This is based on guidance from public bodies and restaurant companies, as of October 2026 (it isn’t medical advice).
For now, just this
For the next four, the answer is the same.
・Do you pay first, or after?
・Can you use a card?
・Is smoking allowed?
・Do you take off your shoes and step up?
Before you go in, look at the entrance.
If there’s a ticket machine, it’s a place where you buy a ticket first. Card logos, the words 「現金のみ」 (cash only) and smoking signs may also be posted at the entrance. If you can tell before you go in, it’s easier to decide calmly, right there out front, whether to go in.
For the next four, too, the answer is the same.
・A small dish you didn’t order has come out
・There’s a charge on the bill you don’t recognize
・You pressed the wrong button on the ticket machine
・You can’t read the menu
Before you eat, and before you pay, ask the staff.
Show them a screen on your translation app, or point, and you can ask the staff even if language is a problem.
Choosing a place, and before you go in
Do I need a reservation? Without one, will I have to wait in line?
At most places for everyday meals, you can walk in without a reservation.
Casual places like fast food restaurants, famiresu (family restaurants) and ramen shops usually don’t take reservations, and seat people in the order they arrive. If there’s a waiting list at the entrance, write your name and the number of people, wait, and you’ll be called. Some conveyor-belt sushi places let you get your place in line ahead of time with an app.
Reservations are worth thinking about for popular places and restaurants serving course meals. Save reservations for the one place you’re looking forward to on your trip.
→ “Restaurant Reservations in Japan — Even If You Can’t Call, There Are 3 Ways to Book“／”Conveyor-Belt Sushi (回転寿司) — Order on the Tablet, and Your Plate Races to Your Seat“
Is it OK to go in on my own?
Yes. There are all kinds of places where people often eat on their own.
For example, ramen shops, gyudon (beef bowl) shops and teishoku (set meal) places. At a place with a ticket machine, you just buy a ticket, hand it over and wait. Teishoku and donburi (rice bowls) arrive as a complete single serving, so there’s no need to share food with anyone. Some famiresu encourage casual meals on your own, too.
On days when you’re traveling solo, you can use them without feeling awkward.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan — It Starts at the Entrance: Look for Just 3 Things“／”Teishoku Restaurants and Donburi (Gyudon) Shops — Pick a Main Dish, and It Comes on One Tray“
Can I go in with kids?
Famiresu are places that are easy to go into with children. Some have children’s chairs and kids’ meal sets. What’s offered for children differs from place to place.
If there’s a 「喫煙可能店」 (smoking allowed) sign at the entrance, people under 20 can’t go in, even if they don’t smoke. The sign is posted at the entrance or elsewhere, so you can tell whether it’s a smoking-allowed place before you go in.
If you compare restaurant websites before you go, choosing where to eat together with your kids becomes even more fun.
→ “Family Restaurants in Japan (Gusto, Saizeriya, Denny’s) — Pour Your Own Drinks, As Many Cups As You Like“／”How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“
Can people smoke inside? What if I’m worried about smoke?
As a rule, smoking is banned indoors at restaurants in Japan.
Places where you can smoke put up an official sign at the entrance or elsewhere. 「喫煙可能店」 means a place where you can smoke anywhere inside.
Whether you dislike smoke or want to smoke, you can tell before you go in.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“
Do I need cash? Can I use a card?
It depends on the place.
The cards and e-money a place accepts are sometimes shown as logos at the entrance or the register. Some places say 「現金のみ」 (cash only) in writing. In rural areas, there are still many places that only take cash. Ticket machines, too, come in cash-only and card-accepting types.
If you want to pay by card, check the signs at the entrance or the register, and if you can’t find any, show your card to the staff when you go in and check with them. Carry a little cash with you, too.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“／”Ramen Shops and Other Restaurants with a Ticket Machine — Buy Your Ticket First, Then Just Wait“
Are there places where you take off your shoes? What if sitting on the floor is hard for me?
Some places have you take off your shoes and step up.
There’s often a shelf for your shoes, and you may be offered slippers. Just follow what the people around you do.
At Japanese restaurants and similar places, if sitting on the floor is hard for you, you can ask the staff whether they can give you seats with chairs. They may not be able to arrange it at short notice on the day, so check when you book.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“
When you order
How do I order at a place with a ticket machine? What if it won’t take my bill, or I press the wrong button?
Before you sit down, buy a ticket from the ticket machine.
Some machines don’t take 10,000-yen or 5,000-yen bills, so carrying a few 1,000-yen bills and some coins makes things easier. On some machines, your change won’t come out unless you press the 「おつり」 (change) button.
If you don’t have a bill the machine takes, or you realize you’ve pressed the wrong button, point to the machine or your ticket and ask the staff before you eat.
It’s a place where you can order and pay without saying a single word of Japanese.
→ “Restaurants with a Ticket Machine“
How does conveyor-belt sushi work?
At the big conveyor-belt sushi chains, you order on the tablet at your seat, and your plate rides the lane all the way to your seat.
You can check prices on the menu before you order. At some places, you can also take plates as they go around and eat them.
The sushi you ordered comes racing right up to you. It’s a little treat you only get at conveyor-belt sushi.
→ “Conveyor-Belt Sushi (回転寿司)“
The menu is only in Japanese. How do I order? Why are prices shown differently on the foreign-language menu?
If there are food samples out front, you can order by pointing.
Some ticket machines and tablets can be switched to English and other languages. Some places have menus where you choose by photo and number. If you can’t read it, use a translation app, or point to the menu and ask the staff.
Prices on a foreign-language menu and on the Japanese menu may look different. The foreign-language menu may simply show prices in dollars or another currency. Some places also make their foreign-language menu by putting dishes that are popular with visitors from abroad into sets.
You can also order things on the Japanese menu, so check with the staff.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“／”Family Restaurants in Japan“
What about places where you order on a tablet or with a QR code? How do I call the staff?
More and more places now have you order on a tablet at the table, or by scanning a QR code with your own smartphone. Many of these screens are multilingual and have photos. First, look for a language button on the screen.
To call the staff, say 「すみません」 (sumimasen, “excuse me”), or press the call button on the table.
At a place where you order on a screen, you can order without speaking.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“／”Family Restaurants in Japan“
What’s the 「ドリンクバー」 (drink bar) at a famiresu?
You pay for it, then pick whatever you like from the drinks lined up and pour your own, as many cups as you like. At some places, you also go to the same corner to get your own water.
You don’t have to call the staff every time you want a drink. Choosing at your own pace is the fun of the ドリンクバー.
→ “Family Restaurants in Japan“
At a café, do I go to the register first, or sit down first?
When you go in, there are two things to look at.
If there’s a line to order in front of the register, it’s a place where you order at the register first and pick up at the counter. If the staff show you to a seat, you order at your seat.
Once you know which type it is, the only thing left to puzzle over is what to drink.
→ “Cafés and Kissaten (Japanese Coffee Shops) — Order at the Register First, or Sit Down First?“
With all-you-can-drink, does everyone have to order it?
It depends on the restaurant’s rules.
All-you-can-drink is a way of ordering where, for a set amount of time, you can drink as much as you like from a special menu. You can try all kinds of drinks you’re curious about.
Some places make it a rule that everyone has to order it. At the yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurant Yakiniku King, all-you-can-drink is only for when everyone in the group orders it. At the same restaurant, you can combine a soft-drink all-you-can-drink with an all-you-can-drink that includes alcohol (at some locations, what’s offered may differ).
If you check the time limit and the rules on the menu before you order, you won’t be surprised when you pay.
→ “Izakaya (居酒屋) and the Otoshi Cover Charge — A Little Dish May Arrive Before You Order“
Does each person have to order a dish? Is it OK to share food?
It depends on the type of place.
At izakayas and casual places, when you go as a group, it’s normal for everyone to share the food. Some places have each person order their own. Teishoku and donburi are meals that arrive as a complete single serving. Some famiresu recommend choosing dishes together and sharing them, and provide small plates for sharing.
At yakiniku, hot pot and course-meal places, even if the menu shows a price for “one serving,” you may only be able to order two servings or more. The photos on the menu also often seem to show food for several people.
Order lots of different dishes in small amounts and share them, and you can try many flavors in one meal.
→ “Izakaya (居酒屋)“／”Teishoku Restaurants and Donburi (Gyudon) Shops“／”Family Restaurants in Japan“
How do I tell them what I can’t eat (allergies, vegetarian, pork, alcohol)?
Show a single card written in Japanese.
In Japan, there’s no requirement for restaurant dishes to be labeled with the ingredients that can cause allergies. The person who takes your order and the person who cooks are also often different people. Even if you can’t speak Japanese, the card tells them in Japanese.
Just saying 「ベジタリアン」 (bejitarian, “vegetarian”) may not get everything across. Write down the names of the things you can’t eat, one by one, including ingredients you can’t tell by looking, like dashi (soup stock) and mirin (sweet rice wine for cooking).
The card is a tool for checking with the staff whether you can eat something. Showing it doesn’t guarantee that the food is safe.
For people with allergies, there are also sheets made by the national government and a prefecture that communicate with pictures. The Consumer Affairs Agency writes that, in the end, the decision on whether you can eat something should be made by you or your family, not the restaurant. When eating out, it’s difficult to completely prevent foods that cause allergies from getting mixed in unintentionally. The Consumer Affairs Agency also says it’s important to make careful decisions about eating out and to follow your doctor’s guidance.
If you don’t eat pork or drink alcohol, making a card in the same format is one option.
→ “Allergy Card for Japan (Allergies, Vegetarian, Halal): Show It, Don’t Say It“
While you’re eating
A small dish I didn’t order showed up. Do I have to pay for it?
You might.
At an izakaya, the small dish that comes before you order is 「お通し」 (otoshi). There may be a charge for it when you pay. It’s something like a seat charge (a table charge). If you’re unsure, ask the staff when it’s brought to you.
What you get is a surprise until you sit down.
→ “Izakaya (居酒屋)“
Are water and tea free?
Water that comes without you asking is usually free.
Some places charge for tea or water you order. If there’s a charge, it should be on the menu.
Some conveyor-belt sushi places let you make your own tea at your seat. Some famiresu have you get your own water from the drink bar corner. When you’re thirsty, you can go get some yourself right away.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“／”Conveyor-Belt Sushi (回転寿司)“／”Family Restaurants in Japan“
Could I be rude without realizing it? What if I’m not good with chopsticks?
There are two things to know about chopsticks.
The things people say you should especially avoid are standing your chopsticks up in rice, and passing food from one pair of chopsticks to another.
With Japanese food, you’re encouraged to lift the bowl toward your mouth when you eat. Rather than bringing your face down to the bowl, pick the bowl up and bring it to your mouth. At conveyor-belt sushi, once you’ve taken a plate, don’t put it back on the lane.
If chopsticks are hard for you, at many places you can ask for a fork or spoon.
→ “Teishoku Restaurants and Donburi (Gyudon) Shops“／”Conveyor-Belt Sushi (回転寿司)“
Can I slurp ramen? What about the soup? Should I leave as soon as I’ve eaten?
Slurping is fine.
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) writes that slurping noodles isn’t rude at all, and that many people feel it makes noodles easier to eat with chopsticks. Do it not to make noise, but as a way of drawing the noodles into your mouth.
You can drink all of the soup, and you can lift the bowl to your mouth. Even if you eat the noodles and toppings and leave a little soup, you’ve still “finished.”
A ramen shop isn’t a place to stay long after you’ve finished eating. All the more so if there’s a line outside. Chatting while you eat is fine.
→ “Restaurants with a Ticket Machine“
Is it rude to leave food? Can I take leftovers home?
It’s considered good manners to finish your food as much as you can. At a table where people pour drinks for each other from bottles, it’s fine to leave your drink. An empty glass is a signal to top it up. If you don’t want any more, leave your glass full.
Whether you can take leftovers home is up to the restaurant. More places are allowing it, but some don’t, for hygiene reasons. If you’d like to take food home, ask the staff.
At places where you can choose the portion size, you can choose an amount you can finish from the start. 「小盛」 (small size) and 「ミニ」 (mini size) at donburi shops are one example.
→ “Teishoku Restaurants and Donburi (Gyudon) Shops“
When you pay
Do I pay first, or after? At the register, or at the table?
It depends on the type of place.
At a place with a ticket machine, you’ve already paid once you buy your ticket. Some cafés have you order at the register first. At places where you’re shown to a seat, you pay after you eat. Some have you take the bill to the register, and some have you pay at the table. Some conveyor-belt sushi places and famiresu let you start paying from a tablet or screen.
Look at the entrance, and before you go in, you can start to see how you’ll order and when you’ll pay.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“
Do I need to tip?
No. Restaurants in Japan don’t have a custom of tipping.
If you want to show your thanks, instead of a tip, say 「ありがとうございました」 (arigatou gozaimashita, “thank you very much”) with a smile.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“
Can we pay separately?
It depends on the place.
Some places ask groups to pay together. At some famiresu, even if everyone orders from their own smartphone, it all goes on one bill.
If you’d like to pay separately, ask the staff.
→ “Izakaya (居酒屋)“／”Family Restaurants in Japan“
There’s a charge on the bill I don’t recognize
Ask the staff before you pay.
It might be an お通し charge, a seat charge or a service charge. Some places add extra charges late at night, such as a late-night charge. If you used a private room, there may be a separate charge, especially at dinnertime.
Once you know about the お通し, you won’t panic when you spot an 「お通し」 line on your receipt.
→ “Izakaya (居酒屋)“／”Family Restaurants in Japan“
After I ate, I was told I can’t use my card
You can show the staff a screen on your translation app and talk it over with them.
In rural areas, there are still many places that only take cash. Next time, check the signs at the entrance or the register, and if you can’t find any, show your card when you go in and check first.
→ “How to Order at a Restaurant in Japan“
When you’re in trouble
My reservation was turned down. Why?
As for reservations, the consumer hotline for tourists run by the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan answers that the restaurant may really have been full.
If you felt you were treated badly, you can tell the person in charge at the restaurant what bothered you and ask them to set it right.
→ “Restaurant Reservations in Japan“
I’m going to be late for my reservation / I can’t make it
Contact the restaurant as soon as you know.
If you can’t make a phone call, you could try contacting the restaurant through its social media. With course-meal reservations, depending on the restaurant’s rules, you may not get back what you paid if you’re late.
If you can’t go, cancel as early as you can. If you booked on a reservation site, check the site’s cancellation rules. If you cancel on the day, once the food is ready, it will often be hard to get back what you paid.
Even at the last minute, if you let them know, the restaurant may be able to welcome other customers to the empty seats.
→ “Restaurant Reservations in Japan“
I felt sick after eating
If you need an ambulance, call 119.
According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, anyone in Japan can use an ambulance in case of a sudden illness or injury. If there’s someone around who speaks Japanese, ask them for help.
If you have allergy symptoms, consult a medical facility. Check the ingredients of the food with the restaurant right then and there. They may be needed at the hospital to find the cause.
The Japan National Tourism Organization’s “Japan Visitor Hotline” (050-3816-2787) offers help 24 hours a day, in English, Chinese and Korean, in situations such as accidents or illness.
It’s handy to put your health information together in a note. Write that note on the back of your food card, and that one card can speak for you if anything happens.
→ “Allergy Card for Japan (Allergies, Vegetarian, Halal)“
※How restaurants work, how you pay and how charges are set vary from place to place and can change. When you actually use a restaurant, check its signs and what the staff tell you.
