When eating from shared dishes (as it is commonly done at some restaurants such as izakaya), it is polite to use the opposite end of your chopsticks or dedicated serving chopsticks for moving food to your own dish. Blowing your nose at the table, burping and audible munching are considered bad manners in Japan.
It is considered rude to pass food from one set of chopsticks to another. Family-style dishes and sharing is common with Asian food. Just make sure to take your portion without offending anyone.
It's now normal that Japanese people talk while eating, whether it's at home or at restaurants. However, if you look carefully, you can find some Japanese couples or families that still keep silent during meals. This is due to the fact that some Japanese people still hold onto old habits from the hakozen dining style.
In Japan, slurping your soup and noodles is quite common. It helps you eat the noodles while cooling them down, so you don't end up burning yourself. While slurping is all right, smacking lips, burping, and other eating sounds are seen as poor manners. It's best to be careful if you're a loud eater.
Be sure to only serve yourself as much as you'll need as overserving soy sauce is considered bad manners. Food should always be dipped directly in the soy sauce dish; it's considered very bad manners to pour the soy sauce (or any other sauce) directly over your dish.
You don't need to overthink it; there is no rude way to eat ramen. If you want to drink the soup straight from the bowl, by all means indulge. Just enjoy the bowl and you are doing it right. And don't worry if you can't finish all of the soup.
Always finish your meal!
The Japanese consider it rude to leave food on your plate, and even more so to order more food when you haven't finished everything you've already got.
Tipping in Japan is not expected, and attempts to leave a tip will almost certainly be turned down (a potentially awkward moment). In Japan, it's thought that by dining out or drinking at a bar, you are already paying the establishment for good service.
Walking and eating in Japan
Japanese tend not to eat while walking along or standing around on the street. However, it is acceptable to drink while standing aside a vending machine. Eating and drinking on local trains, but not long distance express trains, is also frowned upon.
Burping, blowing your nose, and loudly chewing with your mouth open should never, ever, be done when you're eating out at a restaurant in Japan. It is extremely rude and shows you have very bad manners. In Australia, and other countries, it is considered very rude to slurp your food but in Japan it's the opposite!
Don't point. Pointing at people or things is considered rude in Japan. Instead of using a finger to point at something, the Japanese use a hand to gently wave at what they would like to indicate. When referring to themselves, people will use their forefinger to touch their nose instead of pointing at themselves.
While it's okay to eat while eating, it's not a common practice. Japanese people are mindful of having cleanliness and respect for public spaces. That's why you might find people eating while sitting on park benches or seating areas in shopping centers instead.
In Japan, however, prolonged eye contact can be seen as aggressive, and sometimes makes Japanese people very uncomfortable. Pointing: Pointing is a very common Western gesture that is considered rude in Japan.
The answer substantially depends on the customs and traditions of each country. While in some parts of the world, leaving food on the plate is considered rude, in other parts, it is deemed to be respectful and, moreover, it is the only acceptable way.
You'll be given chopsticks with your meal, but if you're not comfortable using them, it's fine to ask for a fork. That said, don't be afraid to try: it will show your guest that you're a good sport. It's also perfectly acceptable to eat sushi with your fingers, but sashimi should be enjoyed with chopsticks or a fork.
So, if you want to introduce yourself to a person you meet in Japan, do not say “Hi, my name is Mark-san” or “I'm John Smith-san.” That is just wrong. Saying that makes you sound like a child and look silly. The correct way is to just say “Hi, my name is Mark” or “I'm John Smith.”
Some good news, while slurping can be a sign of bad manners in other countries, in Japan it's completely acceptable and encouraged. In Japanese culture slurping your noodles shows how MUCH you are enjoying your meal.
PDA or public displays of affection might be common in your country but in Japan most couples will avoid kissing or hugging in public. Holding hands is popular, though. Even when first meeting up with a girlfriend or boyfriend or saying goodbye at the end of the night, Japanese people rarely hug or kiss.
Whether it is clicking their fingers at the waiter, talking loudly on their phone or letting the kids go feral, there are few things as unappealing as a rude dining companion in a restaurant. But mistreating the staff is perhaps the cardinal sin of eating out, and has long been seen as indicative of a poor character.
In America, tipping is optional in name only. Legally it's voluntary but if you slink out of a restaurant without leaving a gratuity of between 15 and 25 per cent, you're likely to be chased by a waiter demanding to know why.
Servers Often Pay Out Their Tips to Other Staff
Even if the service is bad, or your food isn't right, it hurts everyone if you don't tip.” He recommends speaking to a manager about your concerns, and leaving a small tip rather than leaving none.
Don't leave food behind. It's considered bad manners to leave even grains of rice behind, so be sure to clean your plate! If there are some foods you cannot eat, ask to have them left out of the dish. Do use the opposite end of chopsticks to pick up food from a shared dish.
However, it is not polite in Japan to burp, nor is it polite in China to slurp. It's probably for the best that you keep these two rules straight in your head.
Hara Hachi Bu: Stop Eating When You're 80% Full
If you've ever been lucky enough to eat with an Okinawan elder, you've invariably heard them intone this Confucian-inspired adage before beginning the meal: hara hachi bu — a reminder to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full.
It's totally OK to drink the broth from the bowl. It's considered a compliment to how good the broth is.