Guide
Soba & udon shops
Ticket machines, menu vocabulary, noodle customs and cash-only payment.
Finding a restaurant2
- 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.
Ordering4
- How to read a ticket machineShops that use a ticket machine (shokken-ki) often place their most popular items in a similar spot.
- Words you'll see on a menuWhat common menu and chalkboard words mean, plus how to read "〇〇 free" offers.
- Words about taste and cookingBroth types, spice levels, and noodle firmness — words you're often asked to choose when ordering.
- How Japanese seasoning tends to tasteWhy Japanese food can taste mild to some visitors, the role dashi and umami play as a flavor base, what soy sauce, miso, mirin, and vinegar each contribute, what "spicy" usually means, and adjusting flavor at the table.
Manners2
- 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.
- Noodle customsFrom soba-yu to kaedama refills and slurping, a few customs make it easier to navigate soba, udon, and ramen shops.
Paying1
Foods you'll meet here
Other scenes
- Ramen shops
- Sushi restaurants
- Izakaya & yakitori
- Teishoku, shokudo & neighborhood Chinese
- Yakiniku, shabu-shabu & hot pot
- All-you-can-eat & drink
- Kissaten, cafés & sweets shops
- Convenience stores & supermarkets
- Depachika, regional fairs & antenna shops
- Stations & airports
- Markets, morning markets & michi-no-eki
- Festivals, street stalls & beer gardens
- Breweries & factory tours