sticking out of your rice, because it is considered rude and resembles the incense placed in sand at a funeral.

Don’t pass food to other peoples chopsticks using your own because this also relates to dead people according to the link above.

Don’t use your chopsticks to pull bowls/plates closer to you. (寄せ箸)

If you remember those, you should be solid. Keep in mind, these are really only rules you should follow when drinking with coworkers/a boss or when you’re trying to impress your Japanese significant other’s family. When eating with friends, especially when you’re just a dumb foreigner, you can let these rules go a bit. My Japanese friends stir their drinks, ‘bridge’, and lick their chopsticks all the time. Who cares?? Old people, that’s who.

There is only one downside to being able to use chopsticks in Japan is you have to hear 'good chopstick skills!' (お箸上手!) every 5 minutes. Apparently, white people are not expected to be able to handle this skill, and Japanese will compliment you on it every chance they get. Its nice to hear at first but is kind of an insult when you think about it. You’re not getting complimented on your good hashi skills, your getting complimented on actually being able to use them even though you have the handicap of being foreign.