A guide to eating out in Japan

What’s it like to dine out in Japan? 

Japanese people love to eat out and have dozens of different ways to dine. The nation is famous for its ‘out there’ thinking and food is no different, although you will find western restaurant chains, they won’t be quite the same as at home – McDonalds in Japan even has an entirely black burger.  

Izakaya-style restaurants (a kind of modern Japanese gastropub) are becoming more popular in the major cities. If you’re wondering, can you smoke in restaurants in Japan, it’s illegal in most places but smaller izakaya may be allowed to permit smoking indoors. 

Other favourites to try when eating out in Japan include the obvious sushi, ramen and udon noodle joints or Okonomiyaki-ya, which is a Japanese style pizza made out of pancake. Or indulge at a kaiseki meal, a multi-course extravaganza which is intended to display the different skills and techniques involved in Japanese cuisine – our Grand Tour of Japan includes the chance to discover what this culinary experience is like. 

How important is food in Japan culture? It’s central to life, with special rituals built around both eating and preparing food, a healthy approach to enjoying it, and great care taken with both ingredients and presentation to ensure every part of the meal is a pleasure. 

How much does it cost to eat out in Japan? 

You’ll find everything from quick snacks at convenience stores to fine dining restaurants, so there’s something for every budget but the average cost of eating out in Japan is around 1000-3000 yen (£5-15) for a meal at a midrange restaurant.  

For something quick like noodles and donburi rice dishes, expect to pay less than 1000 yen (£5), while you can also find set menus (or teishoku) at lunchtime for a similar rate. Bento boxes, sold in convenience stores, at stations and in other shops, are also usually a good deal. 

If you’re visiting high-class restaurants such as ryotei or working your way through a sushi menu, don’t be surprised if the bill is a lot higher though. 

What to expect from Japanese restaurant seating 

One thing you might not expect when it comes to Japanese table dining and eating out in Japan is the variety of seating arrangements on offer. 

You’ll find more and more restaurants have Western-style tables and chairs, or at least some on offer if you prefer this option. Alternatively, you may come across a type of traditional Japanese table called a horigotatsu, which is low to the ground but has extra space beneath so people can stretch their legs – these are common in izakaya. 

In more informal settings, bar or counter seating in common, especially in noodle shops as well as more casual restaurants. They’re a great option if you’re solo dining in Japan and prefer not to be conspicuously alone at a table. You’ll also find this counter dining at high-end restaurants so you can watch the chef work as you eat. 

And if you’re visiting more traditional Japanese restaurants, you’ll find the equally traditional tatami mats with cushions to sit on around a low table, known as zashiki. If you are seated at one of these tables, you’ll be expected to remove your shoes before stepping on to the tatami platform – Japanese manners and etiquette mean that shoes should never touch the mats that people will sit on. If you need to visit the toilet during the meal, slippers are normally provided (with a second separate pair to wear in the toilet itself). 

One of the most unusual Japanese table dining options is a kotatsu, a type of heated table covered with a special type of quilt to keep the warmth in. Modern heating means this traditional method is no longer the essential requirement it once was during winter, but it’s a uniquely Japanese way to eat and a fun experience if you do find a restaurant offering this. 

Whatever style of Japanese table dining you find, your welcome to the restaurant is likely to be the same – customers are greeted with the word ‘irasshaimase’, asked how many people are in the group and led to a table or seat so you won’t be expected to seat yourself. 

Solo dining in Japan  

If you’ve ever tried eating alone and felt uncomfortable, solo dining in Japan will be a revelation. Not only is it common to eat solo in Japan, restaurants are well set up if you’re a party of one – the Ichiran ramen chain only caters to solo diners, for example. 

For many Japanese, solo dining is something they’ll do regularly, often after working late, or simply to enjoy the food experience without distraction. With counter service seating and communal tables, it’s also less obvious if you’ve come alone or with friends. 

There’s no obligation to chat to your neighbours either, so if you’d like to enjoy your meal in silence, go ahead, although chatting with fellow diners isn’t frowned upon either if you do strike up conversation. You’ll notice most locals aren’t scrolling their phones or reading while eating, but here Japanese eating etiquette is relaxed so if you want to catch up on email, social media or the latest bestseller over lunch, go ahead. 

If you prefer not to enjoy every meal solo, consider joining an escorted tour for solo travellers, where there’s the opportunity to eat in the group, plenty of like-minded travelling companions and the flexibility to do your own thing as well. 

What do Japanese people say before eating? 

What do Japanese say before eating? You don’t need to be in the country for long to realise there’s a common phrase you’ll hear when eating out in Japan – ‘itadakimasu’ is said whether you’re sitting down to a meal or stopping for a snack, and translates literally as ‘I humbly receive’. 

Saying it is also a way to thank someone for the meal, and to show your appreciation of the food. Children in Japan will be taught to say this from an early age and learning the word yourself is a simple part of Japanese manners and etiquette. 

The pronunciation is relatively simple too, with the final ‘u’ silent but otherwise spoken as it’s spelled – just say ‘ee-tah-dah-kee-mas’. 

Table manners in Japan 

Take your shoes off 

In Japan, you might be expected to take your shoes off in a restaurant for hygiene reasons, and this is always the case if you’re seated on tatami mats. Most places will provide you with dining slippers and a safe place to store your shoes until after dinner.  

Try different foods 

It is polite to try a little bit of everything on the table. Don’t worry if you don’t know what something is - the Japanese are very courteous and won’t mind explaining. 

Many restaurants have plastic or wax replicas of the dishes in a window (and sometimes photos on the menu) so if you’re not sure of the correct names, it’s easy to point to what you’d like. 

Is there western food in Japan? If you’re concerned you won’t enjoy eating out in Japan, you will find western options like burgers but they will be more limited, so trying simple dishes like noodles and rice bowls may be an easier introduction to local cuisine. 

Slurping is good manners 

While slurping your food in the UK is frowned upon, this isn’t considered bad table manners in Japan – in fact, in Japanese culture it's positively encouraged. So, if you find yourself slurping a bowl of noodles, the louder the better. It's a sign that you're really enjoying your food, and it will go down well. 

Chopstick etiquette 

Handling chopsticks can take some practice, but you can take heart in the fact that surveys have found even some Japanese people don’t always use them ‘correctly’. Western visitors may well be offered a fork, and it won’t be considered rude to ask for one otherwise. 

However, chopsticks will be the standard cutlery provided when eating in Japan, and you’ll quickly start to become accustomed to them. Once you do, there are a few rules to follow to avoid any unintentional bad table manners in Japan. 

Don’t eat directly from shared bowls, instead take what you’d like and place it in your own bowl, before eating from there – it’s also rude to pass food from chopstick to chopstick. Other chopstick taboos include gesturing with your chopsticks at another diner, digging right down to the bottom of a bowl to get your food, and licking them clean. 

When you have finished, place them side by side on the edge of your rice bowl or on a chopstick block. Never stick both chopsticks into your bowl pointing upwards – this is considered both unlucky and offensive as it looks similar to the incense sticks used after a person has died. 

Keep your rice separate 

As a nation, we’re used to eating rice mixed in with a curry or sauce, but in Japan, rice is always eaten from a separate bowl. Most restaurants will top up your rice for free so if you want some more, leave a little bit at the bottom. A completely empty rice bowl means you’ve had enough. 

Leave your glass empty for a refill 

When it comes to drinks, the opposite rule applies. If you want your drink to be topped up, leave an empty glass as that is an invitation to have more. 

Say goodbye 

When you’ve finished your meal, a few words of Japanese will be hugely appreciated - say, ‘Arigatō gozaimashita’, which basically means, ‘Thank you very much for what just happened’. Here’s how to pronounce it – ‘A-ree-gah-toh go-zai-mash-ta’. 

Paying for your meal 

When it comes to paying the bill, Japanese etiquette is to present it face down, sometimes as you receive the meal or after you have finished eating, as in the UK. In most cases you’ll be expected to bring the bill to the cashier near the exit to pay when leaving – while payment at the table is becoming more common, it isn’t standard. 

Credit cards are increasingly accepted, especially in larger and more upscale restaurants but cash is still king in Japan, so it’s the most common way to pay. 

If you’re eating in cheaper restaurants, you may find a slightly different system of meal tickets, where you buy these at a machine near the entrance when you enter, then hand them to staff who’ll prepare and serve the meal. At the end of the meal, as you’ve already pre-paid, you can leave when ready. These food tickets are most common in restaurants serving ramen and gyudon (rice bowls). 

Tipping etiquette in Japan 

It’s not only payment which is slightly different in Japan, so if you’re wondering, ‘Do you tip in Japan restaurants?’, the answer is a firm no. Not only is it not customary to tip in Japan, staff may well follow you out to give you back money left on the table, under the assumption you’ve forgotten it. 

Good service is assumed when eating out in Japan so trying to tip on top is likely to be met with slightly mystified awkwardness. If you really want to express your appreciation, the phrase ‘gochisousama desita’ (pronounced ‘go-chi-so-sama desh-ta’) or just ‘gochisousama’ shows gratitude for the feast you’ve just eaten. 

The same tipping rule applies to taxis, cafes, bars and hotel staff – the only tipping etiquette in Japan that you need to know is that there is no tipping culture. 

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