I recently visited Japan about a month ago and had a question about buffet etiquette, specifically from my experience at a hotel breakfast buffet. I don’t usually eat breakfast, but I decided to try the hotel buffet on my last day since it was available for a small fee.
At the buffet, I took some time to walk around and look at the different food options before deciding what to take. In my experience, this is normal where I’m from, but after a few minutes of browsing, a staff member approached me and briefly explained how the trays work and how much food to take (in my very limited Japanese).
This made me wonder whether it’s considered rude in Japan to look around the buffet before serving yourself. For context, I arrived about an hour before closing time, and there weren’t many other guests present.
I’m curious if there are any cultural expectations or etiquette rules around how to behave at buffets in Japan, especially regarding observing the food before choosing.
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