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what about plastic chopsticks?

Yes, if you put your chopsticks in your food upright, it resembles the incense burned when someone dies. Poking food to pick it up is just plain rude.

Gesturing with your chopsticks as you talk is also considered quite rude. But I have a habit of doing so... sweatdrop

You're also not supposed to lay your chopsticks on the table. If at home you have a chopstick rest. If you're eating out and have the wooden ones out of a paper sleeve, you fold the sleeve in half lengthwise, then tie the long strip into a little knot, and that makes a chopstick rest.

That's right~
If you leave your chopsticks stabbed in the center of your food,
it means it's 'food for the dead.'

Here's some interesting do-not's:
http://www.fact-index.com/c/ch/chopsticks.html

- Leaving chopsticks upright in food is rude because it is done as a funeral ritual.
- Stabbing your food is rude but it also shows that you can't use chopsticks properly and too lazy to try and learn. (It makes you look like a tourist sweatdrop )

more chopstick etiquette:
- Passing food between food using chopsticks is another funeral ritual so you're not supposed to do it.
- pointing at someone with chopsticks is considered very rude
- Don't rub your chopsticks together (to get splinters off) this is REALLY rude and a huge insult because it's like saying the restaurant is cheap and can't afford decent chopsticks. It's similar to calling some one a cheapskate.
- when setting chopsticks down, put them on the lowest plate at the table (if no chopstick rests are available to you) not the table itself.

Ooo. I never knew =D Well at least I know what I should do know ^,^

I only know it's rude not to eat a ******** ton in france as it would be an insult to the cook so you have to be careful about how you say you don't want anymore. I have no idea about japan though.