When you go to a restaurant in Japan, it is customary that they serve customers a glass of water and an Oshibori (a wet towel for customers to wipe their hands). Cleaning your hands with a warm Oshibori makes most Japanese people feel ready to enjoy the meal with peace of mind.
In Western restaurants, wet towels may be served beforeand/or after the meal — to clean your fingers and around your mouth. According to Etiquette Scholar, it is not polite to clean beyond these areas, such as your neck or behind your ears, in a restaurant.
Depending on where you are in Japan, the oshibori may be referred to as an "otefuki" (hand-wipe) and, as the name suggests, it is used to clean one's hands before eating. Something diners should never do with their oshibori is to wipe the sweat from their faces or neck.
Restaurant owners often look at hot towels as an alternative to paper or linen napkins they already have in place. Hot towels can be used after and during a dining experience for the guests to clean their hands and mouth. Like they traditionally do with a paper or linen napkin.
1. Japanese restaurants often provide a small hot towel called an oshibori. This is to wipe your hands but not your face. You may see some Japanese wiping their faces with their oshibori, but sometimes this is considered bad form.
Before starting to eat a meal, saying itadakimasu, a polite phrase meaning "I receive this food", is a way to show gratitude towards the person that prepared the meal. This can be done in a praying motion, which is gathering both hands together, or more simply, by bowing the head.
Japanese people stay lean despite eating lots of white rice because they're unafraid of it. They have a relationship with it where it neither scares nor intimidates them — instead of avoiding it, they enjoy it in moderate portions, with different vegetables, filling fats, and nourishing proteins.
Don't let hot food get cold. If hot food is being served and people are still milling around, start eating after two other people have been served. If you're all seated and there are more than four in the group, start when three or four other guests have been served.
On the topic of towels, it's common to see bathers with wet towels on their heads. This is to prevent dizziness caused by hot blood rushing into one's head when bathing in the warm waters.
The general rule is to never use a hand towel to dry dishes in a restaurant. Towels promote cross-contamination regardless of whether they are new, recently washed, or never been used.
Tampons and pads aren't the be-all and end-all when it comes to menstruation. In Japan, however, they are the two methods most commonly used and sold, and thus the easiest to find. Nonetheless, alternatives do exist in Japan and can easily be found at various online shops or ordered directly from the manufacturer.
Toilet paper is used in Japan, even by those who own toilets with bidets and washlet functions (see below). In Japan, toilet paper is thrown directly into the toilet after use. However, please be sure to put just the toilet paper provided in the toilet.
That's why you'll be instructed to take off your shoes and wear slippers inside many, but not all, Japanese toilets (e.g., toilets inside ryokans, some restaurants, and all homes). Just remember to put your shoes back on when you're done with your business – that would be very embarrassing!
The Japanese weight loss technique believes in building a body that is healthy and can spur up the weight loss process and for this, they rev up their metabolism by adopting healthy habits. This is one of the best tricks for people who consume bigger portions of food and cannot control their portion size.
The Japanese eat three meals a day, and they have some meal conventions that are similar to Western practices. At many Japanese hotels, breakfast is a sizeable affair, with a focus on savory dishes, soup and (of course!)
Rice is an essential part of not just a traditional Japanese breakfast, but of food here in Japan as a whole. Rice is rich in carbohydrates and provides a charge of energy to run the body and brain all day long.
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.
In Japan, routine male circumcision has never been implemented for newborns and children, and adult males are mostly circumcised at aesthetic clinics. However, media reports indicate a trend of Japanese mothers willing to have their sons circumcised.
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.
The warmth of the towel can relax the facial muscles, increase circulation, open the pores and soften the skin. Plus, it just feels great! Using a warm towel, particularly in times of stress or after a long day can aid in relaxing your nervous system and reducing any tension felt in the face.
The instant cooling towel absorbs water and moisture and distributes it evenly throughout the fabric. This regulates the evaporation which keeps the towel cooler for longer periods of time. To activate the instant cooling towel, you simply wet the towel, wring it out, and then snap and swing the towel.