Guide
Yakiniku, shabu-shabu & hot pot
Manners at yakiniku, shabu-shabu and hot pot, all-you-can-eat customs, sharing, and queues.
Finding a restaurant2
- Reservations and queuesFrom phone reservations still being the norm at many shops, to how queues work, seating alone at the counter, and asking a hotel for help.
- 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.
Ordering1
Manners5
- 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 yakiniku, shabu-shabu, and hot potGrilling your own meat at yakiniku, swishing thin slices at shabu-shabu, and sharing from the pot — the customs behind each.
- Eating aloneDining alone is completely normal in Japan. Here's how to find shops that welcome solo diners, and a few things worth knowing.
- Sharing plates and using serving chopsticksHow dishes get shared at izakaya and Chinese diners, when to use serving chopsticks, why some meals aren't meant to be split, and what happens to what's left on the plate.
Foods you'll meet here
Other scenes
- Ramen shops
- Soba & udon shops
- Sushi restaurants
- Izakaya & yakitori
- Teishoku, shokudo & neighborhood Chinese
- 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