Guide
Kissaten, cafés & sweets shops
Manners at kissaten, cafés and sweets shops, seating, menu vocabulary, and dining with kids.
Finding a restaurant3
- Signs that show whether a shop is openWhat signs like 営業中 (open) and 準備中 (not open yet) mean, plus notices about last order, private bookings, and full seating.
- Opening hours, midday breaks, and last ordersThe midday break between lunch and dinner service, when last orders typically close, and shops that open early or stay open late — what to check before you visit.
- Dining with kids, a wheelchair, or big luggagePractical notes on eating out with children, getting around with a wheelchair, and what to do with a suitcase or large bags.
Ordering2
- What staff say, and how to respondCommon set phrases you'll hear at restaurants, with what they mean and what to do when you hear them. You don't need to memorize them — just recognizing them is enough.
- Words you'll see on a menuWhat common menu and chalkboard words mean, plus how to read "〇〇 free" offers.
Manners3
- Basic table mannersFrom what itadakimasu means, to getting seated, chopstick basics and what to avoid, how to hold your dishes, and the culture of not leaving food — the everyday manners that apply no matter where you eat.
- Seating and table mannersRemoving shoes for tatami seating, using an oshibori, and a few habits around chopsticks and shared dishes.
- At kissaten, cafes, and kanmi-dokoroThe difference between jun-kissa and chain cafes, the morning-set custom, and kanmi-dokoro staples like anmitsu and zenzai.
Foods you'll meet here
Other scenes
- Ramen shops
- Soba & udon shops
- Sushi restaurants
- Izakaya & yakitori
- Teishoku, shokudo & neighborhood Chinese
- Yakiniku, shabu-shabu & hot pot
- All-you-can-eat & drink
- Convenience stores & supermarkets
- Depachika, regional fairs & antenna shops
- Stations & airports
- Markets, morning markets & michi-no-eki
- Festivals, street stalls & beer gardens
- Breweries & factory tours