Udon VS Fork! My First Chopsticks Battle in Japan

It had been two months since I arrived in Japan, and I was still struggling to get used to life here. I had just graduated from school in the Philippines and came straight to Japan to start my job. I was slowly learning Japanese, but I still wasn’t fully comfortable with day-to-day life. Thankfully, my coworkers were kind, and I was gradually learning more about Japanese culture every day.

One day, I was invited to have lunch with my coworkers. It was my first time going out for a group lunch since arriving in Japan, so I was a bit nervous. I wanted to get along with everyone and also immerse myself in Japanese food culture.

That day, we headed to a service area by car. A service area is a unique Japanese rest stop where you can grab a meal, buy souvenirs, and take a break during a long drive. I was excited since it was my first time at a service area. “Wow, Japan has places like this too!” I thought as I looked around at all the different food stalls. There were five of my coworkers with me, along with a man in his thirties who would soon be working with us.

As we were deciding what to eat, I chose to order udon. I had never seen anything like it back home in the Philippines, and I had always wanted to try it after coming to Japan. My friends encouraged me, saying, “Udon is delicious,” so I figured it was a safe bet. I placed my order at the counter, and soon enough, a large steaming bowl of udon was placed in front of me.

But at that moment, I realized a huge mistake.

In front of me were only chopsticks and a soup spoon. Chopsticks?! I panicked internally. You see, I still hadn’t mastered how to use chopsticks. In the Philippines, we usually eat with a fork and spoon, and chopsticks were rarely used. Since coming to Japan, I had been practicing with chopsticks, but using them to eat long noodles like udon? Impossible.

My coworkers, without any trouble, picked up their chopsticks and smoothly started slurping their udon. They handled chopsticks like they were an extension of their hands. Meanwhile, I just sat there, staring at the steaming bowl of udon, chopsticks in hand, completely at a loss. How was I supposed to pick up these long, slippery noodles with chopsticks? And to be honest, I could barely hold the chopsticks properly.

I took a deep breath and tried to move the chopsticks carefully. I reached for the noodles, but the udon refused to cooperate. Every time I thought I had grabbed the noodles, they slipped right out of the chopsticks. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t catch the noodles. While my coworkers were happily enjoying their udon, I was stuck in a losing battle with mine.

“Are you okay?” one of my coworkers asked, noticing my struggle. I smiled and said, “Yeah, I’m fine! I’m used to this!” Of course, I wasn’t used to it at all. In fact, I was feeling more and more anxious. While everyone else was enjoying their meal, I couldn’t even take a single bite of my udon.

Eventually, I decided to give up. Eating udon with chopsticks just wasn’t happening for me. So, I picked up the spoon and began drinking just the soup. I left the noodles behind. The soup was delicious, so I figured I could at least enjoy that. With each spoonful of broth, I felt my stress ease a little. At least the soup was good.

But still, the udon noodles sat there, untouched.

My coworkers finished their meals and asked, “How was it? Delicious, right?” I smiled and said, “Yeah, it was really good!” But the truth was, I hadn’t eaten a single noodle.

After lunch was over, I was left feeling a bit embarrassed, watching my coworkers enjoy their meals while I struggled in silence. But inside, I made a quiet promise to myself: “Next time, I’ll eat the udon properly with chopsticks!” If I was going to live in Japan, I needed to master chopsticks sooner or later. I didn’t know when that day would come, but I was determined to get there.

From that day on, I started practicing with chopsticks. At dinner, at home, whenever I had the chance, I forced myself to use chopsticks and gradually got more comfortable with them. It was frustrating at first, but slowly, I got the hang of it. Then, one day, I finally felt confident enough to say, “I think I can do it.”

A few months later, I found myself back at the same service area with my coworkers. This time, I confidently ordered udon again. This time, I was ready. I was determined to eat those noodles with chopsticks. With chopsticks in hand, I grabbed the noodles and brought them to my mouth.

And at that moment, I felt victorious.

I had finally eaten udon with chopsticks! The noodles didn’t slip, and I slurped them up smoothly. I thought back to the time when I had struggled so much and laughed a little to myself. Now, I had mastered chopsticks enough to enjoy Japanese noodles with ease.

Now, I can eat all kinds of noodles with chopsticks—ramen, udon, soba, you name it. Thanks to that first embarrassing experience, I can now truly appreciate Japanese food culture. Leaving the noodles behind that day became a fond memory, a reminder of how far I’ve come.

From now on, I’ll keep enjoying Japanese food culture as I continue to grow. And I’ll share these experiences with my family and friends back in the Philippines, showing them the joys and challenges of living in Japan.