Eating habits and food culture of each nation vary with respect to their civilization, customs and cultures. Food and eating culture represent the civilization of countries. Here we will discuss eating habits and food of Japanese people who have rich culture.

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Whenever you get chance of eating with Japanese, you will see that they sit in western style around table. Sometimes they use to sit on cushions and tatami mats. When they start eating they say “itadakimasu” that means “I receive”. However at the finishing of their meal they say “gochisousamadeshita” that translates “it was feast”. Japanese always eat while sitting not walking. Chopsticks are used to eat food rather than forks, spoons and knives. They share their food but avoid passing food directly through chopsticks of another person.


When we discus about ‘Japanese Eating Habits’, what they eat and what not, we will find out that typical meal of Japanese based on rice bowl that is called Gohan. Soup, pickle vegetables, fish and meat are also included in their diet as different dishes. Side dishes are also served with rice and soups. Japanese love their food and like to eat with family, friends and relatives. Some of popular dishes that Japanese like to eat include:

  • Sashimi and sushi
  • Domburimono
  • Tempura
  • Sukiyaki
  • Shabushabu
  • Okonomiyaki
  • Yakitori

Beer, rice wine and whiskey are main drinks that Japanese adults like to drink. When they gather on some party, they like to fill their glasses again and again. When they cheer during drinking, they say ‘kampai’. They have very sensible and polite attitude when sit to eat and don’t like to play with chopsticks on dinning table. Japanese food is prepared in small portions for unnecessary cutting of food when eating. Like many other eating cultures of the world, they used to talk on dinning table on different topics. Moreover Japanese are more conscious about table manners during their meals.

Its also a ‘Japanese Eating Habit’ to take Family dinners. They often arranged these but business dinners are not very common in their culture. One thing is very important regarding eating habits of Japanese that they like to make slurping sounds when they take soup or noodles. The logic behind this is that they believe that show you are enjoying your meal. Japanese give much importance to food and eating as they think that if they don’t eat, they will die. What a real approach in ‘Japanese Eating Habit’!