Chopstick rest

A chopstick rest, also known as a Hashioki, is a small yet indispensable piece of tableware designed to keep the tips of chopsticks elevated off the table. This modest tool helps prevent used chopsticks from making contact with the table surface and keeps them from rolling away. While chopstick rests are commonly found in restaurants, they are less frequently used in homes.

These rests are available in a variety of shapes and materials, including clay, wood, plastic, metal, glass, porcelain, and even precious stones such as jade. In East Asia, they are typically used during formal meals. You can position them on the front-left side of your dishes, with the chopsticks lying parallel to the table edge and the tips pointing to the left, or on the right side with the tips pointing forward.

Interestingly, some people even get creative and fashion makeshift rests from the paper sleeves that chopsticks come in.