Postby Belton » October 23rd, 2006 11:48 am
Can't speak for all of Japan.
but the Japanese I've eaten with say itadakimasu. Mind you, women in general might have better manners. nor have I been in a Japanese home.
The only comment made to me about it was that I shouldn't say it to waiters; where a simple arigatou is sufficient.
I can't remember one way or another what other people in a resturaunt did.
Manners cost nothing and are the grease in the cogs of human relationships. better uncool than rude.
( I myself like the idea of being thankful for food; to have it and acknowledge all the effort in getting it to my plate. Religious feelings aside, just the vast human endeavour involved.)
It wouldn't surprise me that youth would abandon manners amongst themselves, but for a society that has politeness and manners hard-wired into it's language it would surprise me if overall they became as casual, abrupt and rude as the West can be. (IMHO)