How to Make a Restaurant Reservation in Japan (No Japanese)

You do not need to speak Japanese to eat well in Japan, but the easiest route depends on the restaurant. Popular and small places often want a booking, and the booking method is not always English-friendly. This guide compares the real options, says when each one works, and gives you a short phone script for the times you have to call.

Which way of booking should you use?

There are five practical routes. Most trips use a mix of them, depending on the restaurant. The table gives the short version; details follow.

Option	Works best for	Main catch
Online platforms	Restaurants that list online availability	Not every restaurant is listed; some forms want a Japanese-format phone number
Hotel concierge	High-end and hard-to-book places	Depends on your hotel; usually for guests only
Calling yourself	Places used to visitors, or when you know some Japanese	Staff may not speak English; phone lines are busy at mealtimes
Walk-ins and queueing	Casual restaurants and street food	No guarantee of a seat at peak hours
Phone concierge	Phone-only restaurants, changes and cancellations	Outcome depends on the restaurant

Online platforms: TableCheck, Tabelog and Google Maps

Booking online is the first thing to try, because it needs no phone call and no Japanese. Three routes come up most often.

TableCheck is a reservation platform with an English interface. One recent guide describes it as the broadest selection for visitors, with no diner fees, and says both TableCheck and Pocket Concierge accept foreign contact details, so you do not need a Japanese number. Confirm this on the booking page for your restaurant, since each restaurant chooses how it uses the system.

Tabelog is Japan's dominant restaurant guide and also takes bookings. The catch, according to the same guide, is that its standard forms are built around Japanese-format input and may not accept an overseas number cleanly. Some restaurants switch on a multilingual booking option and many do not, so check what you see on the page before you count on it.

Google Maps sometimes shows a "Reserve a table" button on a restaurant's listing. If you see it, the restaurant is connected to an online booking system. If you only see "Call" and "Website," it probably is not.

A few things to check on any platform:

Cancellation terms. Many platforms ask for a credit card. A card hold usually just verifies the card, while a guarantee or prepaid course can charge you if you cancel late. Our guide to canceling or changing a reservation in Japan explains the typical deadlines.
Confirmation. Keep the confirmation email. Emails you send directly to a restaurant are not a confirmed booking until they reply.
Children. Include children's ages. Some restaurants price and seat by age.

Ask your hotel concierge

If your hotel has a concierge, this is often the most dependable route for a restaurant that only takes phone bookings or is picky about who books. Staff can call in Japanese, and some restaurants are more comfortable with a booking that comes through a hotel. One booking guide suggests asking one to two months ahead for Michelin-level places.

To make it easy for the concierge, send a short message before you arrive with the restaurant name (a Google Maps link helps), dates and times you could do, party size, and any allergies. Ask whether there is a fee. Some concierges are free for guests, and some hotels handle only certain restaurants, so ask early rather than on the day. If you need help with the hotel itself, see how to call a Japanese hotel.

Calling the restaurant yourself

Some restaurants take bookings only by phone, and some places are quite happy to hear from a traveler. It can work, especially at places used to international guests, but a guide to booking in Japan warns not to count on it for a smaller or older establishment. English-speaking staff on the phone are still the minority.

If you try, help yourself:

Time the call. Restaurants are busiest roughly 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Call in the quiet hours between, and open with "O-isogashii tokoro sumimasen" (お忙しいところすみません), meaning "sorry to call while you're busy."
Use a phone that can make the call. You can call from an international line, but sorting out your options is easier if you read our guide to Japanese phone numbers for tourists.
Say numbers clearly. For 7 o'clock, some Japanese speakers prefer "nana-ji" over "shichi-ji" because "shichi" is easy to confuse with "ichi" (one) on a bad line.
Spell your name and read your phone number slowly.

A short bilingual phone script

You can read this aloud or keep it on your screen. It is a simplified version of the phrases language learners are often taught for booking.

Greeting: Konnichiwa (こんにちは) - Hello.
Request: Yoyaku o onegaishimasu (予約をお願いします) - I'd like to make a reservation.
Date and time: Jūichigatsu jūgonichi, rokuji han desu (11月15日、6時半です) - November 15, 6:30.
Party size: Futari desu (二人です) - Two people. For three or more, say sannin (三人), yonin (四人) and so on.
Name: Namae wa Smith desu. Superu wa S-M-I-T-H desu (名前はスミスです。スペルはS-M-I-T-Hです) - My name is Smith, spelled S-M-I-T-H.
Phone number: Read your number slowly, one digit at a time.
Allergy: [Allergen] no arerugī ga arimasu ([　]のアレルギーがあります) - I have an allergy to [allergen].
Close: Arigatō gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) - Thank you.

If you did not catch something, say Mō ichido onegaishimasu (もう一度お願いします) - "One more time, please."

Walk-ins and queueing

Not every good meal needs a booking. One guide notes that ramen shops, teishoku (set-meal) restaurants, and street food venues generally do not need advance reservations. In some tourist areas of Osaka, restaurants rarely take reservations at all, and lines are normal.

Walking in works best when you are flexible. Arrive early or off-peak, be ready to wait, and have a backup nearby. It does not work for counter sushi, kaiseki or other set-course dining, where the kitchen prepares for a set number of guests. That is why one guide suggests booking top sushi restaurants in Tokyo two to three months ahead, and kaiseki in Kyoto fills quickly in peak seasons.

Use a phone concierge like Moshimo

Some situations are hard to solve online: a restaurant with only a phone number, a booking that needs a Japanese contact, or a change to a reservation you already have. That is where a phone concierge fits. Moshimo is an app for iOS and Android that calls Japanese businesses on your behalf. You describe the request in your own language, review it, and the outcome comes back in the app.

It is not an online booking platform, and it does not connect you live to the restaurant during the call. The restaurant decides whether it has a table. Moshimo can also help with changes and cancellations, which can be awkward to do in another language.

What to prepare before you book

Having these ready saves time whichever route you choose:

Party size, including children and their ages.
Date and time, plus one or two alternates. Use the 24-hour clock in messages to avoid confusion.
Name spelling exactly as on your passport, with a backup spelling in katakana if you can.
Allergies and dislikes. Set-course restaurants prepare food per guest, so say this at booking, not at the table.
A contact route. Some restaurants confirm by text the day before, so a reachable number helps. If you have no Japanese number, an option is to say you will call back to confirm, or offer an email address.
The cancellation deadline. Put it in your calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Can I book a restaurant in Japan without a Japanese phone number?

Often, yes. Platforms such as TableCheck accept foreign contact details, according to booking guides, but some Tabelog forms may not. Where a Japanese number is required, a concierge or a phone service can help.

How far ahead should I book?

It depends on the restaurant. One guide recommends two to three months ahead for top Tokyo sushi and about one to two months for Michelin-starred places via a concierge. Casual spots rarely need any notice.

Is it rude to book and then not show up?

Yes, and in many cases it costs you money. Small restaurants buy ingredients and assign staff for your booking. If plans change, cancel through the same channel you booked with.

What if a restaurant says it is full?

That may be true, but it can also reflect language limits or a concern about no-shows. See why some restaurants take phone bookings only for polite ways to respond and backups.

Should I use a checklist for other calls too?

It helps. Our Japan trip phone call checklist covers hotels, lost items and more.

Let Moshimo make the call

If your restaurant only takes phone bookings, wants a local contact, or you need to change a booking you already have, you can ask Moshimo to call for you. Tell the app what you need in your own language, including date, party size and allergies, and review the request before anything is sent. Moshimo then calls in Japanese and reports the outcome in the app. New requests can be previewed for free, and each new account has one eligible free Call for Me call. Results depend on what the restaurant can offer, and nothing is guaranteed. Get Moshimo

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Last checked: 2026-09-29.