The kinds of chopsticks
For Japanese celebration, people use the chopsticks, Shirakibashi, which are made of willow twigs. Willow means Yanagi in Japanese. The reason people use Shirakibashi for celebration is that they want happiness to come. Especially, for the New Year's celebration, Japanese use the peculiar shaped chopsticks, Ryokuchibashi. Both tips of them are thinner than their middle part because it is easy for God to share the chopsticks with us. We use one pair of tips, another is for God, and this spirit means Kyosyoku. In contrast, Katakuchibashi have different shapes. Only one side end is thinner, and we use them more generally in our daily life.
In Japan, people usually use their own lacquered chopsticks. These chopsticks are called Nuribashi in Japanese. In these days, they are covered with artificial lacquer instead of natural lacquer. Nuribashi were started to use generally in Edo era by public servants. After the Nissin War, Nuribashi became the tools in general use. They belong to Katakuchibashi and have two different shaped tops. Squared tops are called Kakubashi, rounded are called Marubashi. And Nuribashi is rich in local color. These chopsticks are beautifully decorated with gold, silver, and natural lacquer.
Wakasanuri (Fukui), Wajimanuri(Ishikawa) are two of the most famous chopsticks in Japan. In many restaurants in Japan, we can see disposable chopsticks, Waribashi. They are also necessary item for our daily life. Waribashi are characterized by cleanliness and convenience, and we have some sorts, which are given special and interesting names, for example, Choroku, Genroku, and Koban.
Japanese have also some chopsticks for cooking, and people often change by the situation. When we cook fish or meat, we use the chopsticks called Manabashi, but for vegetables, we have another kind, Saibashi. Moreover, when we dish up meals, we usually do with the chopsticks named Toribashi.
Reference: Nihonjin Ha Naze Hashi Wo Tsukauka. By Hachiro Ishiki (1987)
Mitsue
Last updated 6-Dec-2001