Japanese Restaurant Culture
May 24, 2022
As an American, it has long been ingrained in my head that it is impolite to directly call out to a waiter, instead it is preferred to wait until they approach the table to speak to them. Calling out to a waiter is typically reserved for when an issue arises. In Japan, however, it is a requirement to call out to a waiter for service. At first I was caught off guard and would feel guilty when addressing restaurant staff, but now I have come to see the benefits of the system. It’s up to the customer to decide when they’re ready for each step of the dining experience, which cuts down on any feelings of pressure. In the United States, once the waiter sets the bill on the table, there’s a sense that it is intrusive to continue to stay. Contrasted with Japan, the customer decides when they’re ready for the bill. Granted, this does not apply to “fast” restaurants such as ramen shops with limited seating and high throughput, where there is most certainly an implicit pressure to both eat and leave quickly.
At many casual restaurants in Japan, food ticket machines are used. Similar to a vending machine, the first step is to insert money or to tap an IC card where indicated for payment. The next step is to select your desired meal. Some machines have touch screens while others have physical buttons. There may or may not be images in addition to text indicating what each option is. The final step is to collect the ticket that is dispensed as well as your change. The restaurant staff will take your ticket, tear off half to keep, and then return the other half. Other restaurants may have tablets through which food can be ordered during the course of a meal.
My favorite part about living in Tokyo is how many small business restaurants there are. There’s just something very comforting about eating at a local shop decorated in an eclectic manner compared to the almost clinical environment of big chain restaurants where the “human” component of the business is often lost. My favorite restaurants are microcosms of Japan through the decades. An authentic environment with mismatched décor simply adds to the character of the restaurant in my book.
~ JHE
