Anybody know why it is disrespectful in Japanese culture to leave your chopsticks sticking straight up in?

Question

your rice? I heard it was when I went to eat out but I never understood why.

Answer 1

when the Japanese offer rice to their dead ancestors, they stick the chopsticks in the rice straight up. This is why it is disrespectful. I lived there for a few years. You can lay them across the rice bowl.

Answer 2

Would you leave your fork and spoon standing straight up in your rice? That's the way I think of it - utensils in the air, sticking out of food is rude in general, so it's no different with chopsticks.
In real Japanese restaurants, they usually have a little stand for your chopsticks, so you don't have to put them on the table.

Answer 3

Rice is a staple food among asians, which includes japanese. It is disrespectful among asians, not just japanese to stick your utensils into rice because it connotes you stabbing the rice - which is a life giver. To simplify - rice connotes life - sticking chopsticks or utensils is like stabbing/killing it.

Answer 4

when u stick chopsticks into a your bowl, they will look like e incense sticks stuck in food offering, used to pay respct to their dead ancestors and hence it will make e dead people think u r eating food meant for them.

Answer 5

well its mainly because they believe that chopsticks standing up in a bowl of rice is a bad luck omen.

@(^_^)@

Answer 6

I am Asian, and it is impolite to stick anything on food... not just chopsticks.... except barbecue sticks...

Answer 7

it is not just in the japanese culture but also in chinese culture. although, i do not know the reason why it's disrespectful. i'm not from north asia. i'm southeast asian. that rule doesn't apply to us, southeast asians.

Answer 8

bec when u make it stand it show that u r a greedy person

Answer 9

From what i heard, it signifies badluck, worst death (?)