And the correct answer is…
It is perfectly acceptable to hold your rice bowl when eating.
The manner of holding your rice bowl at chest level is an old practice.
This style of eating is said to have developed during the Heian Period (794-1185) and continued through the Meiji Period (1868-1912), mainly because of the way in which meals were served.
Traditionally, meals were eaten from individual low dining tables while sitting on a cushion placed on a tatami floor.
Therefore, it was considered proper etiquette to pick up the bowl with your hand and lead it close to your mouth when eating from it.
Now in our modern era, while most eat from taller tables while sitting in chairs, the practice of holding a rice or miso soup bowl (お茶碗) at chest level is still considered a basic table manner in Japan.
Note, however, larger types of dishes should generally not be picked up. When conflicted, use the “rule of palm.” If the dish fits in your palm, it is acceptable to pick up.
