OKINAWA
Shoji Kudaka illustration

(Stripes Okinawa)

It is a no-no in Japan to pick up food with your chopsticks when it was already held by someone else’s chopsticks. There are many dos and don’ts in Japan, and this one in particular seems innocent, but not so much to Japanese. This reminds Japanese people of an old tradition – one that involves a dead relative, bones and a crematorium. Google it!

Fuka/shin (deep in Japanese kanji character)

Fuka/shin (deep) (Stripes Okinawa)

The best stories from the Pacific, in your inbox

Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan, Korea, Guam, and Okinawa with travel tips, restaurant reviews, recipes, community and event news, and more.

Sign Up Now