Japan Unwritten

At my first group meal in Japan, I knew the rules were different—I just didn’t know how different. Out of caution, I watched everyone closely. We all had our own beautiful kaiseki sets, but... no one was eating. Eventually, one brave soul took a bite, and I followed. Big mistake. Turns out, there was a pre-meal speech. He got scolded. I wanted to vanish. Everyone forgave us, but that moment stuck with me. The thing about Japanese table manners is—there are a lot of them. Some depend on the setting. Some depend on who you're with. Even my mother-in-law, when I asked for help with this post, said, “There are too many rules—I can’t remember them all.” Below are 12 important table manner rules and other etiquette that will guide you through your stay in Japan.  So, let’s start with the basics–especially the ones that’ll get you side-eyed real fast. 1. Do not use your chopsticks to pass food to each other. (Faux Pas) During a traditional Japanese funeral, after cremation, family and f...

A close family friend once asked me about natto — the infamous Japanese fermented soybean dish. She assumed I had eaten it before, and that assumption alone cracked me up. Although I’ve technically tried a version of it, I’ve never actually eaten raw natto. We’ll get to that later. That led to another question — what do Japanese people eat for breakfast? At first, I laughed. I’d never really thought of Japanese food as having a ‘breakfast’ category. But I was wrong. So wrong. As this post will show, not only do they eat breakfast — it’s often healthier than what we’re used to in the U.S. (But that’s a post for another day.) Let’s talk about natto! Traditionally, natto is made by steaming soybeans and wrapping them in rice straw — which naturally contains the bacteria Bacillus subtilis natto (yes, it sounds like a Roman general). These days, the bacteria is added directly in more modern production. After about 24 hours of fermentation, and a few more days of aging in the fridge, you get...

One of the most common mistakes travelers make when on their trips is skipping out on eating the local cuisine! An easy way to tell whether or not you're being adventurous or not is to ask yourself. Can I eat this in my home country? If the answer is yes, then choose something else. Japan’s food selection is quite vast, especially from the perspective of first time visitors. There are misconceptions of Japanese food depending on your home country. For example, in the US, Japanese food has become Americanized to make it easier for their population to accept eating things like seaweed or raw fish. Furthermore, the Americanization of sushi also tackled the issue of portions and to provide more cooked options, as compared to the Japanese style of eating sushi, Americans weren't going to eat one or two pieces at a time, and the idea of eating raw fish was not something they were accustomed to. I personally was surprised when I came to Japan for the first time visiting a conveyor bel...

What you need to know about smoking in Japan There was recently a viral TikTok video that had shown a Japanese man angrily scolding an Australian couple for smoking at a ski resort in the mountains of Japan. But that isn’t the only instance. More and more natives are confronting tourists in Japan for smoking where they are not supposed to. Top Sign: No smoking in the elevator For the Japanese people their society and the community they have built around their culture is sacred. They take great pride in the fact that the people who live here abide by the rules written and unwritten. It is ingrained within each Japanese person that they are a single part of a whole who is responsible for how the society operates. And for the most part, they have chosen harmony. When people see tourists, from their perspective, ignoring the rules many feel personally affronted. Even if it is a person or a few people sitting by themselves having a smoke and enjoying their evening. And while most people wou...

Japan had beaten Germany 2-1 in the world cup in 2022 in Qatar which surprised many. However, the story coming out of that world cup was not just of Japan winning soccer games in miraculous ways, but also how the Japanese fans stayed after the game and cleaned the stadium. It made headlines all over the world, brandishing attention and surprising everyone at the concept. Which was this, you ready––clean up after yourself. Mind blown. What a concept! The crowds around the world discovered for the first time in history that if you picked up the trash around yourself you would be clean. Yes. That is sarcasm. Japanese Trash Cans When you come to Japan, you are going to notice how clean the city streets, the countryside, and all in between are. But here is the kicker; trash bins or cans are few and far in between––some even say they are a myth (<--- this part is a joke, there are trash cans I talk about them later). Allow me to elaborate further, there are almost no public trash cans an...