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Small Whale · Reading worksheet

Customs and etiquette in Japanese dining

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/customs-and-etiquette-in-japanese-dining

Step 2 · Questions

1. What does "Itadakimasu" mean before a meal?
2. Why is it bad to stick chopsticks straight into rice?

Step 3 · Words to know

Write what each word means, using the article.

Shokuji no manaa
Mottainai
Tate-bashi

Step 4 · Two facts in your own words

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

1.

2.

Answer key (teacher copy)

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What does "Itadakimasu" mean before a meal?It means "I humbly receive" and shows thank you to everyone who helped make the food.
2. Why is it bad to stick chopsticks straight into rice?Sticking chopsticks vertically into rice looks like funeral incense sticks, which is disrespectful.

Shokuji no manaa: The Japanese term for dining etiquette, encompassing a wide range of polite behaviors during meals.
Mottainai: A cultural concept expressing regret over wastefulness, influencing attitudes towards food and resources.
Tate-bashi: The act of sticking chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice, a serious taboo in Japanese culture.