to dine out in Japan without worrying about making a cultural faux pas.

In order to help make this experience a smooth and enjoyable one, here are some basic points

about dining out in Japan.

Entering the restaurant

When entering a restaurant in Japan, you are greeted by the staff with the expression “irasshaimase”,

meaning something like “welcome, please come in” to which you are not expected to

reply anything.

The waiter or waitress will then ask how many people are in your party and then lead you

to your table.

Only on rare occasions will customers be expected to seat themselves.

The most common types of seating at restaurants include:

Western style seating, Zashiki or traditional seating on the floor and Counter Seating

If the restaurant has more than one seating style, the staff will usually ask which one

you would prefer.

A majority of restaurants nowadays have Western-style seating, but it is also common to find low

traditional tables with cushions to sit on the floor.

This type of seating is referred to as “zashiki”.

In some restaurants, the floor below the low table is lowered so that the feet can be stretched.

Such tables are called horigotatsu.

Some places feature both seating styles and you may be asked which you prefer.

If the restaurant has a counter It is also common for the staff to ask you whether you'd

prefer a table or to sit at the counter.

Most restaurants have a no-smoking policy, however smoking is still allowed in some smaller

and older restaurants that display a “smoking allowed” sign at the entrance.

Ordering and Eating

Once seated, each diner is usually served a free glass of water or tea.

If that is not the case, free water or tea is available for self service somewhere in

the restaurant.

With the glass of water, you will also be given a wet towel called oshibori which is

used to clean your hands before eating.

While you might see some people do it, it is not good manners to wipe your face or other

body parts with your oshibori.

If chopsticks aren't already set, you can find them in a box on the table.

Most often they are disposable chopsticks that need to be separated in two before using.

For more information on proper table manners in Japan, don't hesitate to check out our

basic table manners video.

Nowadays, more and more restaurants have an English menu, and a lot of restaurants have

menus with pictures, which can be helpful if you do not read Japanese.

In the case where a menu is in Japanese only, you have two options:

1) ask the waiter for the “osusume” (recommendation), or “omakase” (chef's choice).

The latter will often get you some surprisingly good meal, but prepare to be adventurous and

do not expect it to be cheap.

2) use the plastic replicas of the dishes often displayed in the entrance of the restaurant

and point at the one you would like to be served.

These replicas serve to entice the customer and provide an accurate visual description

of the style and price of meals found inside.

To order, you can call the staff using the word “sumimasen” (excuse me), or use the

call button located on the table of many restaurants.

Once you have finished ordering, the waiter or waitress will often repeat your order for

confirmation.

At many restaurants everybody at the table is expected to order one meal individually,

but at casual dining and drinking establishments,

such as izakaya, it is also very common to share dishes at the table.

Paying

After receiving your meal or once you're finished eating, the staff will leave the

bill face down on the table.

In most restaurants you are supposed to bring your bill to the cashier near the exit to

pay, since it is not common to pay directly at the table.

Cash is always accepted and a large majority of restaurants also accept credit cards as

well as other electronic or mobile payment methods such as Suica IC Cards.

Some restaurants such as ramen shops or gyudon restaurants have a different way of paying.

Instead of ordering from a menu at the table, you order your meal from a ticket vending

machine near the entrance before being seated.

Finally, tipping is not done in Japan.

If you do so, you might end up with the staff chasing you to give you back any money left

behind.

Instead, it is polite to say “gochisousama deshita” when leaving.

Outro

So there you have it, the very basics of Japanese etiquette when it comes to eating at a restaurant.

Make sure to also check out our “table manners” video for more detailed information on proper

eating manners in Japan.

For more information or to check out another video, click the links on the screen now,

or head over to japan-guide.com, your number one comprehensive up-to-date travel guide

first hand from Japan.

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