For Japanese, chopsticks are not only everyday personal thing, but a sacred symbol. According to the tradition they bring its owner luck and long life and that’s why it’s not surprising that hashi (chopsticks) are considered to be a good holiday present. For example, hashi are presented to newly weds wishing them to be as inseparable as the pair of chopsticks. They are also presented to a baby on the 100th day of its birth, when grown-ups let it taste rice with chopsticks during the “First hashi” ceremony. So its no surprise that the usage of chopsticks is surrounded with lots of conditional signs and ceremonies. Here are some rules of using chopsticks:

A great number of good manners were formed around the chopsticks. Sure, it is impossible to learn all the details of the Japanese etiquette but some widely used and simple rules will help you to feel yourself an expert on the Country of the Rising Sun cuisine.

To begin with several basic rules of etiquette as to the usage of chopsticks are to be remembered:

1) Always take the food on top, don’t peck at food in the plate. If you touched the food, eat it.

2) Don’t prick the food on chopsticks.

3) Never shake the sticks to cool the food.

4) Don’t lower your face into the plate, or bring the plate too close to your mouth to put the food in it using chopsticks.

5) Don’t press two sticks in a fist: the Japanese understand it as a threat.

6) Never stick hashi into the rice vertically. It is prohibited.