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How to Choose a Japanese Restaurant?
Complete guide to make the right choice based on your situation
With more than 380,000 restaurants in Japan, choosing where to eat can seem intimidating. This guide helps you select the perfect Japanese restaurant according to your budget, tastes, group and comfort level with Japanese culture.
🎯 What you'll learn:
- • 4 key factors for choosing a Japanese restaurant
- • 6 types of restaurants from simplest to most complex
- • Practical tips to avoid traps
- • Budget guide with specific recommendations
The 4 Key Factors for Choosing
Budget
- Economical (¥500-1500): Chains like Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Sushiro
- Medium (¥1500-3000): Family restaurants, premium ramen
- High (¥3000+): Traditional sushi-ya, gastronomic restaurants
Type of experience
- Authentic: Small local restaurants, traditional izakaya
- Practical: Modern chains with multilingual interface
- Cultural: Restaurants with demonstrations, cooking classes
Group composition
- Solo: Ramen counters, kaiten-zushi, vending machines
- Couple: Romantic restaurants, intimate izakaya
- Family: Family chains, children's menu, spacious areas
Hours
- 24/7: Sukiya, McDonald's Japan, some Yoshinoya
- Lunch: Teishoku, bento, business restaurants
- Dinner: Izakaya, gastronomic restaurants, teppanyaki
Restaurant Types by Difficulty Level
Japanese fast-food chains
YoshinoyaMatsuyaSukiya
Best for:
Tight budget, speed, first experience
Price:
¥300-1000
Difficulty:
Very easy
Restaurants with vending machines, simple menus and clearly displayed prices.
Kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi)
SushiroKura SushiHama Sushi
Best for:
Sushi discovery, families, budget control
Price:
¥100-300/plate
Difficulty:
Easy
Intuitive conveyor belt system, multilingual tablets, fixed prices by plate color.
Family restaurants
GustoSaizeriyaJonathan's
Best for:
Groups, varied menu, casual atmosphere
Price:
¥800-2000
Difficulty:
Easy
Tablet menus, wide choice of dishes, table service, suitable for non-Japanese speakers.
Specialized ramen-ya
IchiranIppudolocal restaurants
Best for:
Authentic ramen experience, quick meal
Price:
¥800-1500
Difficulty:
Medium
Specialized in ramen, often with vending machines, some with individual booths.
Traditional izakaya
TorikizokuWatamilocal establishments
Best for:
Social experience, cultural discovery, evening
Price:
¥2000-4000
Difficulty:
Difficult
Authentic Japanese atmosphere, voice ordering, variety of small dishes and alcohol.
High-end restaurants
Sushi JiroKappoKaiseki
Best for:
Special occasions, gastronomic experience
Price:
¥8000-30000+
Difficulty:
Very difficult
Reservation required, strict etiquette, often no English, deep cultural experience.
Practical Tips
Recognize a good Japanese restaurant
- Queue of locals = generally good sign
- Laminated menu with photos = accessible to foreigners
- Vending machine = simple and economical system
- Multilingual tablets = easy ordering
- Food samples in window = helps decision making
Avoid tourist traps
- Avoid restaurants with touts
- Be wary if menu is only in English near tourist sites
- Excessively high prices without quality justification
- Complete absence of Japanese customers
- Pressure to order quickly
Dietary adaptation
- Vegetarian: Saizeriya, some kaiten-zushi (inari, cucumber)
- Halal: look for certification, avoid pork and alcohol in cooking
- Allergies: prepare explanatory cards in Japanese
- Vegan: more difficult, favor specialized restaurants
- Translation apps for ingredients
Budget Guide and Recommendations
Small budget (¥500-1500/meal)
- Gyudon:Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Matsuya
- Kaiten-zushi:Sushiro, Hama Sushi
- Bento:konbini (Seven-Eleven, Lawson)
- Udon/Soba:Marugame Seimen, Hanamaru
Medium budget (¥1500-3000/meal)
- Family restaurants:Gusto, Saizeriya
- Premium ramen:Ippudo, Ichiran
- Tonkatsu:specialized chains
- Japanese curry:CoCo Ichibanya
High budget (¥3000+/meal)
- Traditional sushi:local sushi-ya
- Kaiseki:refined traditional cuisine
- Teppanyaki:culinary show
- Wagyu:restaurants specialized in premium beef
Summary: Your Checklist for Choosing
🎯 Questions to ask yourself:
- • What is my budget per meal?
- • Am I alone or in a group?
- • Do I want an authentic or practical experience?
- • Do I have dietary restrictions?
- • Am I comfortable with the language barrier?
✅ Recommendations for beginners:
- • First trip: Chains with vending machines (Yoshinoya, Sukiya)
- • Sushi: Kaiten-zushi (Sushiro, Kura Sushi)
- • Family: Family restaurants (Gusto, Saizeriya)
- • Experience: Specialized ramen (Ichiran, Ippudo)
- • Gastronomy: Book in advance, learn about etiquette