Chopsticks (hashi) came to Japan from China in the XII century and for a long time were made of bamboo. It was considered that immortal gods and emperors eat with chopsticks. There are a lot of different forms and sizes of reusable chopsticks that are sometimes real pieces of art. They are painted, covered with varnish, encrusted with mother-of-pearl and decorated by different patterns. Modern hashi can be made of bone, wood (bamboo, pine tree, cypress, plum, maple, sandal wood), of round or square section with conic or pyramidal peak.

One-use chopsticks are rather a new invention appeared at the end of the XX century. They are to be separated breaking longwise before use.

It is considered that chopsticks train small muscles developing mental ability. That's why in Japan people are taught to use hashi since early years. Japanese researchers say that children who started to eat with chopsticks at the age of one develop faster than their counterparts who continue to eat with spoons.

Chopsticks for the Japanese are not just their personal thing of everyday use (it is not the custom to give them to others) but a holy symbol. According to legends they bring fortune and long life, so no wonder that chopsticks are considered good present. For example chopsticks are presented to just-married as a wish that they stay inseparable. They are given as a present to babes on the 100th day since they were born when during the ceremony called "The first chopsticks" adults for the first time let him or her try rice with hashi. Present compositions of chopsticks for the whole family are manufactured as well.

Apart from that there are hashi for the New Year's Day, tea ceremony and sweets.

Chopsticks are served in a special paper box (hashi bukuro), which is often used as a decoration and part of collection. It can contain funny pictures or a logo of a restaurant.

If you get skillful in use of chopsticks you will be able to easily perform a lot of useful actions: hold food, mix sauce, separate pieces, mill and even cut. Fortunately, Japanese cookery rules prescribe to serve food in small pieces so that they are convenient to eat.

During a meal the lower chopstick is to be hold firm and only the upper one can be moved. Also you need to try not to dirty chopsticks and use only the lower part of them (1,5-3 cm from the end).

Right manners of using chopsticks when eating

Move right hand in such a way that chopsticks would be between a thumb and other fingers.

It is necessary to hold strongly the lower chopstick and use the upper one when eating. It is necessary to use the lower part of chopsticks and also try not to blur it.

Incorrect use of chopsticks at the table:

• Sashibashi. It is not allowed to stick chopsticks in food.
• Namidabashi. It is not allowed to shake chopsticks shaking off food back to a plate.
• Neburibashi. It is not allowed to leak odds of food off chopsticks.
• Kakibashi. It is not allowed to bring a plate close to a mouth and put food fast into a mouth with the help of chopsticks.
• Komibashi. It is not allowed to push food into a mouth with chopsticks.
• Furibashi. It is not allowed to shake chopsticks while eating.
• Tatakibashi. It is not allowed to knock on a plate with chopsticks calling for a waiter.
• Utsuribashi. Meal is to be started with rice. One should not choose other dishes.
• Motibashi. It is not allowed to hold a plate with the same hand as chopsticks.
• Kodibashi. It is not allowed to choose and eat just one component from a plate.
• Maioibashi. It is not allowed to think over for a long time what dish to eat.
• Saguribashi. It is not allowed to look for something in a plate.
• Karibashi. If you have taken some food do not put it back on the table.
• Ukibashi. It is not allowed to ask for additional portion holding a plate and chopsticks in hands at a time.
• Yoshibashi. It is not allowed to move a plate with chopsticks.
• Watashibashi. Before a dinner is over it is not allowed to put chopsticks on a plate.
• Sashibashi.During a dinner it is not allowed to point at a companion with chopsticks.
• Kuebashi. It is not allowed to hold chopsticks in a mouth.
• Tatebashi. It is not allowed to stick chopsticks into rice as in Japan it is done only at funerals.

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