Rethinking Chopsticks, a Tool of Everyday Life

Chopsticks are a tool indispensable to our daily meals.
The meals on our tables today aren't limited to Japanese cuisine—there's Western food, Chinese food, and more. Even so, I think many people would say chopsticks are still the
utensil they use most often at meals.

Unlike a knife, fork, or spoon—each of which performs only a single
function such as cutting, piercing, or scooping—chopsticks, used as a pair called "ichizen," perform pinching, gripping,
holding down, scooping, tearing, placing on top, peeling off, supporting, wrapping, cutting, carrying,
and mixing—an all-purpose tool that, put into words, performs a truly diverse range of functions.
When you stop to think about it this way, chopsticks are a simple yet amazing tool.
Let's learn about chopsticks—something we pick up every day without giving them much thought.

Ten (head): Named because this part faces up (ten, meaning "heaven") when you hold the chopsticks.
Mochishiro (grip area): The part where you hold the chopsticks. You hold them so that the pivot point (thumb) rests about one-third of the way from the head.
Tsukaishiro (working area): The part that pinches the food.
Hashisaki (kuisaki, tip): The part that grips the food and enters the mouth.

The part that pinches food and touches your mouth is the "hashisaki" (tip).
That's why this tip is extremely important—so much so that it's said to be able to change the taste and impression of a dish.
A thin tip is less noticeable against the mouth, so it doesn't interfere with the texture of the food, and it lets you pick up dishes properly,
and because you can't hold much at once, it's said that you become able to savor the flavor of even a single grain of rice.

Of course, that doesn't mean thinner is always better.
Depending on the ingredients or dish being eaten, there are various types of chopstick tips.
For example,

・Ramen chopsticks: Grooves are cut into the tip both lengthwise and crosswise to firmly catch the noodles. 
・Soba chopsticks: The tip is thin and square, a shape that makes soba easy to eat.
・Udon chopsticks: The star-shaped tip firmly grips udon noodles.
・Sashimi chopsticks: With an extremely fine tip, they firmly hold sashimi and other delicate dishes.
・Grilled fish chopsticks: The tip is shaped to firmly pick up even the small bones of a fish.

Many people probably have "their own" chopsticks at home, but even though chopstick-using cultures
exist all over the world, having a set of chopsticks designated just for oneself is apparently a fairly rare thing.
In Japan, it has long been considered good practice to use chopsticks whose length, thickness, and weight suit the individual.
Since the length that suits men and women differs, "one's own chopsticks" naturally came to be
determined this way.

"Hitoata" is a unit you don't hear much about, but it refers to
the distance from thumb to index finger when you position your thumb and index finger at a right angle to each other.
The chopstick length that suits you is calculated by multiplying that hitoata by 1.5, giving what's called "hitoata han" (one and a half hitoata)
—or so it is said.
For example, if your hitoata is 14cm, that means chopsticks of 14×1.5=21cm would suit you.

Chopsticks are often ones we've received as gifts or bought without much thought, but
this might be a good opportunity to try a pair that's the right length for you.

[Guideline for Women]
For those with a hitoata of 14–14.5cm (suitable chopstick length: 21–22cm)
・Wajima Kirimoto Fukiurushi Oval Chopsticks
・Wajima Kirimoto Chopsticks and Chopstick Rest Set
・HYOZAEMON Hakkei Meoto Kiri Box (Gold Leaf Backing)

[Guideline for Men]
For those with a hitoata of 15–15.5cm (suitable chopstick length: 22.5–23.5cm)
・HYOZAEMON Kokutan Rikyu (Large)
・Wajima Kirimoto Chopsticks and Chopstick Case Set
・Kohchosai Kosuga Chopstick Set, Octagonal Bamboo Chopsticks

[Urushi Chopsticks]
What is most commonly seen among Japanese chopsticks is wood coated with urushi (Japanese lacquer).
Urushi has various functions, and there are proper reasons for applying it to chopsticks.
・Water resistance
・Antiseptic properties
・Insect resistance
・Heat retention (a pleasant warmth felt in the hand when held)

Using urushi as a coating material can be said to be a technique for increasing the durability of chopsticks so they can be cherished for a long time.
By covering the rough surface of the wood, urushi improves the feel against the mouth, and repeated coating layers make it stronger over time.

[Bamboo Chopsticks]
One characteristic of bamboo is that it is "light, flexible, and yet hard."
Chopsticks aren't just for picking up food—they are sometimes used for tasks requiring force, such as cutting, tearing, or holding something down.
At such times, the flexibility of bamboo keeps excessive strain from being placed on the chopsticks.
Additionally,
・Mold resistance
・Antiseptic properties
are also characteristics it has.

Since chopsticks are used every day, they will wear over time—the finish may peel, or the color may fade from wear.
To keep using, for a long time, chopsticks you've grown attached to, a little care is needed.

・Wash and dry them immediately after use.
Regardless of the material, chopsticks should never be soaked in water or detergent.
After finishing a meal and clearing the dishes, it's best to wash at least the chopsticks right away.

・Don't use scrub brushes or cleanser.
Scrubbing chopsticks hard can cause the finish to peel, so avoid it.

・Don't use a dishwasher.
Inside a dishwasher, with its high temperatures and strong water pressure, chopsticks aren't held in place and rub against each other, making them prone to fine scratches.

・Avoid using bowls or dishes with rough surfaces as much as possible.
This wears down the tips of the chopsticks, so from the standpoint of caring for the chopsticks alone, rough-surfaced tableware is not suitable.

・Store them out of direct sunlight.
If left in a spot exposed to sunlight, the urushi or beeswax finish can absorb ultraviolet rays and discolor.

There are many rules of etiquette surrounding chopsticks, and many "things you must never do—forbidden moves."
Among these, there may be some habits you've been doing without realizing it—the kind that might make you think, "Wait, even this counts?"

Let's become skilled at manners and enjoy meals pleasantly together with those around us.

・Watashi-bashi (Bridging Chopsticks)
This refers to laying your chopsticks across the top of your dish partway through a meal, but this actually signals "I'm finished eating."
Always return your chopsticks to the chopstick rest; if there isn't one, place the tips of your chopsticks resting on the lowest dish available (such as a small mamezara plate or a small serving dish).

・Kasane-bashi (Utsuri-bashi / Repeated Chopsticks)
This means continuing to eat only one particular dish over and over.
Rather than being about how you handle your chopsticks, this is a manner concerning the way you approach the meal as a whole.
It seems to be a forbidden practice unique to washoku (Japanese cuisine), which values eating a balanced variety of side dishes and rice together.

・Ogami-bashi (Praying Chopsticks)
This refers to pressing your palms together while still holding your chopsticks when saying "itadakimasu."
Apparently, it's considered a violation of manners because the tips of the chopsticks end up pointing toward the person beside you.

・Kaeshi-bashi (Sakasa-bashi / Reversed Chopsticks)
This means using the top end of your chopsticks (the end you hold) to serve yourself food from a shared platter.
However, using the tips of your own chopsticks to serve yourself directly (jika-bashi) is also considered a breach of manners, so it's best to have separate serving chopsticks prepared.

There are many other forbidden chopstick practices (kirai-bashi) besides these, roughly 30 kinds in total.
Manners aren't just about formality—they exist to make the food and tableware themselves look beautiful, and to express gratitude through one's own conduct.

When you sit down at the table with that kind of mindset, you'll naturally feel more composed, and you may find yourself wanting to correct not just your chopstick handling but your posture as well.

Chopstick Brands Available at ZUTTO

◇HYOZAEMON

◇Wajima Kirimoto

◇Kochosai Kosuga