Konnichiwa! I had the great pleasure to be invited by Ayame Fukuda and husband, Jeff Assad, of Shohko Cafe for a lesson on the customs of Japanese dining etiquette and its American adaptations.

Fukuda explained the meticulous attention paid to the details of preparing and presenting a dish; food arranged like landscapes, nigiri imitating a school of fish. And, contrary to most American dishes in which a garnish is used for aesthetic purposes, garnishes used in Japanese cooking are intended for consumption. She goes on to explain the principals of Yin and Yang and how a Japanese dish offers flavors and textures that balance each other, such as oily bigeye tuna offset by refreshing daikon.

Over a billion people use chopsticks daily! For those of you who find yourselves eating with them only occasionally, learn to properly use them. Knowing that you have mastered the most fundamental element of Japanese table manners will make your meal much more enjoyable.

• Single-use chopsticks packaged in paper are what you're likely to find in most in Japanese restaurants. Peel off the wrapper, being careful not to handle the tapered tips that touch your mouth. These chopsticks will likely be joined together at the top. Upon pulling the chopsticks apart, it is considered extremely unsophisticated and insulting to feverishly rub them together like you are trying to spark a fire. Use discretion if you need to remove a splinter.

• Chopsticks should be placed horizontally at your place setting. It is considered rude to point them towards guests. The tips rest on a chopstick holder or plate.

• In Japanese cuisine, chopsticks are held near the top. The bottom chopstick sits in the crook where the thumb and index finger meet and is stabilized by resting the chopstick against the tip of the ring finger. The top chopstick is held with the thumb, index finger and middle finger. The bottom chopstick should remain relatively stationary, while the top chopstick does the work.

• One should never spear food or gesture or point with chopsticks. The most egregious chopsticks faux pas are sticking them straight up in a bowl of rice and using them to pass food to one another. These customs are reserved for funerals, the latter evoking the sifting of bones from ashes to be placed into a cremation urn.

• When sharing dishes, avoid double-dipping by serving yourself with the top ends of your chopsticks, if no serving utensils are available.

• Bring small bowls of rice or noodles to your chin. You may also drink soup from a bowl.

• Certain types of sushi like nigiri-sushi or hand rolls may be picked up with your fingers. Sushi is meant to be eaten in one bite. Cutting it destroys the beautiful presentation.

• Large items like tempura may be separated into bite-size pieces (after much practice) with your chopsticks, or, you can bite off a piece and put the remainder back on your plate.

• Pour soy sauce, sparingly, into its own dish — never on food. In Western settings you may also mix the soy sauce with wasabi. Dip your food lightly into the soy. Soaking for any length of time or using too much soy causes the rice to fall apart and is ill mannered.

• Ginger is a palette cleanser and may be eaten at any time throughout the meal.

• Sake, the drink of the gods, is served hot or cold. Etiquette dictates that you pour sake for one another, not yourself. Sake cups are deliberately small to ensure frequent pouring, thus promoting social interaction and bonding.

• For another interactive experience, dine at the sushi chef's counter. The sushi chef's only job is to prepare sushi and sashimi, and it is a fascinating art to behold. A server will take your drink orders, clear dishes and handle payment. Tip your server the customary 15 percent to 25 percent gratuity and, if seated at the counter, it is proper etiquette to tip your sushi chef $2 to $5 or more.

• A tatami room, in which you are seated on mats, offers an authentic Japanese dining experience. Always remove your shoes before entering. Women should sit on their bottoms with both legs bent to one side. Men may sit cross-legged.

There are few cultures revered more for their attention to etiquette than the Japanese. Now that we've covered the basics, dine out at your favorite Japanese restaurant with confidence. Kanpai!

Bizia Greene owns the Etiquette School of Santa Fe.
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