In Japan, loudly slurping your noodles is generally seen as what?

Slurping noodles in Japan is considered polite because it's thought to draw in extra air that cools hot broth quickly and, many believe, releases more aroma and flavor, especially with dishes like ramen served very hot. Because meals are meant to be enjoyed audibly as well as visually, noise at the table signals genuine enjoyment rather than impoliteness.

This differs from many Western cultures, where eating noisily can seem rude, but that doesn't make slurping "extremely rude" in Japan, and there's no traditional belief connecting the sound to bad luck.

The custom shows table manners are culturally constructed rather than universal — the same sound signaling appreciation in one culture draws disapproving looks in another, purely by convention.