In Japan, food arrangement or place setting is almost as important as the food served. Today, I’ll share with you the most common Japanese table setting that is used both in homes and restaurants.
Ichiju Sansai (一汁三菜 )
Ichiju Sansai translates to “One-Soup-Three-Dishes” and is the foundation of a Japanese meal. This meal is made up of these elements:
- Rice
- Soup
- Pickled Vegetables
- Okazu – which usually is one main dish and 2 side dishes
This format can be served for all meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and can be made up of simple dishes or extravagant ones. Overall, it’s a very versatile setup and guarantees that there is variety in the meal and that it is nutritious.
Let’s talk about the dishes and necessary tableware:
For a typical Ichiju Sansai style meal, you will need a variety of plates and bowls. While there is some leeway in placement, there are certain “rules” that typically aren’t broken which are: the placement of the chopsticks, the side the soup is on and the side the rice is on. I’ll be going over a general placement for the meal.
Tray or Placemat
Trays and placements are often used to distinguish “your” tableware from serving plates or others’ meals. However, they are not always used and you can just set the plates up directly onto the table.
Chopsticks (Ohashi)
In Japanese traditional meals, chopsticks are used instead of other cutlery (like forks and knives). Chopsticks are often resting on Hashioki, which is a chopstick rest. The chopsticks are then laid down horizontally, directly in front of the person dining, with the back of the chopsticks facing the direction of the strong hand of the individual (so typically, the back of the chopsticks are to the right for right-handed individuals, but can be placed to the left for left-handed individuals). This makes it easy for the person eating to be able to pick up their chopsticks without having to twist them around.
Soup Bowl (Shiruwan or Owan)
The soup bowl typically goes on the right side of the place setting. Hot soup like miso soup or clear soups are served in these to go with the meal.
Rice Bowl (Ochawan)
The rice bowl typically goes on the left side of the place setting. The rice bowl can vary in size depending on how much rice the individual likes or if there is toppings on the bowl.
Pickled Vegetables
Pickled vegetables, also known as Tsukemono, are always included in Japanese meals. They provide a variety of colors, flavors, and textures to balance the meal and are great for digestive health. These are usually placed on a small dish (mame-zara or ko-zara) and placement for this can vary but I have mine centered in my setup.
Side Dishes
In Ichiju Sansai, there are two side dishes in the meal. Sometimes these dishes are served in small bowls (kobachi) or on small plates (ko-zara) depending on the type of dish. It can range from nimono (simmered items) to sauced dishes to stir fried dishes and typically are heavy on vegetables. Usually the side dishes are grouped together in the setting.
Main Dish
The main dish is typically the largest in volume compared to the other items and is served on a medium-sized plate (chu-zara). While traditionally fish was served, meat has gained popularity over the last 150 years, you will see different meat dishes or even fried dishes like tonkatsu or karaage served as the main dish. This dish is typically placed somewhere toward the top.
While this setup is used extremely often, just remember it’s a guideline! You can have some flexibility and fun with placement or types of plates used to make your meal your own. As long as your meal is well-balanced, it is a good Japanese meal.
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Shop this post:
Musubi Kiln, one of my favorite places to shop for Japanese tableware online and many of the items in this post are from Musubi Kiln. They have almost every type of tableware for almost every type of Japanese meal and even have a Table Setting section with ideas on traditional (and more modern) Japanese table settings and the pieces you could get to be able to do it yourself. I think it’s very fun and informative!
If any of the items below link to a Musubi Kiln product (or if you would like to shop anything else on their site), you can use my discount code “SW” for a discount on your order!
Kutani Goldfish Plate
Dual Chrysanthemum Sauce Plate
Cat Side Plate Set
Lacquer Chopsticks
Sakura Chopstick Rest
Shiba Inu Chopstick Rest
Soup Bowl
Rice Bowl
Starter Table Setting Set
Kutani Plate – Medium
Lapis Hasami Large Plate
Chrysanthemum Large Serving Plate
Soy Sauce Plate Set
Soy Sauce Plates
Cat Soy Sauce Plate
Sushi Plate Set 2
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Very helpful