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.
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.
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 same is true about finishing your plate in Japan. The Japanese consider it rude to leave food on your plate, whether at home or at a restaurant.
While restaurant portion sizes in Western countries have birthed a custom of taking leftovers home for a second meal, this is not the case in Japan. If you are considering asking for a take-home container, the answer, unfortunately, will almost always be no.
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.
Eating alone isn't just considered socially accepted in Japan, it's increasingly considered the norm. A quick scan of popular press reveals that Japan seems to be leading the way in the art of solo dining. Even popular Japanese restaurant chains here in the UK are big on the concept of communal dining.
The last piece of food on a communal dish should not be served to oneself without first asking for permission, but, if offered the last bit of food in the communal dish, it is considered rude to refuse the offer.
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.
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.
The answer: As a rule, no!
Tipping is not customary in Japan. In fact, it can be considered rude and insulting in many situations. Most Japanese restaurants require customers to pay for their meals at the front register, rather than leave money with the waiter or waitress.
Instead, you may bring the bowl close to your mouth and drink it. For soup served in larger bowls — often containing noodles such as ramen, soba and udon — use the spoon provided for the broth. When eating the noodles, slurp away! Loud slurping may be rude in the U.S., but in Japan it is considered rude not to slurp.
The post-war period brought on significant food shortages, and street food vendors were outlawed in order to conserve rations—a policy that began during the war. The only way to get ramen, which was something people bought from food stalls rather than made at home, was to find it on the black market.
Cell Phones
Please refrain from speaking on the cell phone during your meal as it's considered disrespectful. For urgent matters, please take the call at the entrance area or outside the restaurant. Please do not play games on your phone.
In Japan there is no explicit law that forbids you from eating in the street – and indeed no one will stop or scold you – but generally it's better to avoid walking while eating. (Worst case scenario, you'll get a stink eye or two, but it's important to know that it's generally 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!
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.
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.
Although walking and eating is often convenient and widely accepted in many Western cultures, the practice is looked down upon in Japan. Many also consider it rude to eat in public or on the trains. There are just a few exceptions to this rule, including the fact that it is OK to eat an ice-cream cone on the street.
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.
Experts say that having a late-night meal keeps the body on 'high alert' at a time where it should be winding down, which can have dangerous implications for our health. Researchers have now said that we should never eat within two hours of our bedtime, and ideally, nothing after 7pm.
In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia, it has traditionally been perceived as "rude" behaviour to use the left hand for eating, as the left hand is commonly used for tasks considered "unclean".
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.
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.
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.