Chopsticks are always used when eating Japanese food in Japan, but when did they come to Japan and how did they take root in the Japanese culture? The more you know about the history of chopsticks, the more you will like them and want to use them.
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history of chopsticks

China

Bronze chopsticks unearthed in the remains of ancient China are thought to be the oldest chopsticks. Of course, it is possible that plant-based chopsticks such as wood and bamboo also existed during the same period, but wood and bamboo can be spoiled easily,even if they were unearthed, it would be difficult to tell whether they were chopsticks or just pieces of wood. At that time, China’s influence on neighboring countries, including Japan, was huge. In terms of culture, many countries wanted to introduce China’s advanced culture, and the culture of chopsticks spread to other countries as well.

Japan

So when did chopsticks first come into use in Japan? In the ruins of the late Yayoi period(c. 300 BCE-300 CE), tweezer-like “”folded chopsticks”” made of a single bamboo piece have been found. However, at that time in Japan, it was still common to eat by hand, so it is thought that these chopsticks were used as the equipment for rituals and ceremonies to distribute food to the gods. In the Chinese book, “”The Biography of Wa people””, it is written that the people of the “”Yamataikoku”” (Japan around the 3rd century) ate their food with their hands. The customary use of chopsticks for eating came about during the Asuka and Nara periods (around 6-8 century ). It is said that Prince Shotoku was the first to adopt the style of eating with chopsticks in the Imperial Court. This was a time of great interaction between Japan and China, and in 607, Ono-no-Imoko (a Japanese envoy to the Zui Dynasty) and his colleagues introduced to Japan a way of eating using a set of chopsticks and a spoon in order to introduce Chinese culture. In this way, the use of chopsticks gradually spread to the general public. By the Kamakura period (1185-1333), chopsticks were coated with urushi (lacquer), along with tableware. By the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868), people began to eat out more, and disposable wooden chopsticks were made from surplus wood. In this way, Japan has had a long history of using chopsticks for eating. Among the 30% of countries in the world that have a chopstick culture, Japan can be said to have a unique history. This is because Japan is the only country that has established the manners of eating using only chopsticks. People eat with their mouths directly on the bowl, and use chopsticks to eat the ingredients. Only in Japan is the style of eating directly into the bowl acceptable. Other countries also have their own chopstick cultures, but it is unlikely that you will see this way of eating in other countries.

Countries where chopsticks are used

As you can see, Japan has its own unique chopstick culture, but how are chopsticks used in other countries with chopstick cultures? I would like to introduce the way they are used briefly. In China, the standard combination is cylindrical or square chopsticks and a ceramic spoon. Chopsticks are used for side dishes, and spoons are used for rice and soup. In Korea, also, chopsticks are used for side dishes, and spoons are used for rice and soup. Unlike China, most of the chopsticks are made of metal and are a bit heavy and silver. Vietnam uses chopsticks for many noodle dishes as well. However, chopsticks are not used by themselves, and sometimes a knife is used in combination with chopsticks and a spoon. The chopsticks used are the square prism-shaped ones also used in China. Since people often eat noodle dishes, lacquered chopsticks is not favored because they are slippery and cannot be grasped properly so wooden or plastic chopsticks are used.

Japanese painted chopsticks as a traditional craft

The chopsticks that are unique to Japan are lacquered chopsticks. These wooden chopsticks are coated with lacquer and decorated in various ways, and were born in the Edo period. Wakasa-nuri chopsticks, Wajima-nuri chopsticks, and Tsugaru-nuri chopsticks are well known. There are reasonably priced chopsticks that can be used on a daily basis, as well as luxury chopsticks that are decorated with gold dust, so you can choose the ones that best suit your needs. These chopsticks, with their very Japanese delicate techniques and beautiful designs, are suitable as souvenirs from Japan. With the spread of Japanese and ethnic food around the world, more and more people outside of Asia are using chopsticks well, and their popularity as souvenirs is increasing. If you want to buy them, you can find them on the Internet, in souvenir shops in tourist spots in Japan, or in the tableware section of department stores. If you want a larger variety of chopsticks to choose from and a special one to commemorate the occasion, I recommend visiting a specialty chopstick store. Some stores will even let you put your name on the chopsticks you buy, so you can enjoy using them as your own chopsticks.

How to use chopsticks

For those who are not in the habit of using chopsticks, eating with them may be hard. However, just a few tips can give you an elegant impression, so it’s worth remembering.

How to pick up chopsticks

Picking up chopsticks carelessly does not look very elegant. The correct way to pick up chopsticks is to hold them in front of your chest with your dominant hand, and support them with your other hand underneath. Then slide your dominant hand down to hold them, and release your other hand.

How to hold

Hold the thick end of the chopsticks a little lower with your dominant hand, hold the upper chopsticks between your index and middle fingers, support the lower chopsticks with the base of your ring finger and thumb, and move only the upper chopsticks to pick up the food.

How to place chopsticks

If a chopstick rest is prepared, place the chopsticks so that the tips of the chopsticks stick out from the chopstick rest by 3 to 5 cm. If the chopsticks are in a paper chopstick bag, place them out of the way during the meal and return them to the chopstick bag after the meal.”

Taboos when using chopsticks

Here are some bad examples of using chopsticks that are considered vulgar in terms of hygiene and in a Japanese sense.

bad example: upside down chopsticks

It is not a good idea to use upside-down chopsticks when serving a platter or pot dish to yourself. It is good manners to use upside-down chopsticks, because you will be grabbing the food where your hand touches it, and the top of the chopsticks will become dirty and look bad. It is good manners to use another chopsticks.

bad example: wondering what to eat while holding chopsticks

It is considered bad manners to move your chopsticks from one place to another while holding them, wondering which one you should eat.

bad example: probing with chopsticks

It is not good to stir the chopsticks around in the bottom of the soup bowl to see if there are any ingredients left.

bad example: moving chopsticks suddenly

It is not a good idea to move your chopsticks to pick up one food and then suddenly move them to another food.

bad example: sticking chopsticks

Sticking chopsticks into food is considered to be vulgar.

bad example: using chopsticks to move dishes

It may not be common practice, but pulling dishes closer to you with chopsticks is also considered vulgar. If you want to pick up a distant dish, put the chopsticks down and pick it up with your hands.

bad example: placing chopsticks

Placing chopsticks over a bowl in the middle of a meal is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be misinterpreted as a sign of “”gochisosama””, which means you finished your meal.

bad example: passing with chopsticks

Do not pass food from chopstick to chopstick. In Japan, it is associated with the act of picking up the bones of the deceased, so it is very bad luck.

bad example: pushing with chopsticks

Do not use chopsticks to push food into your mouth more.

bad example: holding chopsticks in your mouth

It is considered vulgar to hold dishes in your hand while holding chopsticks in your mouth.

bad example: pointing chopsticks

Pointing at someone or something with chopsticks during a meal is vulgar and gives the impression of arrogance to the other person.

bad example: sticking chopsticks

You should never stick your chopsticks into the rice and stand them up. It is only allowed during a Buddhist funeral when the rice is offered at the dead person’s bedside, so it is a very bad sign at a meal.”

Let’s experience Japanese culture through chopsticks

The bad examples mentioned above are just a few of the examples to keep in mind when using chopsticks. However, for non-Japanese people, it is really hard to remember so many manners when even using unaccustomed chopsticks is so difficult. However, even Japanese people do not know all the correct ways to use chopsticks, so it is better to just enjoy the Japanese culture without being too nervous about using them. Japanese chopsticks have a long history of being used and loved since ancient times, and there are many beautiful chopsticks available as traditional crafts. By eating with or buying chopsticks, you will be able to feel the culture that has been recorded in the history of Japan.