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Review focus: Social, Respect, Business, greetings, New year, etiquette, food tradition, Kaiseki
Asian Business Code Words Index NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company Asian Business Strategy & Street Intelligence Ezine
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The Chinese treat food as a celebration - a never ending thanksgiving - and they approach it, prepare it, and consume it with unbounded gusto. The Japanese, on the other hand, have traditionally reacted to food and eating in a totally different way; generally speaking, there are four food traditions in Japan. Japan's first food tradition is the original one developed by farmers and fishermen and consists primarily of vegetables, rice, and seafood simply prepared at home and served without any special ceremony. Japan's second food tradition, developed by Buddhist monks, consists primarily of vegetarian dishes austerely prepared and served in small portions in keeping with the reserved nature of the religious order. Buddhist monks and temple guests are served this diet. The third food tradition in Japan, known as kaiseki (kie-say-kee), was developed by tea masters for guests before ceremonial tea. Kaiseki consists of miniature portions of vegetables and seafood, often boiled or dried. Nowadays, there are restaurants specializing in both the Buddhist and the kaiseki cuisines. The fourth and most interesting of Japan's food traditions, however, is the one that was developed over the centuries for the hospitality industry; many of the dishes of this tradition originated in the kitchens of the early Imperial and Shogunate courts. This is the Japanese cuisine that is most familiar to non-Japanese: sashimi, sushi, udon, soba, yakitori, kushiage, oden, unagi, and oyako-domburi, for example. In contrast to the Chinese, who like a large variety of dishes, large portions, and a noisy, free-for-all atmosphere in restaurants, the essence of Japanese food is small portions, artistically shaped, and served on china and lacquer ware that is conspicuous for its beauty. Japanese table manners in fine restaurants - in contrast to banquet rooms or hot spring spa dining halls - are restrained and stylized as the food served. There is a precise etiquette for sitting, serving and being served, and eating. The two "code words" itadakimasu (ee-tah-dah-kee-mahss) and gochisoh sama (go-chee-sohh sah-mah) are very important parts of the etiquette of any meal in Japan. Itadakimasu, which is said just before beginning to eat, literally means "to receive" or "to accept", but in this context it is an institutionalized term that has a ritual connotation, almost like a prayer. Gochisoh sama (Go-chee-sohh sah-mah), which has the meaning of "thank you for the meal or drinks", is said after the completion of a meal, when leaving the table or shortly thereafter, to whomever has provided the meal, whether at a restaurant or at someone's home. The use of gochisoh sama has also been sanctified over the generations and is expressed in a more or less ritualistic way, in tandem with itadakimasu. While both of these terms have been socially obligatory in formal situations for generations and are still universally used in Japan, they are also used in informal and casual situations, when they represent little more than thoughtful politeness. Whether the occasion is formal or informal, the words are very meaningful to the Japanese, and any failure to use them by a Japanese would be regarded as impolite or arrogant. By the same token, Japanese are pleased and appreciative when the terms are used by non-Japanese, because using these two code words is a very conspicuous indication that the foreigner has some knowledge of Japanese culture and is thoughtful enough to demonstrate it.
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Boye Lafayette de Mente is one of our regular monthly columnists at the 
| This month's column is excerpted from Japan's Business Code Words, by Boye Lafayette De Mente available from NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company |
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© Boye Lafayette De Mente, & the Asia Pacific Management Forum 1998
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