Everything you need to know about
Japanese Dining Etiquette
Leaving the Restaurant
1. When you leave a restaurant, a staff person (perhaps even the chef) will escort you to the door and bow and thank you. The more formal the restaurant, the longer they are going to see you off, and the more bowing you can expect.
2. When you go outside, turn around and bow and say “arrigato gozaimas” which means “thank you very much”
3. Start walking away and consider how long you are going to walk in a straight line to get to your next destination. If it’s a short block or half block, go to the end of the block, turn around, and bow to the restaurant employee, who will be standing there (yes, still!) watching you leave. If you are going to be walking like 2-3 blocks or so in a direct line of sight, the end of the first block is a good time to release them. Turn around, bow, and then be on your way.
Tips About Rice
Rice in Japan is generally served last, as the last bit to make you full. So “are you ready for rice?” is a way of asking if you want more main dish, or if you are ready to end the meal. If you want more than one bowl of rice, you can, but rice is last.
Of course, there are some dishes, like donburi (stuff on rice), which include rice.
