We never fail to eat rice, Miso-shiru (Japanese soup) and Tsukemono (a kind of pickles) in our daily meals. In general, we eat bread, beef and vegetables with Japanese foods.

2) What we use to eat

We use chopsticks. We hold chopsticks in our right hand and a small bowl in our left hand. Often we use knives, forks and spoons.

3) What we use to wipe our hands and mouth

In restaurants a wet towel is offered as well as paper napkins.

4) The sound of eating

We make noises when we drink and eat noodles. We sometimes put the dish up to our mouth in order to eat.

5) Body language of eating

When we eat the actions involved are holding chopsticks in the right hand and holding a small bowl close to our mouth with the left hand.

6) Dishing up

We usually put different types of food on different plates. Sometimes some kinds of food are served on the same plate.

7) Manners to eat foods

It is bad manners to speak or walk while eating something.

8) How many times we eat in a day

We take three meals a day. The main meal is dinner.

9) Breakfast of commuters

Some office workers eat bread and drink milk in haste at a shop in the station.

10) Water in restaurants

A glass of water is always served in restaurants. The glass is filled three quarters full.

11) The feature in eating habits

We like sea foods such as fish and shellfish, especially Sashimi (raw fish). We also eat the meat of whales. For breakfast many people eat rice mixed with a raw egg.

We sometimes eat prawns which are still alive, removing only the shell. We also boil loaches (a kind of eels) a live and eat them.

12) Daily shopping

Housewives go shopping once or twice a day in order to get as fresh a food as possible for the least possible price.

13) Food samples in restaurants

Food samples, made of wax and plastic, are put in the show window of restaurants with price cards also displayed.

14) Drinks served to guests

Japanese tea is served to the guests in our house. They blow the hot tea to cool it and drink, making noises as they do so. Japanese tea is not offered in tea houses.

15) The way of pouring drinks

When a host pours drinks into the glasses of his guests, they lift up their glasses. The host refills their glasses.

16) Smacking one's lip and belching

It is not bad manners to smack one's lip and belch during a meal.

17) Blowing one's nose

We generally blow our nose with a tissue. It is bad manners to blow one's nose in public.

18) Reparation in restaurants

Even if you break a glass, you are seldom obliged to pay for it.

19) Tipping

The custom of tipping is almost unknown in Japan. However, a service charge of 10% is often added to the bill.

20) Examining a bill

Most people don't check their bill before paying it.

21) The way of giving change

The change which we receive is the difference between what the article costs and the amount of money which we hand to the shop assistant.

22) The way of paying

Customers who always shop at the same place promise to pay their bill later without bothering to check the adding-up of the various items.(what we call "tsukenisuru")