Restaurant etiquette in Japan

Getting a seat

In a Japanese restaurant, the norm is to wait at the entrance until a member of staff shows you to a seat rather than heading for an empty table. When asked how many are in your party, holding up fingers works perfectly well. If there is a queue outside a popular place, join the end of it; if there is a waiting list or a ticket dispenser at the door, write your name and party size or take a number. Solo diners are often shown to the counter, which is entirely normal. If you are seated where shoes come off, lining them up with the toes facing outward looks tidy.

Using a meal ticket machine

Ramen, rice-bowl and soba shops often have a ticket machine near the door: you choose a dish, pay, and hand the ticket to the staff. Buttons show a photo or name of each dish, with separate buttons for a large portion or extra toppings. Most machines take cash, and some refuse large notes, so having smaller money ready helps. Some also accept cards or transit cards. If you really can't work out the menu and people are waiting behind you, step aside and ask the staff for a recommendation, or point a translation app at the buttons. In many shops you just leave the ticket on the counter once you sit down and the staff will collect it.

Water, hand towels and ordering

Water or tea is free in most restaurants; if it is self-service, a dispenser or jug will be set out somewhere. The damp towel you receive when you sit down is for your hands, and it is better not to use it on your face or the table. To order, press the call button on the table or raise your hand slightly and call the staff. More and more places now take orders through a tablet on the table or by scanning a QR code with your phone, and many of these offer menus in other languages. Saying a short phrase before eating and thanking the staff when you finish goes a long way.

Izakaya starters and time limits

At an izakaya, a Japanese-style pub, a small dish you did not order often arrives first, and its price appears on the bill as a kind of table charge. It is a custom, not a scam, so there is no need to be alarmed, though you can ask about it on the way in if you would rather not have it. The usual flow is to order drinks first. All-you-can-drink plans run for a fixed period, with a last order call before the end. Some places require everyone at the table to choose the same plan, so check the conditions.

Chopstick manners

A few chopstick habits are avoided because they recall funeral rites. Visitors are rarely blamed for not knowing, but they are worth learning.

• Do not stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice
• Do not pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another
• Do not drag dishes towards you or spear food with chopsticks
• When resting, lay them neatly on the rest or the paper sleeve
• If serving chopsticks come with a shared plate, use those to take food

Paying and tipping

Japan has no tipping culture. Leave money on the table and the staff may run after you thinking you forgot it. Rather than paying at the table, you usually take the bill to the register near the exit. When paying cash, put it on the small tray at the register. Restaurants in hotels and some upscale places include a service charge on the bill, and even then there is no need to add a tip. If a group wants separate bills, this may be difficult at busy times, so mention it when ordering or have one person pay and settle up later.

Noise and atmosphere

Slurping ramen or soba is not considered rude, though nobody expects you to; eat however feels comfortable. On the other hand, loud phone calls or long, noisy conversations draw disapproving looks. In a small shop with people waiting, not lingering after you finish is seen as considerate. Taking photos of food is generally fine, but some places forbid it, and take care not to capture other diners' or staff members' faces. Some tourist areas post signs asking visitors not to eat while walking.

Common mistakes and cautions

Booking a table and not turning up is a serious loss for a small restaurant, and it is often cited as the reason some places hesitate to take reservations from overseas visitors. If your plans change, always cancel. If you have a food allergy, showing a note with the ingredient written in Japanese is more reliable than explaining it out loud. Even so, cross-contamination in a shared kitchen is hard to rule out completely, so think carefully if your allergy is severe. Many places are still cash only, so check the payment signs at the entrance before going in.