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# What Itadakimasu Means
- URL: https://justincox.com/blog/2021/03/what-itadakimasu-means/
- Published: 2021-03-22T15:43:09.000Z
- Updated: 2023-06-17T00:10:18.000Z
- Description: The Japanese word can impact the way we all eat
- Author: Justin Cox
- Tags: Travel, This Just In, Life, #japan

My wife and I visited Japan in 2016\. We spent 10 whirlwind days exploring Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, and their surrounding areas. It was a wonderful trip, and someday, we hope to return, exploring more of the rural areas.

Some evenings I watch NHK World, the English-language version of Japan’s NHK News channel. It’s similar in concept to PBS here in the States, containing a mixture of news and educational shows.

One of the educational shows is called Trails To Oishii Tokyo. **Oishii* is Japanese for delicious, and the show explores the roots behind different ingredients and foods popular in Tokyo.

One episode recently explored the Japanese concept of **itadakimasu* (頂きます; **ee-tah-dah-kee-mah-su*). Like the French **bon appétit* or the Spanish **buen provecho*, **itadakimasu* loosely translates to “I humbly receive” and is intended when sitting down to a meal. Though, the intended meaning of the word runs far deeper than a colloquial phrase.

**Itadakimasu* lies somewhere between a blessing and note of gratitude to everyone and everything involved in preparing the meal: animals, farmers, chefs, etc. **Itadakimasu* is a way to acknowledge the gift of the meal and honor the animals involved. As with all words, there are different formality levels, but at the core, **itadakimasu* is a moment of reverence before a meal.

Next time you sit down to a meal, either prepared for you or cooked yourself, take a moment a say **itadakimasu*. See if it changes the way you approach your food.