How to read a vertical menu

Many traditional shops display their menu as vertical strips of paper on the wall instead of (or alongside) a printed menu.

Where the recommendations tend to go

The top-right area is often used for the chef's picks or most popular items — though this depends entirely on the shop.

How to read it

• Vertical Japanese text reads top-to-bottom, right-to-left
• The price is usually written below or to the left of the item name
• Daily specials are sometimes marked on a different color of paper

Even if you can't read the characters, pointing at the strip works at almost every shop.