Before eating meal, Japanes people say “itadakimasu” putting their palms together.
After the meal, they say “gochisousama” meaning “that was a fabulous meal” with putting palms together as well.
Like saying a blessing in Western countries, these phrases express an appreciation for meal.
But in the recent Japanese society, the number of those who start (or end) eating without saying the phrase is growing.
I think this is a disappointing trend, which could manifest degrading Japanese people’s mentality.
