Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

nippon.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

361–370 of 408 posts

Re: A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

#361

Post by jd24 »

e-dant wrote: post #91

Some of these I’ve been told are taboos in the opposite way. For example, the one about serving or taking food from the opposite end of the chopsticks, I was told, is polite. But here they say it is taboo. Maybe they meant it’s taboo not to do that?

You do NOT want to use the opposite side of the chopstick. If you use chopsticks correctly, you shouldn't be touching other food you don't intend to take. Also if you are with company that you're close with people care less about you touching the food, but otherwise you'll want to use a serving utensil.

Re: A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

#363

Post by ahoka »

jacquesm wrote: post #274
rvba wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calling someone Sir or Madam also exists in English and is nothing special. You left out most of the interesting things. For example the vocative case is partially dissapearing. Someone from Finland can actually understand this topic, since Finnish has multiple cases - more than in Polish language (meanwhile English has one case and if we try very hard we can squeeze something similar to a case - so let's say it has…

In English you can use 'sir' as an insult, which is quite creative.

As hilariously portrayed in the indie game "Oh...Sir!! The Insult Simulator".

Re: A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

#364

Post by gwbas1c »

eloisant wrote: post #358

There are only 2 that really matter, those marked with "serious" because they remind of funeral rites (passing food from chopsticks to chopsticks or sticking them in rice). Japanese people will tell you about those because they really don't like seeing people do it. The rest, well, don't worry about it.

Most of those faux pas come across as neurotic, like complaining about people who park too close to the lines, or complaining about someone farting in church.

Seems like someone could make a sketch comedy skit where someone does these faux pas, and most people don't notice except the one person who has a perpetual wedgie.

Re: A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

#365

Post by the_gipsy »

craftkiller wrote: post #348
the_gipsy wrote: post #343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nonsense. If you can cut with your non dominant hand, then you can also spear and scoop with it.

Spear and scoop requires dexterity, hence the use of the dominant hand. Cutting is an extremely simple task with no special requirements.

Nonsense

Re: A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

#366

Post by jagged-chisel »

> To raise the tips of the chopsticks higher than the back of one’s hand.

Not doing this is just going to be awkward. I have food between the chopsticks, and I'm rotating my hand to place the food in my mouth and the tips will become higher than the back of my hand. Otherwise will commit agebashi.

Re: A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

#367

Post by austinjp »

jagged-chisel wrote: post #366

> To raise the tips of the chopsticks higher than the back of one’s hand. Not doing this is just going to be awkward. I have food between the chopsticks, and I'm rotating my hand to place the food in my mouth and the tips will become higher than the back of my hand. Otherwise will commit agebashi.

Well, how about you lower your head below your hand and twist your neck to bring your mouth level with the chopsticks?

Re: A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

#368

Post by sneak »

cthalupa wrote: post #85
moron4hire wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's important to point out that these are good manners for eating with Japanese people, not good manners for eating with chopsticks. There is no requirement to emulate Japanese eating manners if you're not in Japan and not anywhere near a person raised in Japanese cultur. There are other cultures that use chopsticks that do not necessarily have these manners.

This is definitely true - but some of these are fairly universal, or at least that is my understanding. I believe the 'no sticking chopsticks upright in rice' one is shared between Japan, Korea, China, etc. for example - it looks like funerary incense/joss sticks in all three due to the shared aspects of their cultures, for example.

I still don’t understand why making my own bowl of rice (being used/eaten by a very much alive person) look like a funeral bowl of rice is a weird or bad thing.

So much of this stuff just seems like a social license to shame people.

Re: A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

#369

Post by angry_octet »

0x3f wrote: post #271
manarth wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I were eating a stereotypical British meal – say: meat, potatoes, and peas – I would use the fork as a "shovel" for the peas: guide the peas onto the fork with a knife, then raise and eat from the fork. I wouldn't switch from a fork to a spoon to eat the peas. Other vegetables are available. I'm not judging .

> I would use the fork as a "shovel" for the peas Well I don't personally mind, but this would be seen as poor form in the sense of the original article. You're 'supposed' to kind of spear them onto the end of the tines using the knife. Also, with the scoop method, if the peas are hard enough, I would think they're at great risk of rolling around and off the fork. If I were going scoop style, I'd have to mash or at l…

You're supposed to mush them onto the back of the fork, not impale them.
Post reply on HN