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After Itadakimasu – Other Japanese Table Manners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Another important table manner besides saying \u201cItadakimasu\u201d before eating is that no one should start eating until everyone has gathered ready at the table.<\/strong> This custom is not exclusively Japanese \u2013 as many will agree that digging in before everyone else has a chance is plainly impolite \u2013 but in Japanese culture, no one should start eating before the highest-ranked person among the group does.<\/strong> This could be the head of the household, the oldest person, or your boss. These manners make sense given the higher regard Japanese people give to seniority in society as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLikewise, finishing everything you have been given is considered a way of showing appreciation to those who have died for you. This is another belief that comes from Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n <\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSo to be well-mannered at a Japanese table, you should wait for everyone to gather, then say \u201cItadakimasu\u201d properly, before you start to eat. Some people will also clasp their hands together, sometimes holding the chopsticks with their thumbs, with eyes closed, while saying the phrase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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What Does Gochisousama<\/strong> mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n“Gochisousama deshita<\/em>“<\/strong> or the more casual “Gochisousama<\/em>“<\/strong> is a Japanese phrase used after finishing your meal, literally translated as \u201cIt was a great deal of work (preparing the meal).\u201d<\/strong> Thus, it can be interpreted in Japanese as \u201cThank you for the meal; it was a feast.\u201d Like “Itadakimasu<\/em>“, it gives thanks to everyone and everything associated with the meal, including the food itself. Failing to say “Gochisousama<\/em>” after a meal will make you look impolite or even ungrateful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSaying “Gochisousama<\/em>” in a private setting should not be tricky, but what if you are dining at a restaurant alone? As a paying customer, can you skip that display of etiquette? The answer is that you had better not if you have the chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou don’t need to shove your way into the kitchen to thank the chef , but there are other ways that can express your appreciation for the meal. For example, say \u201cGochisousama-deshita\u201d to the server when paying the bill<\/strong>, or as an opening phrase when you approach the cashier. When there is an open kitchen, casually address the cooks with the phrase as you are making way to leave. You can also say it before the exit, one last time, before departing. Because it is normal for restaurant staff to greet their customers as they leave, you will most likely be heard and appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Many say that manners expressing traditional etiquette like saying \u201cItadakimasu\u201d or \u201cGochisousama\u201d have been fading out among Japanese. Some reasons could be attributed to busy lifestyles or people becoming too used to convenience. Among many families nowadays, eating together as a family might be a bit inconvenient. But what\u2019s most important is not just learning to say these phrases properly, but remembering the thankful attitude they represent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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“Itadakimasu” and “Gochisousama” are more than just good wishes for your meal in Japanese.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":64332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_meta":"","_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":3,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,2050],"tags":[1385,1331,1356,2232],"class_list":{"0":"post-5962","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-culture","8":"category-things-to-know","9":"tag-japanese","10":"tag-manners","11":"tag-restaurant","12":"tag-traveling-in-japan"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Learn Japanese Table Manners with Itadakimasu & Gochisousama<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n