Read Me: For Venturing Local Restaurants in Japan

Hi everyone who want to go or is going to Japan,

I think that One of the pleasures of travel is eating delicious local foods, and you must want to try some Japanese food when traveling in Japan. I'm going to introduce some foods which Japanese have usually to you in the blog. But before that, I'm telling you basic things about local restaurants in Japan. Such information would help you to understand Japanese local restaurants and encourage to venture Japanese local restaurants!!

1. Order and Payment

There are some way to order meal and pay the bill/check, and I guess that you are not familiar with one of them.

• Pay at a vending machine and order (Unique way in Japan): There is a vending machine on the inside or outside of a restaurant. You put in some money and buy the ticket for your desired meal at the vending machine. Please don't forget to take the change!! You pass the ticket to a staff to order your meal after taking a seat.  
  
• Pick up some foods on shelves and paying: Many varieties of meals are on shelves on the inside of a restaurant. First of all, you take a tray somewhere at the restaurant. You pick your desired meals up from the shelves, pay the bill for the meal at register and take a seat.
  
• Order and paying at resister before eating: Normal way at fast food shops like McDonald's in the world.
• Paying after eating: Majority way at restaurants in the world.

2. Drinking Water

As I said on the article in the blog, tap water in Japan is potable. Many of local restaurants provide some iced/hot water, sometimes barley tea or green tea for free of charge. 
<Japanese lesson: Cold water="冷水", Hot water="温水", Barley tea="麦茶" and Green tea="緑茶">

• Be served a glass of water, and you ask a stuff another one each time. <Japanese Lesson: "Mizu"=Cold water, "Oyu"=hot water, "Ocha"=tea and "Kudasai"=Can I have>
  

• Be served a glass of water and a water pitcher.
   
• Be served a glass of water, and you refill a glass with a water pitcher nearby.
  
• Be served a glass of water, and you refill a glass with a water server.
  

3. A Wet Towel (Oshibori)

I guess that all of local restaurants in Japan provide a wet towel for you to wipe your hands clean for free of charge. Some of them provide a wet cloth towel, and the others provide a wet paper towel. I prefer the feeling of wet cloth towel. Some of Japanese men, especially over middle-aged men, often wipe their face with the cold cloth wet towel (in summer)/hot cloth wet towel (in winter). As a matter of fact, it is said that is not good manner. However, if you are interested in it, please try it. You may feel so good!

• A wet cloth towel (cold or hot).
   
• A wet paper towel (cold).
  

4. Chopsticks (Hashi)

As you may know, Japanese often use a pair of chopsticks and sometimes use fork, spoon or knife differently to eat a meal depending on menu what they have. 
Each local restaurants have a different way to provide chopsticks to customers, and most of restaurant provide throwaway wooden chopsticks. Don't forget to split apart a pair of chopsticks!!

<If you are not familiar with chopsticks, you can ask a staff to borrow fork, knife and spoon.>

• Put many pairs of chopsticks in a chopstick holder.
  
  
• Bring a pair of chopsticks with meal. <Japanese Lesson in case you dropped your chopsticks: "Ohashi"=chopsticks and "Kudasai"=Can I have.>
  
• Provide a pair of chopsticks for each person when you sit at a table.
  

I think that each of above topics are categorized enough and roughly, and every local restaurant combines them. So, you can enjoy finding what  combination a restaurant has. Additionally, Please don't worry about how you order, get some water and a pair of chopsticks, whether that wet towel is for free of charge.

Enjoy your trip in Japan! And see you in the next article of the blog!! 
"The ordinary for Japanese" must work to spice up your trip!