Instead, you should try to eat your soup using chopsticks. Don't be afraid to slurp your soup, as most Japanese believe inhaling air when eating noodles enhances the taste. When consuming miso soup, drink the soup as if it were a cup, and then fish out the solid bits using chopsticks.
Since chopsticks are used for all dining, including soup, it can take some finesse to properly eat soup. If the soup has noodles, the chopsticks can be used to bring the noodles towards your mouth, from the bowl. Soups are also served with a spoon, which is used from the brother.
Yes, the chopsticks would be useful if there were noodles in the soup – but however you look at it, chopsticks are not the best utensil to use for soup! Would you be fearful of the spoon? You've never seen one before, never held one, and never used one to eat with.
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.
Chopsticks are, inarguably, the single most important eating utensils in Japan. The Japanese use them to eat everything from rice and meat, to noodles, salad, and so much more! Japan is famous for their complex code of etiquette, and this includes mealtime.
Examples are beans, whole boiled eggs, and greasy and slippery meat. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have a boiled egg to eat but are unable to pick it up with your chopsticks after so many tries, do not stab or skewer it. Get a spoon or a fork.
Stabbing Food
Your chopsticks are not weapons (at least let's hope not), so you shouldn't use them as one. Stabbing your food with one or both chopsticks to pick it up is rude. It's also impolite and poor manners to use one chopstick to skew something, or as a knife.
It's perfectly good manners in Japan to pick up the bowl you're eating from in one hand while you eat, and totally acceptable to drink soup straight from the bowl.
Soup served in a small bowl, such as miso soup, which is typically served at the start of most Japanese meals, doesn't need to be eaten using a spoon. Instead, you may bring the bowl close to your mouth and drink it.
Soup. In addition to rice, every Japanese meal includes soup. It's almost always served hot. A miso-based soup (miso shiru) is the most common, and the ingredients are only limited by the chef's creativity.
We know it may seem pretty tricky at first, but a bowl of ramen should be eaten with chopsticks as a sign of appreciation of the Japenese tradition, and as an indication of respect for the chef.
Generally, people slurp because the soup is hot. Instead of slurping to cool the soup, try gently and quietly blowing on the soup in the spoon before taking it into your mouth. Once cooled, the spoonful can then be put into your mouth without slurping. At a very formal meal, refrain from blowing or slurping.
Miso Soup. You may be surprised to learn that it is customary to eat miso soup, also known as "miso shiru" in Japanese, with chopsticks. The small bowl of soup is placed in one hand, with four fingers supporting the base of the bowl, while the thumb rests comfortably on the side of the bowl.
It is usually eaten with a spoon, as opposed to chopsticks, because of the liquid nature of the curry. Curry rice is usually served with fukujinzuke or rakkyō on the side.
Place the chopsticks horizontally on the table or tray on your side, with the tip to the left. In Japan, it is considered taboo to place chopsticks vertically, as it is impolite to leave the tip facing the other person.
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.
Slurping your noodles loudly is considered a compliment to the chef throughout Japan and China – a sign of deep appreciation for your one-bowl meal.
The most traditional Japanese meal is a serving of plain, white rice, along with a main dish (fish or meat), some kind of side dish (often cooked vegetables), soup (either miso soup or clear broth), and pickled vegetables.
Blowing your nose at the table, burping and audible munching are considered bad manners in Japan. On the other hand, it is considered good style to empty your dishes to the last grain of rice.
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. This is related to one of the fundamental concepts in Japanese culture, mottainai, which is a feeling of regret at having wasted something.
When you are eating food with chopsticks, especially with rice, do not stick your chopsticks into your food or rice. This is seen as a curse in Chinese culture. This is taboo and said to bring bad luck because it reminds people of the incense used a funeral.
2. When you're taking a break or done, it's most polite to place your chopsticks on top of the bowl (not in the bowl). This is an extension of NOT sticking your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice. This takes place at Japanese funerals and is a no-no in restaurants.
Fun fact: Sticking your chopsticks vertical in a bowl of rice is bad in Japan. Called tsukitate-bashi (突き立て箸), it is incredibly taboo because it reminds Japanese people of funerals, where a bowl of rice is left with two chopsticks standing vertically in the center. It's also supposed to bring bad luck.