Recently, there’s been some confusion about when sharing food in Japan is acceptable. There are some types of restaurants where this is okay, but others where each person must order his or her own meal.

Sharing Food in Japan

When we talk about sharing food in Japan, we mean two people going into a restaurant and ordering one plate to share. This doesn’t mean sharing food from each other’s plates. Let’s take a deep dive into each type of restaurant.

Izakaya

Izakaya are a Japanese-style bar and grill where you order dishes as the night progresses. You can order various dishes, and everyone at the table is expected to share. Some people have said that it’s similar to tapas in Spain.

Hanging out with friends at an Izakaya in Nagoya

Because dishes are shared, everyone at the table is expected to order a beverage. The beverage doesn’t have to be an alcoholic drink—it can be tea, soda, ginger ale, juice, etc.

There is also a table charge. Table charges are very common in Japan and usually not publicized. The table charge is per person and added to your bill at the end of your meal. If you’re worried about a table charge, you should ask the staff before you sit down.

Becki and Shawn with Tour Guests at an Izakaya

Another indicator that it’s a place where you share food is the presence of small plates on the table. Small plates are passed out to each person sitting at the table. As the orders arrive, everyone takes some food off the main plate and places it onto their small plate.

Shabu Shabu & Sukiyaki

These are restaurants with a hot pot in the center of the table. This style of dining is enjoyed by groups, family, and friends. Sharing is definitely expected in a restaurant like this.

Shabu Shabu – jimg944, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Usually, when you order, you order for the entire table. You order multiple dishes, and then everyone at the table shares them.

Yakiniku

Yakiniku is a Korean-style barbecue. There is a grill in the middle of the table, and again, you order for the entire table. You can order meats and vegetables, which are delivered to the table, and then everyone cooks the food at the table.

Yakiniku Dinner in Tokyo

At this type of restaurant, you’ll notice the small plates again, an indicator that it’s a shared dining experience. It’s customary to pick the food off the grill, place it on your small plate, and use the dipping sauces to enhance the flavor before you eat.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a very casual dining experience. Cooks prepare the food on a flat grill, and dishes are made to order.

Okonomiyaki Restaurant in Hiroshima

Even if you’ve never had okonomiyaki before and just want to try it, it’s usually not okay to share. Each person is expected to order their own okonomiyaki. However, if you and a friend each order a different kind—say, a cheese okonomiyaki and an oyster okonomiyaki—you can share from each other’s plates.

Becki at an Okonomiyaki Restaurant in Hiroshima

These restaurants usually only serve okonomiyaki, so when you go there, you’re expected to order a plate for yourself.

Family Restaurants

The most common family restaurant chains in Japan are Gusto, Saizeriya, Royal Host, and Bikkuri Donkey, which translates to Surprised Donkey.

At these places, ordering one plate and sharing it between two or more people is not acceptable. Each person is expected to order their own dish. However, once all the food has arrived, it’s okay to share what you ordered.

Fast Food

In Japan, you can find just about all the major fast food chains: McDonald’s, Mos Burger, Subway, Burger King, even Wendy’s.

MOS Burger in Hamamatsu, Japan

While it’s usually okay to share food at a fast food restaurant, it is probably frowned upon. Everyone should still order something, even if it’s just a drink. This is because most fast food places have very limited seating, and they expect only paying customers to occupy seats.

Food Stalls & Food Courts

These are very casual dining experiences. You go up, order your food, and then take it to a communal area to eat. Sharing is perfectly fine here.

Food Stalls at Takayama Festival

Food stalls and food courts are great places to try a bunch of different dishes. You can buy one plate, share it with someone, and then try something else from another stall. The only thing to keep in mind is not to occupy a table for too long, since seating is often limited.

Kaiseki

Kaiseki is a formal, traditional Japanese dining experience. Each person receives their own set meal.

Even though the set meal consists of many small dishes, two people cannot share one kaiseki meal. When you order kaiseki, you must specify how many people are dining, and a full set meal will be prepared for each individual.

Kaiseki Meal at a Ryokan

That said, if you’re with friends or family and someone doesn’t like a particular dish, it’s okay to share or trade it with someone else.

Sushi

Sushi can range from very casual to very formal.

At kaiten sushi (sushi-go-round) restaurants, small plates of sushi move around the restaurant on a conveyor belt. These are very casual, and you can go with a group of friends or as a couple. However, each person is expected to take at least one plate if they are occupying a seat.

A Kaiten Sushi Restaurant in Okayama, Japan

On the other hand, at high-end sushi restaurants, particularly those serving omakase sets, the dining experience is much more structured. Each person must order their own omakase set. You cannot simply share a few pieces of sushi from one set.

Many of these upscale sushi restaurants are very small—seating only 10 people at a time—so ordering properly is expected.

Noodle Shops

There are many kinds of noodle shops in Japan, including ramen, udon, and soba.

Visiting Our Favorite Ramen Restaurant in Nagoya, Japan

Sharing a bowl of noodles is not common and would seem very strange. Again, these shops are typically small, with limited seating, so every person occupying a seat is expected to order a meal.

Paying the Bill

In Japan, it is not customary to split checks. You will receive one bill for the whole table, so it’s easiest if everyone pays with cash. If dining with locals, the custom is to divide the bill equally, regardless of what you ordered.

When you’re finished eating, take the check to the register. This is the most common approach, unless there is a sign explicitly saying to pay at the table.

At the register, you will see a tray—place your money on the tray (instead of handing it directly to the cashier). If you receive change, the cashier may place it on the tray or just hand it back to you directly.

Before leaving, don’t forget to say, Gochisama deshita (ごちそうさまでした), which means thank you for this meal.