Do These Japanese Customs Seem Foreign To You?

Soups are a common part of Japanese meals. They are served with nearly every meal, and sometimes, after enjoying a variety of foods, there is still a big bowl of soup left to devour. As a foreigner, you might wrongfully assume that you should use a spoon for this. 

That is not the case, and you have to do a bit more to show your hosts that you are enjoying the food. After all, bowls are kind of like bigger cups. You can drink from them. This is what you are expected to do amongst the Japanese, so skip the spoon. It will not do you any good in this situation.