If you are considering asking for a take-home container, the answer, unfortunately, will almost always be no. Japanese restaurants are reluctant (and indeed, often forbidden) to send food home with customers who may not store it properly or may get sick from it later.
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.
After eating, people once again express their thanks for the meal by saying "gochiso sama deshita," which literally means "it was quite a feast." Now that you know how to eat a Japanese meal, let's take a look at how to hold the chopsticks and dishes.
Certain types of plants, such as fruit, vegetables, and rice, as well as certain types of meat, such as raw meat, dried meat, and ham, may be taken out of the country if they pass export inspection.
It's very common for restaurants in Japan to offer both a dine-in and takeout option for their food.
In Japan, littering is called "illegal dumping" and carries a penalty of up to five years or a fine of up to 10 million yen (92,100 dollars).
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.
Food. Food items brought into Australia need to be declared on your Incoming Passenger Card if you come by plane, or on the parcels you mail. Biosecurity officers may need to inspect some of the food you're bringing with you.
Firearms such as pistols, revolvers and machine guns, and bullets or parts thereof. Explosives, gunpowder, materials for chemical weapons, germs such as anthrax. Counterfeit, altered or imitated coins, bank notes or securities, and forged credit cards. Obscene or immoral materials, and child pornography.
Flour and products made from it, from wheat to cornmeal, are allowed, as are noodles and ramen. But bid adieu to those accompanying spice packets containing egg or meat.
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.
Not finishing one's meal is not considered impolite in Japan, but rather is taken as a signal to the host that one wishes to be served another helping. Conversely, finishing one's meal completely, especially the rice, indicates that one is satisfied and therefore does not wish to be served any more.
Dining Etiquette. 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!) pickles.
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.
In Japan, crossing one's legs is seen as disrespectful. It is because when you do this you show the bottom of your feet to guests, and since they have picked up dirt, you are showing that dirt to your guests. This makes for very bad business relations.
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.
Gifts to avoid
White flowers of any kind are gifts to be avoided. There is also a superstition that potted plants encourage sickness. Giving 4 or 9 of anything is considered unlucky. This superstition seems to be less important nowadays for the younger generation.
Japan strictly prohibits entry of narcotics and related utensils, firearms, firearm parts and ammunition, explosives and gunpowder, precursor materials for chemical weapons, germs that are likely to be used for bioterrorism, counterfeit goods or imitation coins or currency, obscene materials, or goods that violate ...
Narcotics such as opium, cocaine, heroin, MDMA, magic mushrooms, stimulant drugs (stimulant drugs contained in an inhaler or items containing stimulant drug ingredients), cannabis, opium smoking paraphernalia and psychotropic drugs are not allowed in Japan.
Biscuits, bread, cakes, pastries, Christmas cake, and Christmas pudding (excluding cheesecakes) These products are allowed into Australia if: they are for personal consumption. they are fully cooked, shelf stable (do not require refrigeration) and contain no meat.
Before you arrive in Australia
must declare any risk goods, including certain food, plant material and animal products. This includes goods which are commercially prepared and packaged, fresh, dried, cooked, frozen or small amounts of food, snacks and ingredients for cooking. Don't take food off the plane or ship.
You can take everything in your checked baggage: from liquid to solid food. However, you are not allowed to carry liquid or gel-like food products in your carry-on baggage.
Expect to carry your trash with you. Eating while walking is considered bad mannered. Sit down or at least stand in a place away from pedestrian traffic when enjoying a meal or snack.
If you're walking around temples and shrines, it is a good idea to be respectful and have a top layer with sleeves and no tummy or cleavage showing. However, it is not a rule and you'll sometimes see Japanese people not following these dress-code standards.
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.