Top Useful Japanese Restaurant Phrases and Vocabulary

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:

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:

• Japanese Food Words
• Basic Japanese Phrases for Travelers to Japan

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!

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Hannah Stafford

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!