Food - Drink
The Rude Behavior You Should Be Avoiding Right After Splitting Chopsticks In Japan
By HOPE NGO
We all have eating habits that we don't pay much attention to, but if you’re in Japan or at a Japanese restaurant, you should never perform this one custom with your chopsticks.
For many, rubbing disposable chopsticks together after breaking them apart is an instinctive thing to do, especially if you’re worried about splinters, but it can be seen as an insult.
This faux pas is called kosuribashi, and it’s considered rude because it implies that the restaurant cuts corners. Most modern wooden chopsticks don't produce splinters, anyway.
If you want to be on your best behavior, avoid other faux pas like sticking chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, piercing food with chopsticks, or using one chopstick in each hand.