itadakimasu, japan, japanese etiquette, mealtime

Japanese Mealtime: The Profound Meaning of Itadakimasu

One ritual that everyone observes at Japanese mealtime before partaking of the food, regardless of gender or occasion, is to utter “itadakimasu” and clasp the hands together in front of the chest. The Japanese are renowned for being attentive and considerate in their hospitality, making them consummate hosts. Guests in Japan also have a set ...

Emma Lu

Japanese mealtime: A table loaded with dishes for breakfast and a Japanese family sitting with hands clasped to show gratitude for the meal.

3 Reasons Japanese Culture Is Undeniably Impressive

Known to every schoolchild the world over as the Land of the Rising Sun, if you are one of those people that has an enthusiastic interest in Japanese culture, or have any misconception about Japan, we recommend you read an article called 138 Types of Japanese Culture Japan is a country where there is a ...

Helen London

Japanese culture is rich, varied and ancient.

Why Do the Japanese Take Off Their Shoes When Entering a House?

If you have been to Japan, you know that the Japanese take off their shoes according to long-standing traditions about removing shoes before entering homes and other indoor places. The custom of removing your footwear before entering a house stems from the Heian period between the years 794 and 1185. While a house could quickly become dirty ...

Emma Lu

Many pairs of Japanese house slippers lined up and some traditional japanese shoes for outside lay in front.

10 Things Not to Do in Japan

Traveling can be an amazing eye-opener — getting to experience a different culture, learning a foreign language, or just being able to get the chance of observing the human condition from a different perspective. Some countries lean more toward etiquette than others. Japan is one of those countries. While you won’t run into legal issues if you ...

Hermann Rohr