Table manners

Before eating, people put their hands together or simply pause and say itadakimasu – literally "I humbly receive" – thanking those who prepared the food and the lives of the plants and animals that became it. After eating, gochisōsama deshita thanks the host or cook; it is also said to restaurant staff when leaving.

Many restaurants hand out an oshibori, a damp towel, at the start. It is for the hands only, not the face (though some older men do so in casual places), and is folded and set aside afterwards.

Chopsticks rest on a hashioki (chopstick rest) or, in its absence, on the paper sleeve folded into a rest. They are never left standing upright in rice and never used to pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another: both gestures recall funeral customs, where rice with upright chopsticks is offered to the dead and the bones of the cremated are passed between chopsticks.

When taking food from a shared dish, some people turn their chopsticks round and use the unused ends, or use separate serving chopsticks if provided.

Unlike in many Western traditions, small bowls of rice and miso soup are lifted and held near the mouth; soup is drunk directly from the bowl, with chopsticks used for the solid ingredients. Large plates and heavy dishes stay on the table. Lids on lacquer bowls are removed and placed upside down beside the tray, then replaced at the end.

Slurping noodles such as soba and ramen is normal and not considered rude; it cools the noodles and draws in the aroma. Soy sauce is poured sparingly into a small dish rather than over rice. With nigiri sushi, the fish side – not the rice – is dipped lightly, and sushi may be eaten with the fingers.

At a shared meal, people do not pour their own drinks. They fill the glasses of those around them, and someone will return the favour; holding up one's glass slightly while being served is polite. To decline more, leave the glass full.

Nobody drinks until the group has toasted with kanpai ("dry the cup"). In business settings the most senior person often speaks or leads the toast, and junior participants hold their glass slightly lower when clinking.

The bill is usually paid at the register near the exit rather than at the table; many restaurants bring the bill in a folder or leave it upside down on the table to be taken to the cashier. In many restaurants, including ramen and shokudō, customers order and pay at a ticket machine at the entrance.

Tipping is not practised, and money left on the table may be returned by staff chasing after the guest. Splitting a bill evenly (warikan) is common among friends; at business dinners the host normally pays.

Walking while eating has traditionally been frowned upon, and in many places people eat street food standing near the stall that sold it. Eating on local trains and subways is uncommon, while eating a bento on Shinkansen and limited-express trains is entirely normal. Blowing one's nose at the table is avoided; people step away instead.