Chopsticks | STORIES | JAPAN HOUSE

Chopsticks

Creating meal etiquette and conduct

Japanese chopsticks are made of wood. This has given rise to reinforcement techniques, the mind to enjoy the grain and fragrance of wood, and the invention of disposable chopsticks for convenience. Single-use chopsticks are greatly influenced by the Japanese disposition toward cleanliness and are based on the Shinto ideology that deities reside in the tools that are used to carry life-sustaining food. The spirituality condensed into chopsticks is unique to Japan where chopsticks are the main implements for meals, unlike other countries where forks, spoons, and knives are used. Various elements, such as material, craftsmanship, Shintoism, Japanese rice, and cooking, have intertwined to develop Japan’s unique chopstick culture till the present day.

Functions of chopsticks

Most Japanese food is eaten with chopsticks. A distinctive feature of Japanese dining is that a second utensil is not needed, such as a knife in Western countries or a spoon in China and Korea. This has given birth to a kitchen knife culture of cutting ingredients finely and beautifully so they can easily be carried to the mouth. Furthermore, there are cases where the finishing touches of Japanese cuisine are entrusted to the diner. For example, yudofu (boiled bean curd, usually served in a big bowl) is completed by the diner scooping out their portion and topping it with their preferred condiments. Nabe-ryori (hotpots or casseroles) are cooked right in front of the diners, with each person picking out what they want to eat and taking it directly to their mouth with their own chopsticks. Japan’s chopstick usage blurs the line between cooking and eating.

Kitchen knife culture｜ Shinshu soba kiri seizo no zu (Cutting Shinshu soba) Dai Nippon Bussan Zue (Pictorial records of Japanese economic activities) Finely cutting soba (buckwheat noodles) and udon (wheat noodles) to make picking them up with chopsticks easier, had arisen from the kitchen knife culture. Noodles consumed before the Muromachi period (14c-16c) mainly took the form of dango (dumplings) and sobagaki (buckwheat dough balls).
Nabe-ryori｜ Kodai Edo Eshu (Ancient Edo Paintings) (from the National Diet Library collection)
In Nabe-ryori (hotpots or casseroles), people eat from one big pot, taking the food directly with their chopsticks. This closes the emotional distance between the diners.
The plate at the edge of the painting is filled with vegetables and meat, suggesting that it is a boar stew in the hotpot.

Rice and chopsticks

In the past, chopsticks were used with a spoon in Japan. In China and the Korean Peninsula, where chopsticks are believed to have come from, dry and brittle grains could only be eaten by using a spoon, so chopsticks were used for vegetables. Japanese rice, on the other hand, is sticky and becomes lumpy with steam, making it possible to bring to the mouth with chopsticks. Spoons gradually disappeared from the Heian period (8c-12c), and the dining style of holding the chopsticks with the right hand and the rice bowl with the left was established. A unique dining etiquette was thus formed around chopsticks and Japanese rice.

Japanese rice can be picked up with chopsticks.
The Japanese dining style, where the dominant hand holds the chopsticks and the other the rice bowl.
Source: PIXTA

Japanese lacquering

Japanese chopsticks, which are mainly made from wood, are often lacquered (a liquid coating that hardens into a solid) to reinforce and prevent corrosion. These are known as nuribashi (lacquered chopsticks). Japanese lacquer is highly resistant to acidity and alkalinity, as well as low and high temperatures, and outperforms artificial paint in durability. Its history starts in the early Edo period (17c-19c) when the nation’s lacquerware-producing regions became popular. Japanese lacquerware is also highly sought-after as luxurious items, and unique designs and skills have developed throughout Japan centering on gorgeously decorated items.

Wakasa-nuri｜Fukui Prefecture
After bits of shells and eggshells are placed on the chopsticks, multiple layers of colored lacquer are applied over them, then sanded and polished.
This is a technique devised by lacquer craftsmen from the Obama Domain of Fukui Prefecture during the Edo period (17c-19c). It started by replicating the underwater scene with the influence of lacquerware production techniques from China.
Wakasa-nuri｜Fukui Prefecture
After bits of shells and eggshells are placed on the chopsticks, multiple layers of colored lacquer are applied over them, then sanded and polished.
This is a technique devised by lacquer craftsmen from the Obama Domain of Fukui Prefecture during the Edo period (17c-19c). It started by replicating the underwater scene with the influence of lacquerware production techniques from China.
Aizu-nuri｜Fukushima Prefecture
The Aizu Domain, which governed the production areas, had been a powerful clan at the time. Gold is frequently used in Aizu-nuri chopstick decorations to reflect their power, and this can be seen even today.
Successive domain lords encouraged Aizu-nuri and contributed to the improvement of skills by planting lacquer trees, training craftsmen, and developing markets.
Tsugaru kara-nuri｜Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture
Tsugaru kara-nuri uses a technique derived from Wakasa-nuri. Instead of placing shells and eggshells, lacquer is painted on in a spotted pattern in various depths on the chopsticks.
Multiple layers of colored lacquer are applied on top of that, then sanded and polished to bring out the unique layers of colors.
Tsugaru nanako-nuri｜Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture
Lacquer is applied to plain wood, then rapeseed is sown. Once dried, the rapeseed is shaken off to create small craters, over which layers of colored lacquer are applied, then polished to create a ring-like pattern.
It is necessary to be highly skilled as the lacquer must be polished evenly to ensure that the contours of the rings are not missing.
Murakami Tsuishu｜Murakami, Niigata Prefecture
The meaning of tsuishu is to layer lacquer. As its name suggests, the multiple layering of natural lacquer creates a vibrant and impressive red color.
By applying a matted finish at the end, the color becomes more lustrous and vivid with greater use, eventually producing a deep and rich quality.
Wajima-nuri｜Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture
High-end chopsticks that are representative of Japan. Makie (gold or silver lacquer) technique, which is the origin of chinkin (gold-inlaid lacquer) technique in Japan, has been passed down for more than 200 years. Known for the beautiful and brilliant decorations, it takes 20 processes alone for lacquering and a total of 75-124 processes. Six months to a year is needed for the making, which makes the chopsticks extremely durable.
Wajima-nuri｜Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture
High-end chopsticks that are representative of Japan. Makie (gold or silver lacquer) technique, which is the origin of chinkin (gold-inlaid lacquer) technique in Japan, has been passed down for more than 200 years. Known for the beautiful and brilliant decorations, it takes 20 processes alone for lacquering and a total of 75-124 processes. Six months to a year is needed for the making, which makes the chopsticks extremely durable.

Mochi-shiro (where the chopsticks are held) and hashi-saki (tip of chopsticks)

Chopsticks are simple tools made up of two sticks, but if we look closely, their diversity becomes apparent. Triangular or square-shaped chopsticks have flat surfaces, which makes them easy to hold firmly and apply force, whereas circular chopsticks will give you a comfortable fit. The tips of the chopsticks are also important; angular or those coated with lacquer powder known as kan-shitsu (dried lacquer) will prevent the food from slipping off. Lacquered tips, on the other hand, not only prevent tips from wearing off but are also easy to clean just by wiping them with a cloth, making them ideal for carrying around. Finding the mochi-shiro and hashi-saki that best suits you leads to comfortable dining.

Triangular mochi-shiro
Square mochi-shiro｜The corners are rounded off to prevent them from hurting the hands. Known as shi-homen.
Chopsticks for natto (fermented soybeans) / Chopsticks for delicacy / Chopsticks for tofu (bean curd) / Chopsticks with anti-slip (ridges) / Chopsticks with anti-slip (dried lacquer)
Chopsticks for soba (buckwheat noodles) / Reinforced chopstick tips with lacquer / Chopsticks with anti-slip (ridges) / Chopsticks for donburi (big bowl)

Waribashi (disposable chopsticks)

Waribashi are disposable chopsticks used mainly at local eateries or accompanying bento (boxed meals). They are believed to have originated during the Edo period (17c-19c) from warikake-bashi (split chopsticks) and hikisaki-bashi (torn chopsticks) given to customers in eel eateries. Chopsticks made from Yoshino Sugi （Yoshino Cedar） were first named waribashi (half-split chopsticks), and from there on they gained popularity. Disposable chopsticks are not only convenient but are also guaranteed to be “pure” since the action of “splitting” them is irreversible. They can be considered a manifestation of the Japanese spirituality toward chopsticks, as demonstrated by the culture of having one’s “own chopsticks” at home from a young age.

Waribashi, a necessity in Japanese restaurants
Source: PIXTA
Waribashi and hashi-bukuro (chopstick envelope) attached to a bento｜Made about the same length as the bento so that they can be treated as a set.
Waribashi made from Yoshino Sugi makes effective use of timber offcuts.
Lumbered Yoshino Sugi logs Cutting The center section is used as a building material.
Timber offcuts become waribashi
Production site of Yoshino Sugi waribashi

jin-kyoshoku (gods and people dining together)

Among disposable chopsticks, there are some that are used for special celebratory meals. These look different from the usual waribashi. Ryokuchi-bashi have fine tips on both ends. The purpose of this is to invite the powerful spirit of the god to reside in the opposite tip, so that the diner may receive that power. This is known as shinjin-kyoshoku (gods and people dining together). Many ryokuchi-bashi are made from plain wood of the sturdy willow tree, and are usually burnt by the shrine at the end of the celebratory event. This is not for reasons related to convenience or hygiene; rather, it is because of a saying that once the chopsticks have entered the mouth, they are possessed by the spirit.

Ryokuchi-bashi are also used in okuizome, a ceremony to wish the baby to never be short of food throughout his or her life.
Osechi (traditional New Year’s dish) and ryokuchi-bashi
Sekihan (festive red rice eaten on auspicious days) and ryokuchi-bashi

Hashi-bukuro (chopstick envelope)

The wrapper used for holding chopsticks is called hashi-bukuro (chopstick envelope) and is said to have originated from what court maids made from scrap pieces of clothing in the Heian period (8c-12c). Hashi-bukuro were used at banquets for shogun (generals) during the Muromachi period (14c-16c) and also for Yoshiwara (Nihonbashi Tokyo) red-light district regulars in the Edo period (17c-19c). It was around the fifth year of Taisho when paper hashi-bukuro started to be used with commercial bento (boxed meals). Out of hygiene concerns, a chopstick maker in Osaka made the envelopes with paper and registered the design. Messages are often printed on the hashi-bukuro, which can be described as a form of Japanese hospitality throughout the times.

Cloth hashi-bukuro｜Chopsticks may clatter and get damaged if placed in a box. In the long run, a cloth wrapper can be a better way to keep the chopsticks in pristine condition.
Hashi-bako (chopstick case)｜In modern times, instead of a cloth wrapper, plastic chopsticks and chopstick cases are becoming the mainstream for carrying around, which are cheaper and easier to handle.
A woman presenting chopsticks in a hashi-bukuro｜Kan’non Reigenki (from the National Diet Library collection)

Let’s talk chopsticks

In Japan, there are several expressions associated with chopsticks. To the Japanese people, for whom food culture has evolved alongside the development of chopsticks, chopsticks are an indispensable utensil in everyday life, and everyone is considered to own a pair. For this reason, it is easy for everyone to share its characteristics, like sasai (trivial), karui (light), and saho (etiquette). Chopsticks have even made deep inroads into figurative expressions in the Japanese language.