Kakinoki James

Something that took me a little while to get used to here was that the Japanese generally don’t use napkins when they eat. If you go to a restaurant they have them (made mostly of plastic in the lower end restaurants, but that’s another discussion), but a traditional meal or the school lunches I eat most days don’t have napkins. Feels strange to not be able to wipe my mouth off after eating. To be fair, the Japanese don’t need napkins as much as westerners do. We tend to sit straight in our chairs and move the food from the bowl or plate to out mouth. If you drop the food or miss your mouth the food ends up on your shirt or lap. The Japanese lean over their bowls or plates when eating, so if they drop food it lands back in the dish.

Unlike we westerners, the Japanese have made an effort to be clean for a very long time. Back when Europeans were eating with their hands, throwing scraps on the floor for the dogs, the Japanese were using hashi (chop sticks) and leaning over their bowls. The Japanese were taking daily baths when Europeans avoided bathing at all costs because they thought it would make them sick. I may point out aspects of Japanese culture that makes it sound like I’m criticizing them, but I never forget how weird my own culture is. One great thing about living overseas is that it really helps you see the absurdities in your own culture. EVERY culture is pretty weird when you really look at them.

# posted by Kakinoki James @ 2:23 PM