VocabularyTravelCulture
Essential Japanese Food & Restaurant Vocabulary
27 June 2026 · Mozhippattru Japanese Language School
Few things make travel more fun than ordering food in Japanese. Here are the essentials.
Common foods
ご飯 (gohan, rice/meal), 寿司 (sushi), ラーメン (rāmen), 肉 (niku, meat), 魚 (sakana, fish), 野菜 (yasai, vegetables), 水 (mizu, water), お茶 (ocha, tea).
Restaurant phrases
- メニューをください — the menu, please.
- これをください — I''ll have this, please.
- おすすめは何ですか — what do you recommend?
- お会計をお願いします — the bill, please.
- いただきます / ごちそうさまでした — said before and after eating.
Good to know
Tipping is not customary in Japan. Many restaurants have ticket machines or picture menus, making ordering easy even for beginners.
Learn ten food words and five phrases and you''ll eat well anywhere in Japan.
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