Essential Japanese Restaurant Phrases for Travelers in Japan

Kaname Naito

Entering and Being Seated [00:00:18]

When entering a Japanese restaurant, izakaya, or similar establishment, you will typically be greeted with "Irasshaimase!"

• "Irasshaimase!" (Welcome!) [00:00:25]

  • This is a standard welcome greeting from staff.
  • You do not need to verbally reply to this greeting.
  • A polite non-verbal response is to perform a slight bow, known as "eshaku" (えしゃく / 会釈). [00:00:41]
    • A gentle smile can accompany the bow.

      

• Stating Your Party Size [00:01:01]

  • Staff will likely ask how many people are in your party.
  • Japanese phrases for party size:
    • "Hitori desu" (ひとりです): One person.
    • "Futari desu" (ふたりです): Two persons.
    • "San nin desu" (さんにんです): Three persons.
    • For more than three people, use English numbers followed by "desu". [00:01:17]
      • Example: "Five desu" or "Six desu."
      • Adding "desu" (です) at the end makes the sentence polite.

        

• Handling a Wait [00:01:40]

  • If there's a wait, staff might explain it in Japanese, which you might not understand. [00:01:43]
  • Understanding the situation: If you hear English numbers like "thirty minutes, wait, okay?", you can infer the waiting time. [00:02:20]
  • If you are willing to wait:
    • Say "Machimasu" (待ちます): I'll wait. [00:02:32]
  • If you are not willing to wait and want to leave:
    • Say "Ja, daijobu desu" (じゃ、だいじょうぶです。): Alright then, no thanks, I'm fine. [00:02:38]
    • This phrase is very useful for politely declining.

      

Ordering Food and Drinks [00:03:42]

Once seated, you'll want to order.

• Receiving Water [00:02:57]

  • Staff will typically bring a glass of water.
  • Saying "Thank you":
    • The formal "Arigatō gozaimasu" (ありがとうございます。) is too long for this simple action. [00:03:05]
    • A shorter, easier, and appropriate way to say a light "thank you" is "Domo" (どうも). [00:03:25]
      • A slight bow can accompany "Domo."

        

• Asking for Recommendations / English Menu [00:03:46]

  • If you don't understand the menu:
    • "Osume arimasuka?" (おすすめありますか？): Do you have any recommendations? [00:04:30]
      • "Osume" (おすすめ) means "recommendation."
      • "Arimasuka?" (ありますか？) means "Do you have...?" and is highly versatile. You can also use it to ask for "Biru arimasuka?" (Beer, please?) [00:04:16] or "Kōri arimasuka?" (Ice, please?) [00:04:22].

        

        

        

    • If they recommend something, you can simply order it:
      • "Ja sore de!" (じゃ、それで！): Okay, I'll have that! [00:04:52]
    • "Eego menyū arimasuka?" (英語メニューありますか？): Do you have an English menu? [00:05:23]
      • "Eego menyū" (英語メニュー) means "English menu."

        

• Ordering Specific Items [00:05:45]

  • Pointing to order:
    • Point at the item you want on the menu and say "Kore kudasai." (これください。): Please give me this. [00:06:07]
      • "Kore" (これ) means "this."
      • "Kudasai" (ください) means "please give me."

        

        

        

  • Ordering multiple items:
    • Point to each item and connect them with "to" (と): "Kore to kore to kore kudasai." (Please give me this, this, and this.) [00:06:21]

      

• Specifying Size or Type [00:06:47]

  • If asked about size (e.g., "Large size, medium size, small size"), you can pick an option. [00:06:38]
  • Picking an option with "de":
    • "Raji saizu de." (ラージサイズで。): Large size. [00:07:01]
  • Adding "onegaishimasu" for politeness:
    • To sound more polite, add "onegaishimasu" (おねがいします) after your choice. [00:07:14]
      • "Midiamu saizu de onegaishimasu." (ミディアムサイズでお願いします。): Medium size, please. [00:07:18]
      • "Onegaishimasu" acts like "please."

        

        

  • Other common requests using "onegaishimasu":
    • "Teikuauto onegaishimasu." (テイクアウトお願いします。): Takeout, please. [00:07:25]
    • "Dezāto onegaishimasu." (デザートお願いします。): Dessert, please. [00:07:31]
  • Requesting items using "kudasai":
    • "Omizu kudasai." (お水ください。): Please give me water. [00:07:43]
    • "Ocha kudasai." (お茶ください。): Please give me tea. [00:07:49]
    • "Nihonshu kudasai." (日本酒ください。): Please give me sake. [00:07:53]

      

      

• Specifying Quantity with English Numbers [00:08:01]

  • You can use English numbers before "kudasai" to specify quantity.
  • Example: "Biru three kudasai." (ビールスリーください。): Please give me three beers. [00:08:16]

    

Paying and Leaving [00:08:26]

Once you've finished your meal, it's time to pay and depart.

• Asking for the Bill [00:08:26]

  • "Okaikei onegaishimasu." (お会計お願いします。): Bill, please. [00:08:29]

• How to Pay [00:08:32]

  • Staff might ask "Oshiharai wa?" or "Oshiharai wa dō shimasu ka?" (お支払いはどうしますか？): How would you like to pay? [00:08:36]
  • Specifying payment method with "de":
    • "Kurejitto kādo de." (クレジットカードで。): With credit card. [00:08:44]
    • "Kasshu de." (キャッシュで。): With cash.
  • Adding "onegaishimasu" for politeness:
    • "Kurejitto kādo de onegaishimasu." (クレジットカードでお願いします。): Credit card, please. [00:08:59]

      

      

• Leaving the Restaurant [00:09:06]

  • Staff will usually say "Arigatō gozaimashita. Mata o-koshi kudasai." (ありがとうございました。またお越しください。): Thank you very much. Please come again. [00:09:07]
  • Responding to their farewell:
    • A simple bow ("eshaku") is appropriate. [00:09:16]
    • You can also say "Domo!" (どうも！): Thanks! [00:09:22]

      

      

  • Giving positive feedback (optional):
    • "Oishikatta desu! Mata kimasu!" (美味しかったです！また来ます！): It was delicious! I'll come again! [00:09:31]
    • This phrase will surely make the staff happy.