Field guide

Japanese Restaurant Etiquette: Tipping, Chopsticks and the Bill

Published October 13, 2026 · by Small Things, Japan

Eating out is one of the best parts of a trip to Japan: noodles at a tiny counter, a set meal on a tray, small plates at an izakaya (a Japanese pub), sushi gliding past on a conveyor belt. It can also feel a little mysterious the first time. Where do you pay? What is the hot towel for? Is it rude to slurp?

The good news: restaurant manners in Japan are simple, and staff are used to first-time visitors. This guide walks through a meal from the door to the register.

Momiji's tip: Japanese restaurants run on small, quiet signals. A nod, a "sumimasen", a "thank you" on the way out. You don't need perfect Japanese, just a friendly face.

Want to see it first? Walk through it in 3D with Momiji.

The 30-second version

If you only remember two things, make it these.

Everything else you will pick up after a meal or two.

Walking in: lines, numbers and seats

When you step inside, staff will usually call out irasshaimase ("welcome"). It is a greeting, not a question, so there is no need to answer. A smile or a small nod is perfect.

Next, someone will often ask how many people are in your group: Nanmei-sama desu ka? Just hold up the right number of fingers. Then wait to be shown to a seat, unless you see people simply sitting wherever they like.

Lines. Popular places often have a line outside. Join it at the end and wait your turn. A few habits help:

• Some shops will only seat your group when everyone has arrived, so try not to hold a place in line for friends who are still on the way.
• Some places have a sheet or a tablet by the door where you write your name and group size, then wait to be called. If you see one, use it.

Shoes. At some restaurants with low tables and tatami mats, you take your shoes off before you step up to your seat. If you see a step and a row of shoes, take yours off at the edge and line them up neatly.

Ticket machines first. At many ramen shops and some casual set-meal places, there is a machine near the door. You buy a meal ticket (shokken) first, then hand it to the staff or place it on the counter when you sit.

Small extras: oshibori, water, and calling staff

Once you sit down, a few small things often arrive without asking.

Oshibori. This is a small wet towel, sometimes hot, sometimes cold, rolled up or in a plastic packet. It is for wiping your hands before the meal. Fold it and leave it beside your plate. It is meant for your hands, not your face or the table.

Water. Many places bring a glass of cold water as soon as you sit, and it is usually free (source: JNTO). At some places there is a jug or a water machine for self-service instead.

Calling staff. In Japan, staff often wait to be called rather than checking on you. When you are ready to order or need something, raise your hand a little and say sumimasen ("excuse me"). Many restaurants also have a small call button on the table, and some use a tablet for ordering.

Pointing at the menu and saying kore, onegaishimasu ("this one, please") works well everywhere.

Itadakimasu and gochisōsama

Before eating, many people put their hands together briefly and say itadakimasu. After the meal, they say gochisōsama deshita. Both are small ways of giving thanks for the food and for the people who made it.

A quiet itadakimasu to yourself is perfectly normal. But a gochisōsama deshita to the staff as you leave, especially at a small counter shop, is one of the nicest things you can say.

Chopstick rules that really matter

You don't need perfect chopstick skills, and many restaurants will bring a fork if you ask. What matters is a short list of things not to do. Several of them echo customs from Japanese funerals, which is why they make people uneasy at the table (source: JNTO).

• Don't stand chopsticks upright in your rice. Rest them on the chopstick holder (hashioki). If there is no holder, lay them across the edge of your bowl or plate. You can also fold the paper wrapper into a tiny rest.
• Don't pass food from your chopsticks to someone else's chopsticks. If you want to share a bite, put it on their plate instead.
• Don't stab food with your chopsticks to pick it up.
• Don't point at people or wave your chopsticks around while you talk.
• Don't use them to pull dishes toward you. Use your hand.

On the other hand, a few things that might feel odd at home are fine in Japan. Lifting your rice bowl or soup bowl closer to your mouth is normal, and drinking miso soup straight from the bowl is how most people do it.

Slurping is fine

At noodle shops, you will hear it right away: people slurp. For ramen, soba and udon, slurping is normal at many places, and nobody will think twice if you do it too.

You don't have to slurp if it feels strange.

One thing better avoided: blowing your nose hard at the table. Step outside or to the restroom instead.

Sharing plates at an izakaya

At an izakaya, people usually order several small dishes for the table and share them. Ask for small plates for sharing by saying torizara, onegaishimasu.

Use the serving chopsticks or spoon if there are some. If there are none, you can ask for extra chopsticks. Some people turn their own chopsticks around and use the other end to take food from a shared plate, but not everyone likes this, so it is easiest to just ask.

Otoshi. At many izakaya, a small dish arrives soon after you sit down, even though you didn't order it. This is often called otoshi, and it usually appears on the bill as a kind of table charge. Not every izakaya does this, and the custom varies by place (source: JNTO). If you are unsure, ask politely when you sit down, or simply enjoy it as part of the experience.

At kaiten-zushi (conveyor-belt sushi), take only the plates you will eat, and don't put a plate back once you have taken it. Stack your empty plates as you go, because they are often counted for the bill.

Allergies and dietary needs

If you have a food allergy or a strict diet, it is worth preparing before you go, because ingredients are not always obvious from the menu.

• Carry a short note in Japanese that names what you can't eat, for example wheat, eggs, nuts or shellfish, and whether even a small amount is a problem. Show it before you order.
• Ask, even if the dish looks safe. Soy sauce is usually made with wheat, and fish-based stock is used in many dishes (source: MAFF). Vegetarian-looking dishes may still use fish stock.
• Understand the limits. Packaged foods in shops list major allergens, but restaurant menus often don't (source: Consumer Affairs Agency). Small kitchens share pans and oil, so staff may not be able to promise that something is completely free of an ingredient. If they say they are not sure, believe them, and choose something else.

Being a good guest: photos, smoking and time

Photos. Taking a quick photo of your own food is common, and most places don't mind. A few habits keep it polite:

• Don't photograph other customers or staff without asking.
• Turn off the flash, and keep it quick, so the noodles don't go soft while you shoot.
• Some shops put up "no photos" signs. If you see one, follow it.

Smoking. Japan's national law restricts smoking indoors, including in most restaurants. Places where smoking is allowed must show a sign at the entrance, and people under 20, including children, are not allowed in smoking areas (source: MHLW). Whether a smoking room or smoking seats exist depends on the restaurant, so check the sign at the door if it matters to you.

Time. At a small, busy shop with a line outside, people usually leave soon after they finish eating, so the next person can sit. Save the long chat for a café or an izakaya. Some places do set a time limit, especially for all-you-can-drink courses, and staff will tell you when you are seated.

Paying: the register and the ticket machine

In most restaurants in Japan, you don't pay at the table.

At the register. When you are ready to leave, take the bill (it is often left on your table, sometimes in a small holder) to the register near the door. If you can't find it, say okaikei, onegaishimasu ("the bill, please"). Some restaurants, often more formal ones, do take payment at the table, and staff will let you know.

At the ticket machine. At shops with a meal ticket machine, you already paid when you came in. Choose your dish on the machine, put in your money or pay another way if the machine allows it, and take the ticket. Some machines only take cash, so it helps to carry some. If the buttons are only in Japanese, look for photos or ask staff for help.

When you leave a ticket-machine shop, a gochisōsama deshita on the way out is all you need. At some counter shops, people place their empty bowl on the raised counter and wipe their spot with a paper napkin before going. If you see others doing it, you can too.

Don't tip — here's why

This is the one that surprises visitors most. In Japan, there is no need to calculate a tip or leave coins on the table. You only need to pay the amount on the bill, and a simple "thank you" is more than enough (source: JNTO).

If you do leave money behind, staff may politely try to hand it back, or simply be unsure what to do with it. The kindest thing is to say gochisōsama deshita and smile.

Some restaurants and hotels include a service charge in the bill (source: JNTO). That is not a tip you choose to leave; it is already part of what you pay, so there is nothing extra to do.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a reservation? For casual places like ramen shops and set-meal restaurants, usually not. You just walk in or join the line. For popular or formal restaurants, booking ahead is a good idea.

Can I go in alone? Yes. Eating alone is very common in Japan, and counter seats are made for it.

Can I ask for a fork? Of course. Many restaurants have one, and nobody will think less of you.

When things vary by place

Japan's restaurants are not one rulebook. A few things really do change from one place to the next:

• Where you pay. Usually at the register, sometimes at the table or a ticket machine.
• Otoshi. Common at many izakaya, but not everywhere.
• Smoking. Check the sign at the door.

When in doubt, watch the people around you for a moment and do what they do.

Momiji's tip: If you are not sure what to do, just ask. "Sumimasen" plus a curious look gets you a long way in a Japanese restaurant.

Use the checklist and watch Momiji

All five restaurant manners in this guide live on our checklist. Tap "Restaurant" to see only the food cards, tick them off as you learn them, and watch Momiji act out the chopstick rules step by step.

New to Japan? Start with our guide to Japanese etiquette for first-time visitors, which covers the manners that matter most, from onsen to trains. Grabbing a quick snack instead? See our convenience store guide. You can also find short videos on our YouTube channel, Small Things, Japan.

Small manners, warmer journeys. Enjoy every bite.