Just found this on the JW site. Thought I should share:
Awake!, January 22, 2002, Pages 28-29:
Slurping Controversy
To slurp or not to slurp, that is the question—at least for customers at Japan’s popular noodle soup restaurants. Many middle-aged and older Japanese feel that the long noodles actually taste better if slurped along with the broth and while still hot. They consider loud slurping to be normal and a way to show that one really enjoys the meal. But a newer generation of Japanese has a different point of view regarding noodle etiquette. The Japan Times reports: “Younger Japanese are more concerned not to dribble the soup onto their silk ties and [designer] dresses. Reared on Western manners and a more Western diet, they are likely to be offended when those around them slurp.” This slurping issue has become part of Japan’s generation gap, causing some older ones to be self-conscious about breaking the silence when eating noodles in public. Taking sides with the older generation, a major Japanese newspaper lamented: “It’ll be a truly lonely feeling when nobody makes any slurping noises any more.”