Going to a restaurant in Japan

1. Never tip in restaurants in Japan. And by never I mean never.

If you decide to tip, it can even be considered offensive in certain situations and it will be probably refused. If you decide to leave a tip on a table and leave, waiter will probably chase you to return your money. So, do not tip in Japan

2. It is absolutely common in Japan to call a waiter by shouting "SUMIMASEN".

It is not considered rude at all.

3. How to make a reservation

3.1. The easiest and most obvious way is to ask an English speaking staff member (if there is one of course) at the reception desk of your hotel.

3.2. The most reliable way to do it by yourself is through google maps.

Find a restaurant on Google maps that you want to go to and look for a "reserve a table" button, then the rest is easy (you can check out a screenshot example for this one and for the next options as well).

3.3. If a restaurant's page on Google maps does not have such button, then you should look for its official website (then either find a button to switch website's language to English or use your web-browser's auto-translation function).

3.4. If neither of the last two options are available, there is a "Find a table" button which leads you to a number of Japanese reservation platforms such as Tabelog (TA-BE-RO-GU) , ikyu , gurunavi.com and then once again, either switch to an English version or use an auto-translation function on your phones browser.

3.5 Last but not least, you can try and make a phone call by yourself, hoping that the restaurant has an English speaking staff member (or you have someone who speaks Japanese)

4. I recommend to check if the restaurant is actually open when you plan to go to a restaurant in a less touristy area. It is always a good idea to do so making a phone call and asking:

Are you opened today? Japanese version: Kyō aite imasu ka?

You might think that this is unnecessary, but I've lost count of how many times I went to a place (usually in a very local areas) and it was closed despite that google maps were saying that the restaurant should be opened.

5. What is Omakase - it is a dining experience where the chef personally selects and prepares a series of dishes based on the freshest and most seasonal ingredients. So basically it is a multi course dinner and there is no menu at all. Be sure to tell the chef if you have any food allergies.

6. What is Teishoku - it is a type of traditional Japanese meal that typically consists of a main dish, rice, miso soup, pickles, and other side dishes. It is often served as a set meal in restaurants and is a popular choice for lunch or dinner in Japan.

7. Definitely check out the useful words and phrases in Japanese that can be used in restaurants in another Tips section called "Useful phrases and words in Japanese"

8. Do not stick chopsticks upright into the food (especially rice).

This is what is done during a funeral in Japan, so it should be avoided in everyday life.

9. Do not pass food from your chopsticks directly to another person's chopsticks.

Same reason as in the previous tip.