Japanese Noodle-Eating Etiquette

Noodle dishes abound in Japan, from soups like ramen and udon to heartier dishes like yakisoba. While it may be just as common to see a Japanese student eating ramen as it would be to see an American student eating it, many restaurants take these "cheap" meals to a different level. When visiting Japan, you're sure to eat noodles at least once while you're there, if not every day.

It's customary to eat noodles with chopsticks, but if you have trouble getting the slippery noodles to your mouth, few people will fault you for using a fork instead. If you want to stick with the chopsticks, getting your mouth closer to the bowl will help. Though Western culture typically frowns on making a slurping sound when eating noodles, this is actually normal in Japan, according to Lonely Planet. You'll typically receive a large spoon with your meal for drinking the soup, but if you don't get one, it's fine to lift the bowl to your mouth to drink the soup. Don't feel a pressure to drink every last drop, though -- it's the noodles that are the important part of the meal.