Polite to Host
Cultural · Dining
You
すみません、お箸の持ち方を教えていただけますか？
すみません、おはしのもちかたをおしえていただけますか？
Excuse me, could you show me how to hold chopsticks correctly?
Romaji: Sumimasen, ohashi no mochikata o oshiete itadakemasu ka? / Reply Romaji: Mochiron desu. Kono you ni motte mite kudasai.
Reply
もちろんです。この様に持ってみてください。
もちろんです。このようにもってみてください。
Of course. Try holding them like this.
Gesture & etiquette
Hold your hand out with the chopsticks and demonstrate slowly. Show the bottom chopstick as fixed and the top as the one that moves. Smile — this moment of teaching is a genuine cultural exchange that most Japanese hosts enjoy.
Asking how to use chopsticks is always warmly received — it shows respect for Japanese culture. Key taboos to know: never stick chopsticks upright in rice (a funeral ritual), never pass food chopstick-to-chopstick (also funerary), and never point with chopsticks.