Even if you've managed to book a Japanese restaurant without using any Japanese, once you're there, sitting at the table, menu in hand, you might feel a sudden wave of nervousness. Where to start?
Although you may find restaurants with English menus in major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya, learning a little Japanese will grant you access to an even higher caliber of tasty, authentic Japanese food.
That’s why our Japan restaurant phrases guide exists, after all, but we’re also going to share our knowledge on Japanese menus and what you can expect to find.
The more you can read, the more you can eat!
Common Japanese menu sections
To read a menu in Japanese, you need to know your way around the different sections that might pop up. Let’s get into it:
Food: 食べ物 (tabemono) or フード (food)
Drinks: 飲み物 (nomimono) or ドリンク (drink)
Alcohol: お酒 (osake)
Small dishes: おつまみ (otsumami) – Similar to tapas, to order with your drink. This typically includes salty foods that go well with alcohol, such as salted edamame
Recommendations: おすすめ (osusume) – Recommended items or seasonal dishes (an excellent place to start if you don’t know what to order!)
Closing dish: しめ (shime) – A closing dish, usually savory. Pro tip: Look for the 〆 symbol!
Desserts: デザート (dezato)
Common Japanese food categories
But the categorization of food in Japanese menus goes a little further than this.
Most menus will have subcategories within their main menu that will group dishes of a certain kind together so that diners can quickly find what they're looking for.
Brush up on these and you’ll be whizzing through the menu like a pro:
Osashimi (お刺身): sashimi or fresh seafood platters
Kushimono (串物): food that comes on a skewer, such as yakitori, kushikatsu, and grilled vegetables
Himono (干物): dried food, especially dried fish that you can eat with a dip
Nimono (煮物): braised comfort foods, such as pork belly, kabocha, and fish like tilapia
Salad (サラダ): salads made with fresh, seasonal vegetables
Yakimono (焼き物): fried or grilled foods such as tamagoyaki (rolled omelet) or yakisoba
Agemono (揚げ物): deep-fried foods like karaage, tonkatsu, and korokke
Gohanmono (ご飯物): rice dishes, typically consumed at the end of the meal
Donburi (丼ぶり): foods that come in a bowl, such as kaisendon (seafood bowl) or oyakodon (chicken and egg), are served over rice
Meshi (飯): rice dishes, typically ones that come in their own pot
Yaki (焼き): fried or grilled foods
Awase (合わせ): assorted or mixed dishes
Maki (巻き): rolled sushi
Temaki (手巻き): hand-rolled sushi that comes in a cone shape
Nigiri (握り): sushi without the seaweed; just one bite’s worth of rice topped with a fish slice
Higawari (日替わり): a restaurant’s daily special
More food-related Japanese that’s good to know
Otoshi (お通し): a small dish that’s served at many spots in place of a seating charge
Tabehodai (食べ放題): all-you-can-eat — this normally comes with a time limit and specific menus you can order from
Nomihodai (飲み放題): all-you-can-drink — this also has a set time limit and specific menus you can order from, with prices changing based on the types of drinks you’d like to include
Ippin ryori (一品料理): à la carte — this one isn’t as common, but simply refers to ordering individually items from a menu
Yakiniku (焼肉): grilled meat, normally served on skewers and grilled by yourself
Yakitori (焼き鳥): grilled chicken
Tonkatsu (トンカツ): breaded pork cutlet
Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き): an Osaka specialty, mixing batter, shredded cabbage, and your choice of ingredients into a filling, savory pancake
Unagi (鰻): freshwater eel, often served on top of rice
Soba (そば): buckwheat noodles, served hot or cold in a variety of dishes and broths
Udon (うどん): thick, chewy wheat noodles, served hot or cold
Teishoku (定食): a “set meal,” often made up of traditional Japanese ingredients, featuring a main dish, a side of rice, miso soup, and a selection of vegetables or tsukemono (pickled foods)
Common allergens on Japanese ingredients
Prawn: Ebi (海老・えび) — this is one to watch out for as it’s included in a lot of dishes you might not expect
Shellfish: Kairui (貝類) — covering all forms of shellfish that might be included in a dish or its flavoring
Wheat: Mugi (麦) — one for Coeliacs to watch out for, wheat is included in lots of Japanese noodles, chips, baked goods, beer, cereals, pasta, pizza, and so much more!
Meat: Niku (肉) — this is self-explanatory, but worth keeping an eye out for if you’re vegetarian or vegan
Fish: Sakana (魚) — fish finds its way into a lot of Japanese dishes, so don’t be surprised to see this popping up in dishes you never expected!
Bonito fish: Tsuo or fushi (つお・節) — many times, if fish appears, this is the fish they’re talking about, used in a lot of traditional Japanese broths for flavoring
Egg: Tamago (卵) — one to avoid if you’re vegan, of course
Dairy: Nyuuseihin (乳製品) — another important word to watch out for if you’re avoiding all dairy products
Soy: (ソイ) — great as a vegan alternative, but not so great if you’re allergic to soy
Gelatin: Zerachin (ゼラチン) — just like in the West, gelatine can be found in a lot of desserts, including jelly and chewy sweets
Nuts: Nattsu (ナッツ) — watch out for this ingredient if you have any nut allergies; you may be able to ask for any nuts to be removed if they’re only used as a garnish. For guidance, use our Japanese phrases for dining out guide
Different types of restaurants in Japan
Japanese bar: Izakaya (居酒屋) — a traditional Japanese bar, often filled with locals, alcohol, and good conversation
Family restaurant: Famiresu (ファミレス) — called as such because they’re affordable, accessible, and have menus with options for all ages and tastes
Pub: Pabbu (パブ) — Modeled after the traditional British pub, experience a taste of the UK at places like Hub or Hobgoblin
Standing bar: Tachinomi (立ち飲み) — just like it sounds, this is a small bar where you stand while you drink. They’re often quite small, only having room for a few drinkers at a time!
Hot pot: Shabu shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ) — restaurants that specialize in hot pot, where you cook meat and vegetables in a variety of different broths
Buffet: Baikingu (バイキング) — an all-you-can-eat buffet, named after Scandinavian Vikings because the original name of smörgåsbord was too hard to say. Intrigued? Find out more.
Conveyor belt sushi: Kaitenzushi (回転寿司) — the classic conveyor belt sushi restaurants that Japan is famous for, bringing delicious sushi to your table
Multi-course Japanese meal: Kaiseki ryori (懐石料理) — the traditional art of many dishes being served, ranging in colors, textures, and flavors to represent the season’s changing ingredients
Teppanyaki: 鉄板焼き — various meats and vegetables grilled on an iron griddle, either cooked by yourself or a designated chef before your very eyes
Ramen: ラーメン — everyone’s favorite bowl of noodles, with unlimited variations between regions!
Ordering your food
If you go to a fast-food chain or conveyor belt sushi restaurant, you might order on a tablet, not with a waiter. Here are a few terms to navigate the ordering process in a digital format:
Modoru (戻る): go back or return to the previous page
Torikesu (取り消す): erase or remove
Kakunin (確認): confirm
Chumon suru (注文する): to order or check out
If you’re dealing with an in-person server, ordering verbally is relatively simple. All you need to do is say the name of the dish followed by “Kudasai,” or “Please.” If you want to specify a certain number, you can say “(name of dish) o hitotsu (one)/futatsu (two)/mitsu (three)/yotsu (four) kudasai.” There are other counters such as “ko” for small things and “mai” for flat things, but you can usually get away with the “tsu” counter (plus, it’s much easier to remember)!
If all else fails, you can always point to an item on the menu and say “Kore kudasai,” or “This please.” Simple, but effective!
For a more detailed explanation of ordering in a Japanese restaurant, check out our full guide for dining out in Japan, including many more must-know Japanese phrases!
If you’re wondering how to order from a Japanese menu, it sounds like you’re eating out in Japan soon! Get to grips with ordering in Japanese, or let us give you a helping hand with vegan and vegetarian food in Japan with our vegan guides in Tokyo and Kyoto.
