Entertaining Japanese-Style
Meals in Japan are not solely about being fed. They are also expressions of art in its purest form. The arrangement of the food is carefully composed, with each ingredient having its place on a single plate or in separate little dishes. This is an ancient art, never rushed, and imbued with a sense of poetry.

As for utensils, the whole meal is eaten with chopsticks: adding them to your table will add an original and festive touch to your party.
If you don't have small authentic Japanese dishes, you can use little bamboo placemats, fans, ramekins, etc. Each dish has its own plate and sauce dish. The meal is a succession of small dishes.

In Japanese meals, there is no tablecloth, just the pure clean lines of the table. Neither are there serviettes. However, before the meal begins, each guest is offered a small hot damp towel, like a white cotton facecloth. To simplify this task, wet the cloths with cold water, wring them out, roll them up and place them on a rectangular plate. Heat the towels in the microwave; serve with tongs (like the kind used for grilling). At the end of the meal, guests are provided with a little fingerbowl of hot water containing a slice of lemon that both scents the water and removes grease from the fingers.

On the practical side, there should be no coming and going from the kitchen to the dining room. All the dishes are placed on the table so that guests can create the combinations they desire. Cooking is done in front of the guests, so all the food to be cooked is brought in, attractively presented on a large platter. In some instances, small burners can be used to keep sake, green tea or soup warm - the clear soup is kept in a tea pot and served in cups near the end of the meal to aid digestion.

As a beverage, serve sake: rice wine that is drunk very hot from little handleless porcelain cups.
Noodles are eaten by lifting the bowl up close to the mouth. A small bunch of noodles is picked up with chopsticks and slurped noisily, a sign of enjoyment and good manners.
Japanese meals do not include dessert, except on rare occasions. The meal usually ends with seasonal fruit: a Japanese pear or kaki, etc.