Eating out in Japan can seem a bit daunting at times. There are so many options it can be overwhelming, and not being able to read the restaurant name makes it hard to know what the restaurant even serves…
One top tip is to look out for restaurants with food displays in the window!
Don’t worry, as most restaurant staff are very accommodating and once they notice that you are not Japanese, they may attempt to speak with you in English and may even hand you an English menu.
Still, knowing a little bit of Japanese can go a long way towards making your restaurant experience in Japan go more smoothly! Here are some essential Japanese phrases for restaurants and dining out in Japan:
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Entering a restaurant
Irasshaimase
いらっしゃいませ
Welcome
The first thing you are likely to hear when entering a restaurant is the greeting irasshaimase (いらっしゃいませ). This can be a bit of a culture shock for tourists as the staff tend to yell this term quite loudly! But rest assured, it is a polite welcome phrase that workers use when customers enter into an establishment.
Nan mei sama desu ka
何名様ですか
Table for how many?
The next question is usually ‘how many people?’, which in Japanese is nan mei sama desu ka? (何名様ですか / なんめいさまですか).
Counting in Japanese can be a bit complicated. The counter term differs depending on whether you are counting people, animals, small or big objects… But don’t worry about all that just yet — let’s focus on counting people!
The kanji for ‘person’ is 人. Used on its own, it is pronounced as hito (ひと). However, as you can see in the table below, when used in a kanji compound, it is pronounced as nin (にん).
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
One person | 一人 | ひとり | hitori |
Two people | 二人 | ふたり | futari |
Three people | 三人 | さんにん | sannin |
Four people | 四人 | よにん | yonin |
Five people | 五人 | ごにん | gonin |
Six people | 六人 | ろくにん | rokunin |
Seven people | 七人 | ななにん | nananin |
Eight people | 八人 | はちにん | hachinin |
Nine people | 九人 | きゅうにん | kyuunin |
Ten people | 十人 | じゅうにん | jyuunin |
Simply state the number of people and add desu for politeness. The waiter will soon lead you to your table!
If you find your mind going blank, you can use your fingers to indicate the number of people in your party.
Kitsuen seki / kinen seki
喫煙席 / 禁煙席
Smoking or non-smoking seat
Depending on the restaurant, the restaurant staff may then ask you if you would like a ‘smoking seat’ or a ‘non-smoking seat’.
A ‘smoking seat’ is called kitsuen seki (喫煙席 / きつえんせき). These seats are usually located in a separate part of the restaurant.
A ‘non-smoking seat’ is called kinen seki (禁煙席 / きんえんせき).
These days, Japan has become more strict on smoking, both indoors and outdoors. Not many establishments are permitted to provide indoor smoking areas. Even outdoors there are designated smoking areas.
Ordering
Sumimasen
すみません
Excuse me
When you are ready to order, you can catch a staff member’s attention by slightly raising your hand and saying sumimasen (すみません)!
Depending on the restaurant, you may not even have to say anything! Many restaurants these days have a bell button that you can press to call a waiter to the table.
Some restaurants may even have an electronic tablet with various language options where you can order all your food and drinks! Such restaurants require very little interaction with restaurant staff.
Mada kimatte imasen
まだ決まっていません
I have not decided yet
If the waiter approaches you to take your order, but you have not yet decided, you can say mada kimatte imasen (まだ決まっていません / まだきまっていません).
Eigo no menyu wa arimasu ka
英語のメニューはありますか
Do you have an English menu?
Some restaurants have menus with pictures on them to help the customer decide what they may like to eat. However, if you are having difficulty with the Japanese menu, don’t be afraid to ask if they have an English menu.
Okosama menyuu
お子様メニュー
Kid’s menu
If you are traveling with children you can request okosama menyuu (お子様メニュー / おこさまめにゅー) or ‘kid’s menu’. A kids menu dish usually comes in a fun little plate with little foods especially decorated to be appealing for children!
○○ wo kudasai / wo onegaishimasu
○○ をください / をお願いします
Can I please have ○○
If you do have to order via a real person, don’t fret just yet. It’s actually quite simple. Just remember this formula: ‘dish + amount + please’.
You can say ‘please’ in Japanese in two ways: kudasai (ください), or onegaishimasu (お願いします / おねがいします).
Example:
Ramen hitotsu kudasai
ラーメン一つください
らーめんひとつください
One ramen please
Biiru futatsu kudasai
ビール二つください
びーるふたつください
Two beers please
In these examples, we are saying the amount using a different type of counter in Japanese, the hitotsu system, a counter used for general objects.
It would also suffice to use hand signals and to point at the menu while saying kore kudasai / onegaishimasu, meaning ‘this please’.
Bejitarian / biigan you no ryouri ga arimasu ka
ベジタリアン / ヴィーガン 用の料理がありますか
Do you have any vegetarian / vegan dishes?
In Japan, not being a meat eater can be tough. Japan is famous for its Kobe beef, karaage (fried chicken) and tonkotsu (fried pork cutlet). Don’t panic just yet, there are always other options for non-meat eaters!
To see if the restaurant offers meat alternative options, you can ask bejitarian / biigan you no ryouri ga arimasu ka? (ベジタリアン / ヴェーガン 用の料理がありますか / べじたりあん / ゔぇーがん ようのりょうりがありますか).
Most restaurants will be happy to accommodate you, and find you delicious options that are not just french fries!
Some of my vegan friends use an app called Happy Cow which helps locate vegan restaurants in your vicinity.
Arerugii
アレルギー
Allergy
‘Allergy’ in Japanese is arerugii (アレルギー / あれるぎー).
You may find yourself trying new dishes for the first time in Japan, those of which you might not be so familiar which ingredients they may contain. That’s why it can be a great help to inform the server of any allergies you may have.
Common allergies
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
Milk | ミルク / 牛乳 | みるく / ぎゅうにゅう | miruku / gyuunyuu |
Peanuts | ピーナッツ | びーなっつ | piinattsu |
Egg | 卵 | たまご | tamago |
Wheat | 小麦 | こむぎ | komugi |
Soy | 大豆 | だいず | daizu |
Fish | 魚 | さかな | sakana |
Shellfish | 貝 | かい | kai |
To say ‘I’m allergic to X” in Japanese, state the name of your allergy from the table above, followed by the phrase ni arerugii ga arimasu (にアレルギーがあります).
For example:
komugi ni arerugii ga arimasu
小麦にアレルギーがあります
こむぎ あれるぎー が ある
I’m allergic to wheat
Phrases to use while eating
Itadakimasu
いただきます
I humbly receive (this meal) (thank you for the food)
Itadakimasu (頂きます / いただきます) comes from the polite humble verb ‘to receive’ in Japanese. Just before eating, one’s hands are put together and the phrase itadakimasu is uttered as a way of saying thank you for the meal you are about to dig into.
Oishii
美味しい
Delicious
‘Delicious’ in Japanese is oishii (美味しい / おいしい). With all the different types of mouth-watering dishes you are sure to come across in Japan, you will find yourself uttering oishii over and over again!
Kanpai
乾杯
Cheers
Kanpai (乾杯 / かんぱい) is ‘cheers’ in Japanese. If you visit an izakaya (a Japanese bar), you are sure to hear happy patrons shouting kanpai while clinking their glasses together.
Okawari kudasai
お代わりください
More please
If you find yourself wanting more after finishing the first portion of food/drink, you can ask okawari kudasai (お代わりください / おかわりください) which means ‘can I have a second helping?’ or ‘the same again, please!’
Now you’re ready to hit the restaurants in Japan!
We hope you found this guide to Japanese restaurant vocabulary helpful! If you’re planning a trip to Japan, you’ll also want to check out these related posts for more essential vocab:
Want to take it one step further and learn Japanese online ready for your trip? Our top recommended Japanese course is JapanesePod101.
They have hundreds of fun, bite-sizes audio lessons so you can learn on the go, plus fun print outs, worksheets and other resources online. You can sign up for free!
JapanesePod101 is our top recommendation to learn Japanese online. We love the fun, current audio lessons and interactive online tools. Sign up for your free lifetime account and see for yourself!
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Hannah is a half Irish/half Japanese girl living in Ireland. Her love for Japan and the Japanese language led her to studying languages and translation in university where she specialised in Japanese. She spent a year studying abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In her free time, Hannah enjoys using her sewing machine to upcycle clothes and create new pieces!