japanese food culture

: Chopstick Etiquette: 13 Common Taboos Adults Should Avoid

Understanding chopstick etiquette is essential for respecting Japanese culture and ensuring a pleasant dining experience. In Japan, using chopsticks correctly goes beyond basic manners—it reflects your awareness, upbringing, and respect toward others at the table. Here are 13 common chopstick taboos, known as “kiraibashi”, that adults should be especially mindful of. 1. Reversing Chopsticks (Kaeshi-bashi) When serving from a shared dish, some people reverse their chopsticks to avoid using the end that touched their mouth. However, this means using the part your hands touched, which is unhygienic. Additionally, the now-soiled tips are used again to eat, which looks unpleasant ...

: What Is Wasabi? Real vs Fake, Taste, and How It’s Used in Japan

Wasabi is more than a hot green paste served with sushi. In Japan, it exists in two very different forms—freshly grated hon-wasabi and convenient tube wasabi—and both play meaningful roles in everyday food culture. This article explains what wasabi really is, why these two forms coexist, how they taste and feel different, and how Japanese people actually use them in daily life. Quick Summary: Wasabi is a Japanese plant whose sharpness comes from aroma rather than lingering heat. While real wasabi is rare and carefully handled, tube wasabi dominates everyday use. Understanding why these two forms coexist reveals how Japanese ...

: Farmers’ Markets and Unmanned Veggie Stalls in Japan: Where Trust and Freshness Meet

Farmers’ markets in Japan (chokubai-jo) are direct-sale produce markets where local growers sell freshly harvested vegetables, often picked the same morning. Unmanned veggie stalls are small roadside stands that use an “honesty box” system—take what you need and leave the payment in a coin box. Both are everyday parts of rural (and semi-rural) life. And both reveal something quietly powerful about Japan: food shopping can be personal, community-based, and built on trust. Why These Places Feel Different In Japan, buying vegetables can feel surprisingly personal. At direct-sale markets—or tiny unmanned roadside stalls—you’re not just buying food. You’re connecting with ...

: School Lunch in Japan: More Than a Meal, a Lesson in Living Together

In Japan, students receive school lunches — kyūshoku — from elementary through junior high school. Everyone eats the same meal, served at the same time, in the same classroom. It’s part of the country’s compulsory education and continues until the end of junior high. From high school onward, students usually bring their own obento lunch boxes. Kyushoku=School Lunch The system began as a way to ensure that all children, regardless of family income, could eat a nutritious meal during the day. It also lightens the burden on parents, who no longer need to prepare daily lunches. With a small ...

: Fruit Picking in Japan: Sweet Seasonal Adventures You Can Eat All You Want

Fruit picking in Japan isn’t just about eating fruit — it’s a seasonal tradition that connects people with nature, family, and food. From juicy strawberries in spring to crisp apples in autumn, every season brings a new flavor to discover. Agritourism in Japan Across Japan, farms open their gates to visitors for hands-on fruit-picking experiences. This form of agritourism has quietly existed for decades, long before the term became popular. Families, couples, and travelers visit the countryside to enjoy fruits fresh from the tree. How It Works Most farms charge a flat fee for “all-you-can-eat” fruit within a ...

: Obento: Japan’s Beautiful Art of the Lunch Box

In Japan, taking a home-made lunch to work or school is more than just a practical routine — it’s a small expression of care, balance, and beauty. The meal packed inside is called an obento, and it reflects a deep cultural sense of thoughtfulness in everyday life. What Is an Obento? An obento is a single-portion meal neatly packed in a box. It’s the Japanese way of bringing a complete, balanced meal wherever you go. You’ll see office workers opening them in parks, students unwrapping them at lunch, and travelers enjoying them on trains. The Box Itself The ...