Itadakimasu - prayer or acknowledgment for the meal

There are a few practices I would like to employ in my daily life from my time in Japan.  Slowing down giving thanks and being more deliberate about what I do in the day.  Forming better habits I suppose.

The small portions at meals, especially at breakfast, for some reason, I am famished at breakfast.  I like the variety, the clear soup, the rice, and especially the pickled vegetables.  There may not be as many dishes as you see here but I think the balance of vegetables, soup and proteins could be the ticket to filling up.

Yamaboshi breakfast

Restaurant display

Chicken dinner Nara

Kyoto gardens

I don't have the space for all of the fancy presentations tableware but I like to think there's a way to do this with leftovers.  We shall see, since I've been back, I've managed one full on Japanese breakfast, complete with home made miso soup.

And of course I had my fair share of these sandwiches from 7-11 for breakfast, when there wasn't breakfast served at the hotel.

This was a Lawson's convenient store sandwich $2.56

That's $2.48 USD for breakfast.  It was very exciting you could have afternoon tea finger sandwiches for breakfast.

Itadakimasu

The other thing is giving thanks before a meal, and after.  I can't remember the last time I had heard grace before eating that wasn't just for holidays.  Sitting in a restaurant, you can see people actively giving thanks, which I thought was a good idea.

In Japan, the common practice before a meal isn't a formal prayer but saying "Itadakimasu (いただきます)," meaning "I humbly receive," often accompanied by putting palms together in a prayer-like gesture called gassho, expressing thanks for the food, its creators, and the lives sacrificed for it, with a similar "Goshisosama deshita (ごちそうさまでした)" after eating. 

Key Aspects:

• Meaning: "Itadakimasu" comes from a humble verb for "to receive," acknowledging the effort and lives (plants, animals) that went into the meal.
• Gesture: Joining hands in gassho (prayer pose) is a Buddhist influence, showing respect.
• When to Say It: Before eating, especially in someone's home, when someone treated you, or when dining in groups.
• After the Meal: Saying Goshisosama deshita ("Thank you for the feast/effort") is also customary.
• Cultural Significance: It turns eating into a moment of mindfulness and gratitude, recognizing the interconnectedness of life and effort. 

How to Do It:

1. Place your hands together in front of your chest (gassho).
2. Say "Itadakimasu".
3. You can say it quietly or with others. 

While you can say a personal prayer first, adding "Itadakimasu" afterwards honors Japanese custom.