Counter Seat Manners (カウンター席のマナー - Kauntā)
The unspoken golden rules of sitting at cramped ramen counter seats close to other diners. Keep your personal luggage tucked under your stool, and return communal water pitchers or spices to their ledge immediately.
Most high-quality ramen shops operate in tiny spaces with limited seats. To maintain fast high-turnover service, diners utilize the 'Otagaisama' spirit of mutual respect, keeping shared counter spaces completely organized.
Do not leave big backpacks on your back or the floor path; hang them on wall hooks. If you fetch the water pitcher or garlic condiments from the elevated counter ledge, return them to the exact same spot immediately.
Which of the following is an unspoken courtesy at a cramped ramen counter seat?