Tokyo Local Custom Tips by angelochka

Bunraku is traditional japanese puppet theatre, but it's not for children,as it major's themes are love and revenge,sacrifice and suiside. Many dramas now adopted for kabuku were first written for Bunraku. Very unusual to watch because the puppeteers are on stage with their puppets, they are dressed in black and when you are absorbed by what's happening on stage you are not noticing them anymore.. Interesting fact-there are 3 men directing 1 puppet: 1st is responsible for puppet's head's movements, for face's experession and for the right arm and hand; 2nd operates puppet's left arm and hand and 3rd moves the legs. The narrator is a very important figure in performance and he's accompanied by shamisen, japanese traditional three-stringed instrument. Unfortunately i wasnt enough fortunate to watch Bunraku (was watching only Kabuki), but i got the idea of it from the movie "Dolls", first 15min of the movie we can admire Bunraku theatre. I have to say after my experience some people find it boring..and they stop watching the movie thinking last 90 min will be also about Bunraku..:)

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Website: http://bunraku.or.jp/ebunraku/index.html

It doesnt matter how talented you are with chopsticks..it's better to follow some rules. If you are taking some food from communal bowl or tray, you are supposed to turn your chopsticks unside down and use the part that hasnt been in your mouth, after you put the food on your plate you turn chopsticks back to their proper position. The exception is chabu-chabu and sukuyaki (you put chopsticks in communal bowl with boiling broath, so it's killing bacterias). Also a very important rule-never stick your chopsticks down vertically into your bowl with rice and leave them there, which is done when a person has died. Also never pass anything from your chopsticks to another person's chopsticks-that's done only to pass the bones of the cremated. I found this info in a book about japanese cuisine which i studied carefully before my trip.. indeed a lot of useful things:)

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Yes, the main rule to remember when you are drinking with japanese-never pour your own glass. The rule is-in turn one person pours for everyone in the group, so be sure to hold up your glass when someone is pouring. But if noone notices your empty glass..best thing in this situation is to pour everyone else a drink so that someone will after pour yours. Also tricky situation-somebody wants to pour in your glass, but it's full..the right thing to do is to take few gulps so that the person can fill your glass..but because everyone is continuining filling everyone else's glass, you never know how much you drank, which is..very good or very bad;))

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Rice is consummed in Japan for more than 2000 years. Even the word used for "rice" means also "meal". Well..everyone is familiar with rice, the only difference in Japan it's quite sticky, but from the other hand it's easier to pick it up with chopsticks. Please never pour soy sauce into the rice, it's not japanese tradition, it's chinese. Also when you eat sushi, better before dumping it into soy sauce turn it upside down, that keeps the rice from crumbling.

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