Entering the restaurant
Staff will greet you with いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase, “welcome”). You don’t need to answer it — a nod is enough. Then show how many people you are:
Counting people: hitori (1), futari (2), san-nin (3), yo-nin (4), go-nin (5). Showing the number with your fingers also works perfectly.
Asking for the menu
For the full English-menu phrase, pronunciation and the answers you may hear, see our guide to asking for an English menu in Japanese.
Ordering food and drinks
Objects are counted differently from people: hitotsu (1), futatsu (2), mittsu (3), yottsu (4). Water and green tea are usually free and refilled without asking.
Allergies and dietary needs
Japanese menus rarely list allergens in English, so it is worth saying it clearly or showing it on your phone:
Paying the bill
In most restaurants you pay at the register near the exit, not at the table: take the bill slip with you. Crossing your index fingers in an “X” also signals that you want the bill.
Four etiquette rules worth knowing
- No tipping. It is not expected and can cause confusion. Good service is simply included.
- Slurping noodles is fine. In ramen and soba shops it is normal, not rude.
- Don’t stick chopsticks upright in rice or pass food chopstick-to-chopstick: both are linked to funerals.
- Otōshi: in izakaya, a small starter you didn’t order is a normal table charge.
If you only learn two words, make them sumimasen (“excuse me”, to call staff) and kore o kudasai (“this one, please”). With pointing and a smile, they will get you through almost any meal.
Ready to book?
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The phrase, ready on your screen.
In 687 Japan, the English menu helper in Food search keeps 英語のメニューはありますか？ one tap away. Show it full screen to staff or let the app read it aloud in Japanese. Restaurants with an English name or website are shown first, so you are more likely to find an English menu — and Translate now works as a two-way conversation for everything else.
