Chopstick Etiquette You Didn’t Know
You Were Getting Wrong (No Judgement)
INTRODUCTION
You’ve eaten at Japanese restaurants dozens of times. You know how to hold chopsticks — more or less — and you’ve mastered the polite nod when the waiter explains the omakase. But chopstick etiquette runs deeper than most of us realise, and some of the most common habits at Western dinner tables are, in Japan, quietly eyebrow-raising.
This guide covers the chopstick rules, table customs, and cultural context you actually need — no lecture, just the good stuff. Whether you’re heading to our London Japanese restaurant in Victoria, Shoreditch, or Angel, you’ll arrive knowing exactly what you’re doing. begins.
The Chopstick Rules Everyone Breaks (And Why They Matter)
Chopstick etiquette isn’t arbitrary. Every rule has roots — in Shinto ritual, Buddhist funeral rites, or simple communal respect. Once you understand the why, the rules stop feeling like a test and start feeling like context.
The two most important things never to do: don’t stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, and don’t pass food from chopstick to chopstick. Both mimic funeral rituals in Japanese Buddhist tradition — the first echoes incense sticks at a ceremony, the second the passing of cremated bones between family members. At a dinner table, they carry a weight most diners never intend.
Photo: Clean editorial split image: chopsticks standing upright in rice (labelled Incorrect) vs resting on a ceramic chopstick rest (labelled Correct).
Equally common: using chopsticks to spear food, waving them over dishes while deciding what to eat (mayoi-bashi), or rubbing wooden chopsticks together to remove splinters. The last one is considered rude in higher-end restaurants — it implies the chopsticks are cheap. At our Sanjugo Japanese restaurants, you won’t need to worry about that.
Other rules worth knowing: don’t point with your chopsticks, don’t lick them, and if you’re serving from a shared dish, use the clean, unused end or a serving utensil. These aren’t rigid formalities — they’re simply the kind of consideration that makes communal dining feel generous rather than careless.Explore our menu.
Sashimi, Soy Sauce, and the Subtleties Most Guides Skip
Sashimi etiquette is where even enthusiastic Japanese food lovers tend to slip up — not out of disrespect, but because no one ever explained the details.
The most important rule: don’t drown your sashimi in soy sauce. A light dip, fish-side down, is all you need. Marinating the fish in the dish changes the flavour the chef intended, and for delicate white fish in particular, it overwhelms rather than enhances. Use wasabi sparingly, and ideally place it directly on the fish rather than dissolving it in your soy sauce — the latter is technically incorrect, and will raise a quiet eyebrow at a traditional counter.
For sashimi served on a decorative bed of shredded daikon, the daikon is a garnish and palate cleanser, not a side salad — though eating it is perfectly acceptable. The shiso leaf beneath the fish, if present, is edible and fragrant; it’s not just decoration.
One more thing Japanese dining etiquette gets specific about: the order in which you eat. Starting with lighter, more delicate flavours and moving towards richer, more intense ones — rather than simply eating in the order dishes arrive — is the traditionally correct approach. It preserves your palate and honours the progression the kitchen has planned.
If you’re exploring our omakase or tasting menu for the first time, these small details transform a meal into something genuinely immersive.
Itadakimasu, Gochisousama, and the Words That Frame a Japanese Meal
Itadakimasu — you’ve probably heard it, possibly said it yourself. But itadakimasu meaning goes deeper than a simple “let’s eat.” Literally translated, it means “I humbly receive.” It’s said before every meal, addressed to the ingredients, the people who grew and prepared the food, and the natural world that provided it. It is, in a single word, an expression of gratitude that frames the entire meal.
Its counterpart, said at the end of the meal, is gochisousama deshita — “it was a feast.” Where itadakimasu opens the meal with intention, gochisousama closes it with thanks. If you’ve never used either and feel self-conscious, don’t — Japanese restaurant staff in London will always appreciate the gesture.
Photo: Warm candid of friends around a table at Sanjugo — hands on menus or chopsticks, small dishes beginning to arrive. Captures the moment just before eating.
Japanese table manners also cover posture, pace, and noise — aspects that differ from Western norms in ways that surprise people. Slurping noodles, for instance, is not only acceptable in Japan but considered a sign of enjoyment. Lifting a bowl of soup or rice to eat from it directly is equally normal and not considered rude. The etiquette that feels unfamiliar in the other direction: blowing your nose at the table is considered quite rude; excusing yourself is the courteous option.
These customs aren’t prescriptive rules to memorise — they’re an invitation to be present at the table in a slightly different way. And once you’ve experienced a meal with this kind of attentiveness, a Japanese restaurant visit becomes something you bring intention to, every time.
Eating Japanese Food in London: Three Neighbourhoods, One Philosophy
London’s relationship with Japanese food has deepened considerably over the past two decades. The city now hosts everything from conveyor belt sushi spots to Michelin-starred kaiseki counters, and diners have become genuinely curious — not just about the food, but about how it’s meant to be experienced.
Our three London Japanese restaurant locations sit in neighbourhoods with distinct characters. In Victoria, the pre-theatre crowd and central London visitors come looking for a considered, relaxed meal before an evening out. Book a table in Victoria
In Shoreditch, the energy is creative and curious — a neighbourhood that takes its food seriously and rewards the kind of Japanese restaurant that doesn’t cut corners.Book a table in Shoreditch
And in Angel, the crowd is local and loyal — Islington residents who return because the food earns it. Book a table in Angel
What ties all three together is the same commitment to authenticity — in the cooking, the service, and the small rituals and customs that make Japanese dining what it is. Knowing a little chopstick etiquette, understanding what itadakimasu means, and approaching the meal with curiosity doesn’t make you an expert. It makes you a good guest.
CONCLUSION
Japanese dining etiquette isn’t a hurdle to clear before you’re allowed to enjoy your meal. It’s simply a way of being at the table — attentive, grateful, and present. The chopstick rules exist for reasons. Itadakimasu carries weight. The order of flavours is intentional. None of it requires perfection. It just rewards a little curiosity.
Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and bring your appetite. We’ll handle the rest.
Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, we’d love to have you with us.
Come ready to eat well.
