Daily Life Lessons · Restaurants
Learn the basic way to hold chopsticks and the ways of using them that are best avoided, so that you can be careful on your own at meals.
The basic way to hold chopsticks (箸) is to move the upper one like a pencil, while the lower one stays fixed between your middle finger and ring finger and does not move. When you put your chopsticks down during a meal, use a chopstick rest (箸置き).
There are also ways of using chopsticks that are best avoided: moving your chopsticks over the dishes while deciding what to eat (迷い箸, mayoi-bashi), pointing at people or things with chopsticks (指し箸, sashi-bashi), resting your chopsticks across the top of a bowl or dish during the meal (渡し箸, watashi-bashi), and pulling a distant dish toward you with chopsticks (寄せ箸, yose-bashi). Sticking chopsticks upright in rice and passing food from one pair of chopsticks to another are also considered ways of using chopsticks that are best avoided.
If chopsticks are difficult for you, it is fine to ask the staff whether they have a spoon or fork.
箸（はし）の 使い方です。
1. 上の 1本を えんぴつのように 持って 動かします。 2. 下の 1本は 動かしません。 3. 箸を 置くときは、箸置き（はしおき）に 置きます。
しないほうが よいこと： ・料理の 上で 箸を 迷わせる ・箸で 人を 指す ・箸を 器（うつわ）の 上に 置く ・箸で 器を 引きよせる ・ご飯に 箸を 立てる ・箸から 箸へ 食べ物を 渡す
むずかしいときは、スプーンや フォークを 聞いても いいです。
When holding chopsticks, what do you do with the lower one?
You move the upper one, and keep the lower one fixed without moving it.
What is mayoi-bashi?
It means moving your chopsticks back and forth over the food.
How do you put down your chopsticks during a meal?
Avoid watashi-bashi (resting them across a bowl) and use a chopstick rest.
Which is considered a way of using chopsticks that is best avoided?
Passing food from chopsticks to chopsticks and sticking chopsticks upright in rice are considered best avoided.
What if you cannot use chopsticks well?
It is fine to ask the staff.
Q. How do I take food from a large shared plate?
A. If there are serving chopsticks (取り箸), use them. If there are none, what to do depends on the situation, so it is best to ask the people you are with.
Q. Can I hold chopsticks in my left hand?
A. That is no problem. Hold them in whichever hand is easier for you.
Q. What do I do with disposable chopsticks after eating?
A. Avoid watashi-bashi (resting them across the top of a bowl or dish); put them on a chopstick rest or similar.
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Content checked on: 2026-09-28
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. If the translation and the original differ, the Japanese version takes precedence. View the Japanese original