Chopsticks, indispensable to the Japanese dining table, are utensils comprised of a set of two sticks that function to grip, pick up, cut, and pry apart our food. Most are made from wood and can be considered a symbol of Japan’s rich tradition of wooden products.

It is said that chopsticks originally came from China as part of the eating customs brought to Japan along with Buddhism. They were later used in Shinto rituals, and thus came to carry religious implications, as seen in beliefs like “Once a person uses a pair of chopsticks, that person’s spirit dwells in them.” Theory has it that the linguistic roots for the word “chopsticks” comes from the word for “bridge”. That is, they are the bridge between food (bestowed by the gods) and human beings. The Japanese pronunciation for chopsticks and bridge are the same “hashi”, although the Chinese characters also used in Japan are different: chopsticks is written as 箸 while bridge is written 橋.

In Japanese homes, it is custom for each person to have their own personal chopsticks of the color and style he or she prefers. The same applies to tea cups and rice bowls, with each person having their own which they use every time. The practice likely arose due to differing hand sizes, as well as for sanitary reasons (especially in the case of chopsticks considering that they are made of wood). This custom is particular to Japan.

Some chopsticks make use of plain, unpainted wood, while others are finished with layers of lacquer or varnish. Most of the plain unfinished ones, which are called “waribashi”, are made from scrap wood and come in several types.

Unfortunately, the number of young people who can use chopsticks properly has been declining. The incorrect ways in which the chopsticks are used, such as holding them as if they were sticks or jabbing them into food (“sashibashi”), or dripping juices off or them (“namidabashi”), can be quite unsightly.

The traditions of the dining table are one of the most basic and important cultural aspects that a society has. Chopsticks give us a close-at-hand look at this. Along with their practical functionality in dining, the warm and fresh fragrance of their wood stimulates our senses and gives a spiritual contentment. This utensil might perhaps be thought of as carrying two good flavors.