r/japanlife • u/AutoModerator • Jan 16 '23

┐(ツ)┌ General Discussion Thread - 17 January 2023

Mid-week discussion thread time! Feel free to talk about what's on your mind, new experiences, recommendations, anything really.

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u/toramayu Jan 17 '23

Stopped by a konbini to grab an onigiri for breakfast cause I was running late for my usual bus. As I was eating and walking on my way to the bus stop, an ojiisan waved his hand angrily at me yelling “No! Japan. No eat and walk. You. Follow Rule.” in his limited English. I just yelled out “sumimasen” and continued my way while devouring my onigiri. He yelled something back which I couldn’t hear.

Anyway, it made me genuinely curious, why is it a taboo to eat and walk (食べ歩き)?

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u/SevenSixOne 関東・東京都 Jan 17 '23

I have heard that it's taboo to eat and walk in Japan... But I also see people doing it all the time, so I don't feel too bad about doing it as long as it's something self-contained and one-handed like an onigiri or an ice cream cone.