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[Transcript]

Itadakimasu

Two thin sticks lie horizontally to divide the sacred area and you. When you pick them up and pray, they will be a bridge for you to receive the blessings.

「いただきます。」（"Itadakimasu.")

Every day, many people pray before eating. Prayers before meals vary from culture to culture, but they probably share the same feeling. "Itadakimasu" is something I say before eating, and I don't think I'm crazy to say that this is one of the shortest prayers before meals in the world.

"Itadakimasu" is sometimes translated into English as "Let's eat." I don't say it's wrong. Mind you, when I say it, I feel much more humbled.

Itadakimasu literally means "I'll receive." It's a humble form of "moraimasu (/morau)," which also means to receive. We use the word when we partake of something from strangers, elder people, or people with higher positions. So we say it not only before we eat but also when we receive gifts.

It is said that the phrase came from what ancient people in Japan did when they received gifts. They used to lift gifts above their head to show respect and appreciation to the givers. "Itadaki" means the top of something, and the itadaki of a body is the head -- we don't call the head "itadaki" now, though.

When we say itasadakimasu before a meal, we think of the blessing of nature. When you have food on the table, it means that the earth and nature didn't get upset. The land gave us valuable gifts: fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, etc. Each has a soul/life, and we take it in to survive. They sacrifice their lives to let us live. How can we not put our hands together and be grateful?

At the same time, our thoughts go to all the people associated until a meal ends up in front of us. Farmers, fishers, cooks, people who serve the table, etc. There are so many stories behind a single meal. They let us live, too.

In Japan, we have a custom of sharing food with gods and ancestors. We make offerings to Buddhist altars (or/and) Shinto altars, and then we eat or drink the offerings afterward. The offerings are sanctified. In Japan, sacred things are usually divided from the world we're living in. When you come to Japan, you'll see Shinto entrance gates called Torii and sacred Shinto ropes called Shimenawa. Those show a boundary between the sacred area and the secular area.

In fact, you'll see a little border on your dining table, too! We place chopsticks horizontally between a meal and us. The side of giving (the sacred area) and receiving (this world). They are divided first, but after you pick up your chopsticks and say itadakimasu, you will be able to cross the boundary and receive the gift, which keeps you alive.

After itadakimasu has become "Let's eat," we've lost something really big. Japan produces an astronomical amount of food waste every year, and some people argue that they don't have to say itadakimasu because they pay for food. Since the phrase is very implicit -- we don't say what we appreciate but think of it -- I, as a parent, have a responsibility to teach my son what it means.

Do you pray or do anything before/after eating?