What are people saying before and after they eat?
Before eating, people say 'itadakimasu'; after finishing, 'gochisousama(-deshita).' Often the hands are pressed together briefly.
They are set phrases of gratitude: thanks for the life taken as food and for everyone who made the meal possible, said at the start and end like bookends.
Why — five layers
Itadaku is a respectful and grateful form of the verb meaning “to receive.” Itadakimasu expresses gratitude for everything involved in the meal: the lives of the ingredients and the work of those who cooked the food or raised and produced it. Rather than a prayer to a particular deity, it is an everyday expression of thanks for the meal.
It is drilled at home and especially at school lunch as a daily habit, so most people say it automatically regardless of religion.
School-lunch routines (kyushoku) formalize the call-and-response start and end, spreading a uniform form nationwide.
International view
Many cultures have a pre-meal grace, but those are often religious. Here the phrases are largely secular daily etiquette, and there is a matching after-meal phrase, which is less common elsewhere.
But not always
It is not mandatory or religious. Adults eating alone or grabbing a quick konbini meal often skip it or just murmur it; nobody will scold a foreigner for staying silent.
What to do
When eating in Japan, try saying itadakimasu before the meal and gochisosama deshita afterward. Some people also put their hands together or give a slight bow. Those around you will often appreciate this as a sign of respect for Japanese culture. It is not compulsory, however, and some people do not say either phrase.
Sources
- Japanese language etymology of itadaku
- school lunch (kyushoku) practice
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