How to Eat Sushi Like a Local in Japan
How to eat sushi like a local: hands or chopsticks, dipping fish-side down, wasabi and ginger, plus counter manners and three rated places to try.
Here's how to eat sushi like a local: use your hands or chopsticks, dip the fish and not the rice, and eat each piece soon after it lands in front of you. At a good counter you may not need to dip at all, because the chef has already seasoned the piece. Below are the rules that matter, the ones people argue about, and three places to try them. Tabelog ratings are as of November 2026.
How to eat sushi, step by step
Use hands or chopsticks. Both are fine at nearly every counter. Guides disagree on which is more traditional, so pick whichever keeps the piece intact. Many restaurants hand you a damp towel for your fingers.
Dip the fish, lightly. Sushi rice soaks up soy sauce and falls apart, so turn the piece over and touch the topping to the sauce. This guide to sushi basics covers the same approach. If a piece won't flip, dab the rice briefly. Pour only a little soy into your dish, since you can always add more.
Check before you dip. At omakase counters the chef often brushes on soy or adds salt. If the piece looks glazed, or the chef says it's ready as is, eat it plain.
Eat it soon, in one bite. The chef shapes each piece for that moment, with the rice still at its best temperature. Some guides allow two bites for a big piece. Putting a half-eaten piece back on the plate is the thing to avoid.
Leave the wasabi alone. Good chefs put the right amount inside the piece. Mixing it into your soy is common at casual places and frowned on by purists. At a counter, skip it, and ask politely if you'd like more or none at all.
Eat ginger between pieces. Gari (pickled ginger) is there to reset your palate. It doesn't go on top of the fish.
How to eat sushi at a counter
The food rules are easy. Counter manners are where a little preparation pays off.
Arrive on time. Many high-end counters start every guest together, so a late arrival holds up the whole room. One reviewer of Sushi-ya Kozakura below describes this kind of synchronized start.
Skip the perfume. Scent competes with the fish. Sushi Nanba Hibiya below asks guests in its reservation notes to avoid strong perfumes and colognes.
Ask before you photograph. Some counters set limits, and Sushi Nanba's notes cover filming too. A quick question to the chef takes care of it.
Tell them about allergies when you book. Omakase is hard to change halfway through.
Where to try it
These three were chosen from Tabelog's sushi rankings to cover three price levels and formats. For context on those scores, see how to read Tabelog scores.
1. Tachigui Sushi Yusho, Kanazawa, the low-pressure start
Tachigui Sushi Yusho is a standing sushi bar inside a fish market at Kanazawa Port, and a good place to practice since you're on your feet for a set 60-minute slot. One reviewer's course included aori ika (bigfin reef squid), white shrimp, sweet shrimp and horse mackerel. It's about 15 minutes by car from Kanazawa Station.
Tabelog: 3.67 (350 reviews) · Budget: ¥6,000–¥7,999 lunch · Pay: cash, card (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners, UnionPay); no QR or e-money · Reservations: accepted, 60-minute slots from 10:00 to 14:00 · Seats: 8, standing · Closed: Wednesdays, first and third Tuesdays except November and December
2. Sushi-ya Kozakura, Kanazawa, the classic eight-seat counter
Sushi-ya Kozakura is a Tabelog 100 counter three minutes from Kanazawa Station, with eight seats and Kutani pottery noted by reviewers. Lunch costs about half of dinner, and it's the sensible way in. Book by phone: one reviewer called ahead for a weekday lunch.
Tabelog: 3.80 (309 reviews) · Budget: ¥10,000–¥14,999 lunch, ¥20,000–¥29,999 dinner · Pay: cash, card (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners); no QR or e-money · Reservations: required · Seats: 8, counter · Closed: Wednesdays, no lunch on Thursdays · Getting there: 3 min walk from Kanazawa Station, east exit
3. Sushi Nanba Hibiya, Tokyo, the full formal version
Sushi Nanba Hibiya won a Silver at The Tabelog Award 2026 and is hard to book. Entry is at fixed times (12:00, 13:00, 17:00, 18:00 and 19:30), date or headcount changes can trigger cancellation fees, and the person who booked must attend. Reviewers write about rice and fish temperatures adjusted down to a degree or so, which is the best argument for eating each piece right away.
Tabelog: 4.53 (1,066 reviews) · Budget: ¥40,000–¥49,999 · Pay: cash, card (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners, UnionPay); no QR or e-money · Reservations: required · Seats: 12 · Closed: Sundays and Mondays · Getting there: connected to Hibiya Station, Tokyo Midtown Hibiya 3F
Frequently asked questions
Is using chopsticks an acceptable way how to eat sushi in Japan?
Yes. Both chopsticks and hands are accepted. Choose whichever you can do without dropping the piece.
Should I mix wasabi into soy sauce?
At a counter, no: the chef has already added wasabi where it belongs. At a kaiten (conveyor belt) shop, it's your call, and sources disagree about how much it matters.
Do I have to eat sushi in one bite?
It's the usual advice, since a piece is built to be eaten whole. Two bites won't cause a scene if a piece is large, but don't put a half-eaten piece back down.
Can I ask for no wasabi?
Yes. Say sabi nuki (without wasabi) to the chef, ideally at the start of the meal.
Find your counter
See sushi in Kanazawa, sushi in Tokyo and the sushi guide. Once you know how to eat sushi, use the TabeDog map to check hours and whether a counter takes your card.
Cover photo: Sushi restaurant in Sendai by ehnmark, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
