How to Make a Reservation in Japanese Make that reservation in Japanese, reservation-free

予約（よやく）

Reservation

You've probably noticed that Tofugu regularly publishes informational reviews of Japanese restaurants as part of our travel articles. We love dining out! Here's a tip, though: when visiting a restaurant in Japan, be sure to make a reservation first.

Most US restaurants that require a reservation will allow you to make it online. Few restaurants in Japan have this capacity, however, so you'll need to learn to do so over the phone. It's not as intimidating as it sounds—plus, it's a great way to practice speaking Japanese and learn something practical.

To make the process easier, we've created an insanely detailed guide, which walks you through the basic vocabulary you'll need to reserve a table over the phone and some sample sentences for when you arrive. It gives you the chance to practice beforehand and even make your own cheat sheet before you call.

Ready?

• Starting with the Basics: よやく
  • Conversation Starter: もしもし or Hello?
• Date and Time
  • Month (月)
  • Day of the Month (日)
  • Day of the Week (曜日)
  • Time (時間)
  • Greetings
  • Did You Say しち or いち?
  • ようび: Day of the Week
  • This Saturday vs. Next Saturday in Japanese
  • A 24-Hour Clock
• Is This Okay?
• How Many People Are Coming?
  • Number of People (人)
  • Number of People (名)
  • Number of People (Other)
• Who are you?
• A Little More Information, Please
  • Dietary Restrictions
  • Speaking, Writing, and Requesting a Menu in English
  • Where Would You like to Sit?
  • Planning a Party
  • Babies and Children
  • Canceling a Reservation or Running Late
  • Reservations Full? Have a Plan B.
  • Honorifics: What a Japanese Restaurant Employee Might Say
• Final Notes and Role-Play
  • Couldn't Hear or Understand?
• Your Reservation is Done!
• Free Reservation Role-Play Giveaway

Prerequisite: This guide is going to use hiragana and some katakana, so we highly recommend you learn it beforehand by reading our guides. Don't worry! They can be learned in a day or two, just come back when you're ready.

Starting with the Basics: よやく

The Japanese word for reservation is 予約 (よやく), which consists of two kanji: 予, meaning "beforehand," and 約, meaning "promise." Used for bookings, appointments, or subscriptions, this kanji for "beforehand promise" is for a commitment made at an earlier time and then executed later.

There are several variations on the phrase "to make a reservation":

• 予約をする/よやくをする (or the verb 予約する), "to do a reservation"
• 予約を取る/よやくをとる, "to get a reservation"
• 予約を入れる/よやくをいれる, "to put in a reservation"

For now, however, you only need to remember the first one: 予約をする.

The first phrase you'll need to learn to say is simple: "I want to make a reservation." For that, the verb する, which means "to do," conjugates to したい, which means "want to do." Here it is in Japanese: 予約をしたい.

Note: you can also say 予約がしたい, using the particle が instead of を, to emphasize a little more what it is you want to do (in this case, 予約).

Before you start dialing, however, remember that you're calling a restaurant in Japan. You need to be polite. Merely saying "I want to make a reservation" is too blunt and a little unmannerly—like a samurai from long ago. What should you do instead?

To make your request more polite, you could simply add です at the end: 予約をしたいです. This means, "I'd like to make a reservation."

And yet… that's still not quite polite enough, because you're still bluntly stating what you want to do. In Japanese conversation, if possible, it's best to opt for gentle requests rather than bold declarations. To make one in this case, replace です with the magical phrase んですけど, or んですが, as in: 予約をしたいんですけど…

This phrase is worth knowing. It's a combination of the verb します (do) and たいんですけど (want [to], but…), and it's used when you want to connect one sentence with another. In this case, if you omit the second sentence, it indicates a request or wish that could be expected from the preceding sentence. The final "…" is important. "…" in a sentence with んですけど is often used to indicate one's desire for approval, as in: "I'd like to make a reservation, so/but/and…" It's an implied request: "Is that okay with you? Is it possible?"

It's a roundabout way of being polite, of course, but the implication in the "…" is useful and practical. In the actual conversation, you can use it as is:

Ring, ring!

Restaurant: Hello. This is Restaurant Tofu & Blowfish.

You: こんにちは。えっと、予約をしたいんですけど…
Hi! Well, I'd like to make a reservation, and…

Restaurant: Sure! For which day?

Note: I didn't yet translate what the employee would say in Japanese. We'll learn that later!

Of course, you can make it a full sentence and include all the information they'd probably need, such as:

• １月１日の１時から１１人で予約をしたいんですけど、空いてますか？
• I'd like to make a reservation at one o'clock on January 1 for eleven people, but is it available?

Before you start dialing, however, remember that you're calling a restaurant in Japan. You need to be polite.

If you do, however, odds are you'll probably be asked to say it all again, since a busy restaurant employee likely needs a moment to grab a reservation book (and a pen) to write it all down.

When making a reservation, although you might mention whether it's for lunch or dinner, we suggest using んですけど or んですが, implying the unfinished "…", and let the conversation flow. It's better to not go into too much detail at first over the phone. Instead, provide key points—the date, the time, and the number of people—one by one. It's also the best way to make yourself understood.

Conversation Starter: もしもし or Hello?

Here's a tip. When you make or answer a call, it's common to start the conversation with もしもし. Yet this phrase is considered to be a casual greeting. If you're making a business call or something similar, to be polite, avoid もしもし and instead say, こんにちは (hello) or こんばんは (good evening). For restaurants, this is more appropriate.

Date and Time

Now that you know how to ask for a reservation, you're ready to start giving the information for it. Let's start with the when (いつ). In Japanese, use the following order: date (with month first), day of the week, and time.

If you wanted to make a reservation for 7 p.m. on your friend Steve Buscemi's birthday, the conversation would begin like this:

Ring, ring!

Restaurant: Hello. This is Restaurant Tofu & Blowfish.

You: こんにちは。えっと、ディナーの予約をしたいんですけど…
Hi! Well, I'd like to make a reservation for dinner, and…

Restaurant: Sure! For which day?

You: １２月１３日の木曜日、７時です。
On Thursday, December 13 at 7 p.m.

Note: when speaking the date, it's okay to omit the 日 (び), which means day, and say either 木曜日 (もくようび) or 木曜 (もくよう). And be aware the restaurant worker might do it, too.

Now that you know the order of the information, let's jigsaw-puzzle together your actual reservation dates and time. We've provided charts for each one below. (And you can always start with our article How to count anything in Japanese!)

Month (月)

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
January	１月 / 一月	いちがつ
February	２月 / 二月	にがつ
March	３月 / 三月	さんがつ
April	４月 / 四月	しがつ
May	５月 / 五月	ごがつ
June	６月 / 六月	ろくがつ
July	７月 / 七月	しちがつ, なながつ
August	８月 / 八月	はちがつ
September	９月 / 九月	くがつ
October	１０月 / 十月	じゅうがつ
November	１１月 / 十一月	じゅういちがつ
December	１２月 / 十二月	じゅうにがつ
Which month?	何月	なんがつ

Day of the Month (日)

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
1st	１日 / 一日	ついたち
2nd	２日 / 二日	ふつか
3rd	３日 / 三日	みっか
4th	４日 / 四日	よっか
5th	５日 / 五日	いつか
6th	６日 / 六日	むいか
7th	７日 / 七日	なのか
8th	８日 / 八日	ようか
9th	９日 / 九日	ここのか
10th	１０日 / 十日	とおか
11th	１１日 / 十一日	じゅういちにち
12th	１２日 / 十二日	じゅうににち
13th	１３日 / 十三日	じゅうさんにち
14th	１４日 / 十四日	じゅうよっか
15th	１５日 / 十五日	じゅうごにち
16th	１６日 / 十六日	じゅうろくにち
17th	１７日 / 十七日	じゅうしちにち, じゅうななにち
18th	１８日 / 十八日	じゅうはちにち
19th	１９日 / 十九日	じゅうくにち
20th	２０日 / 二十日	はつか
21st	２１日 / 二十一日	にじゅういちにち
30th	３０日 / 三十日	さんじゅうにち
31st	３１日 / 三十一日	さんじゅういちにち
Which day?	何日	なんにち

Day of the Week (曜日)

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Monday	月曜（日）	げつよう（び）
Tuesday	火曜（日）	かよう（び）
Wednesday	水曜（日）	すいよう（び）
Thursday	木曜（日）	もくよう（び）
Friday	金曜（日）	きんよう（び）
Saturday	土曜（日）	どよう（び）
Sunday	日曜（日）	にちよう（び）
Which day of the week?	何曜（日）	なんよう（び）
This week	今週	こんしゅう
Next week	来週	らいしゅう
The week after next	再来週	さらいしゅう
Today	今日	きょう
Tomorrow	明日	あした / あす
Day after tomorrow	明後日	あさって

Time (時間)

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Zero o'clock	０時 / 零時	れいじ
One o'clock	１時 / 一時	いちじ
Two o'clock	２時 / 二時	にじ
Three o'clock	３時 / 三時	さんじ
Four o'clock	４時 / 四時	よじ
Five o'clock	５時 / 五時	ごじ
Six o'clock	６時 / 六時	ろくじ
Seven o'clock	７時 / 七時	しちじ, ななじ
Eight o'clock	８時 / 八時	はちじ
Nine o'clock	９時 / 九時	くじ
Ten o'clock	１０時 / 十時	じゅうじ
Eleven o'clock	１１時 / 十一時	じゅういちじ
Twelve o'clock	１２時 / 十二時	じゅうにじ
Noon	正午	しょうご
Twelve in the afternoon	（お）昼の十二時	（お）ひるのじゅうにじ
1 p.m.	１３時 / 十三時	じゅうさんじ
2 p.m.	１４時 / 十四時	じゅうよじ
3 p.m.	１５時 / 十五時	じゅうごじ
4 p.m.	１６時 / 十六時	じゅうろくじ
5 p.m.	１７時 / 十七時	じゅうしちじ, じゅうななじ
6 p.m.	１８時 / 十八時	じゅうはちじ
7 p.m.	１９時 / 十九時	じゅうくじ
8 p.m.	２０時 / 二十時	にじゅうじ
9 p.m.	２１時 / 二十一時	にじゅういちじ
10 p.m.	２２時 / 二十二時	にじゅうにじ
11 p.m.	２３時 / 二十三時	にじゅうさんじ
0 a.m.	２４時 / 二十四時	にじゅうよじ
half past	半	はん
1:30	一時半	いちじはん
1:30	１時３０分 / 一時三十分	いちじさんじゅっぷん
a.m.	午前	ごぜん
p.m.	午後	ごご
3 p.m.	午後３時 / 午後三時	ごごさんじ
Morning	朝	あさ
Lunch time, afternoon	昼	ひる
Evening	夕方	ゆうがた
Night	夜	よる
Breakfast	朝食, ブレックファスト	ちょうしょく, ブレックファスト
Lunch	昼食, ランチ	ちゅうしょく, ランチ
Dinner	夕食, ディナー	ゆうしょく, ディナー
What time?	何時	なんじ
Around	頃	ころ / ごろ

Greetings

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Hello.	こんにちは。	こんにちは
Thank you.	有難うございます。	ありがとうございます
I’m sorry / Excuse me	すみません。	すみません
available (spot, date)	空いている	あいている
Is it available?	空いていますか？	あいていますか？
Can / To be able to	できる	できる
Can I reserve/book ~ ?	予約できますか？	よやくできますか？

Although you'll be able to piece together a lot of the information from the tables above, here are some additional things to be aware of:

Did You Say しち or いち?

Sometimes the Japanese words for "seven" (しち) and "one" (いち) can be hard to distinguish, especially over the phone. To keep from being misunderstood, we suggest using なながつ for "July" and ななじ for "seven o'clock" rather than しちがつ and しちじ.

ようび: Day of the Week

When you make a reservation, providing the date and time should be enough, though it's a good idea to add the day of the week as well. It makes sense. Have you ever told someone something was happening on the tenth, even though you actually meant the eleventh? Or thought an event was on a Thursday when it's was really on a Wednesday? Everybody does it now and then. To avoid misunderstandings, it's a good idea to mention both.

This Saturday vs. Next Saturday in Japanese

Also, keep in mind that Japanese speakers have a different understanding of "this" and "next," as in "this Saturday" (この土曜日) or "next Saturday" ( 次（つぎ）の土曜日) than English speakers. Say it's Monday, for example: in English, Saturday of that week is referred to as this Saturday. In Japanese, however, it's called next Saturday—as in "the next Saturday that will fall in the month." Until you fully understand how to use "this" and "next" in Japanese, be careful using them.

A 24-Hour Clock

For afternoon, evening, or nighttime, instead of saying "1 p.m.," "2 p.m.," "3 p.m.," and so on, Japanese people prefer to say "thirteen o'clock," "fourteen o'clock," "fifteen o'clock," etc. If you're not comfortable using a 24-hour clock, you can just say 午後１時 (ごごいちじ) for "1 p.m." or 昼の１時 (ひるのいちじ) for "one in the afternoon," but be aware that the person on the other end of the phone may still use "thirteen o'clock" when they confirm it.

Is This Okay?

We recommended that (when possible) you avoid making declarations or statements when asking for things.

In the previous section, when we were discussing 予約, we recommended that (when possible) you avoid making declarations or statements when asking for things. With that in mind, let's look closer at the last line of the date-and-time example above:

You: １２月１３日の木曜日、７時です。
At seven on Thursday December 13.

In this case, being declarative is okay because you didn't state what you wanted; you simply answered their question. Yet you can be more polite by adding the verb お願いする (おねがいする)—which means "please," "I ask of you," "I beg you," and other such nuances—and combining it with んですけど. Here's an example.

That's right—the "…" again. Remember that the "…" refers to something being omitted—in this case, a question such as "…but is it possible?" or something similar. You can also make the sentence into a complete question, as in:

The restaurant employee will answer yes or no, so it's time to move on to the next question.

How Many People Are Coming?

You're getting closer to completing your reservation for Steve Buscemi's birthday. But how many people are coming? Is it a big party, or is it just an intimate dinner for you and Steve?

Ring, ring!

Restaurant: Hello. This is Restaurant Tofu & Blowfish.

You: こんにちは。えっと、ディナーの予約をしたいんですけど…
Hi! Well, I'd like to make a reservation for dinner, and…

Restaurant: Sure! For which day?

You: １２月１３日の木曜日、７時でお願いしたいんですけど…
At seven on Thursday December 13, but… (is that possible?)

Restaurant: 7 p.m. December 13… It's probably fine, but for how many people?

You: 二人です。（二名です） Two people.

Because you're answering a question, using a statement is fine, especially if it's a small group. If the group was a large one, and you were worried the restaurant may have trouble accommodating them, you might say:

• 十人なんですけど…（大丈夫ですか?）
• It's for ten people… (but is it okay?)

Note: in the above example, we provided you with two forms of "two people." For one person it would be 一人 (ひとり), for two 二人 (ふたり), and for three+ it is just the number plus 人 (にん). Then there's the more polite version, which is __ 名 (めい). No exceptional readings here, just the number plus 名.

Either of the versions above is okay to use, but the best rule of thumb is to mirror the other person: if they ask how many people using 何人 (なんにん), answer in the ~人 form; if they ask it by 何名 (なんめい), use the ~名 form. But in the end either will work out just fine.

If you decide to change Steve's birthday dinner for two into a family gathering by adding a child, definitely mention it to the reservationist. In that case, you would say 大人２名と子供１名です。(おとなにめいとこどもいちめいです。), which means two adults and one child.

Number of People (人)

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
0 people	０人 / 零人	ぜろにん, れいにん
1 person	１人 / 一人	ひとり
2 people	２人 / 二人	ふたり
3 people	３人 / 三人	さんにん
4 people	４人 / 四人	よにん
5 people	５人 / 五人	ごにん
6 people	６人 / 六人	ろくにん
7 people	７人 / 七人	しちにん / ななにん
8 people	８人 / 八人	はちにん
9 people	９人 / 九人	くにん / きゅうにん
10 people	１０人 / 十人	じゅうにん
11 people	１１人 / 十一人	じゅういちにん
12 people	１２人 / 十二人	じゅうににん
13 people	１３人 / 十三人	じゅうさんにん
14 people	１４人 / 十四人	じゅうよにん
15 people	１５人 / 十五人	じゅうごにん

Number of People (名)

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
1 person	一名	いちめい
2 people	２名 / 二名	にめい
3 people	３名 / 三名	さんめい
4 people	４名 / 四名	よんめい
5 people	５名 / 五名	ごめい
6 people	６名 / 六名	ろくめい
7 people	７名 / 七名	しちめい / ななめい
8 people	８名 / 八名	はちめい
9 people	９名 / 九名	きゅうめい
10 people	１０名/十名	じゅうにん, じゅうめい
11 people	１１名 / 十一名	じゅういちめい
12 people	１２名 / 十二名	じゅうにめい
13 people	１３名 / 十三名	じゅうさんめい
14 people	１４名 / 十四名	じゅうよんめい
15 people	１５名 / 十五名	じゅうごめい

Number of People (Other)

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
In total	全部で	ぜんぶで
In total (people only)	全員で	ぜんいんで
Adult	大人	おとな
Child	子供	こども
Baby	赤ちゃん	あかちゃん
Infant	乳児	にゅうじ
How many people?	何人, 何名	なんにん

Who are you?

Before we finish our basic reservation vocabulary, let's learn how to provide your name and number. When making a restaurant reservations in the US, you might be able to just give your first name, but in Japan you're expected to give your last name—your family name. In our case, then, instead of "Steve" (スティーヴです), you'll say "Buscemi" (ブシェミです). If you'd like to spell it for them, say:

• スペルは、b-u-s-c-e-m-iです。
• The spelling is b-u-s-c-e-m-i.

As for your phone number, just say the numbers and add です at the end: １２３-４５６-７８９０です。Should the restaurant ask for both name and number at the same time, you can respond with a combined sentence:

• 名前はブシェミで、電話番号は１２３-４５６-７８９０です。
• My name is Buscemi and my phone number is 123-456-7890.

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Name	名前	なまえ
Spelling	綴, スペル	つづり, スペル
Phone	電話	でんわ
Phone Number	電話番号	でんわばんごう
Contact Number	連絡先	れんらくさき
0	零	ぜろ / れい
1	一	いち
2	二	に
3	三	さん
4	四	し / よん
5	五	ご
6	六	ろく
7	七	しち / なな
8	八	はち
9	九	きゅう
To repeat	復唱する	ふくしょうする

Yay! We were finally able to make a reservation to celebrate Steve Buscemi's (or should I say Buscemi Steve's?) birthday. "Finally" is ようやく in Japanese, so let's take a break by making a 駄洒落 (Japanese pun).

「ようやく予約ができた」, which means, "We were finally able to make a reservation!"

A Little More Information, Please

アレルギーがあります。

I have an allergy.

Now you're armed with the basics for reserving a restaurant table. Most of the time, when speaking to someone on the phone, your needs will be simple. But what if you needed to know about a few other details? What if you preferred a table seat rather than one in the room with tatami mats? What if you have a particular food allergy? What if you needed to know about wheelchair access? Because my boss told me to go crazy with the details, let's fill in those gaps for you.

When making a request, you can simply say リクエスト and they would understand that you have a request. To state you have a question, say 質問 (しつもん). However, a request is like a statement, so even though it's a request from you, it's better to make it into a question, so it's more like asking if that request is okay with them. After you've made the reservation, if you still have questions, before they hang up the phone, quickly say, 「すみません！まだ質問があります。」, which means, "Excuse me! I still have some questions."

The following are a few typical vocabulary and example phrases you may need for making a request or asking questions. This isn't an exhaustive list—if it's missing something common, please let us know!

Dietary Restrictions

If you have specific food preferences, let them know. Are you a vegetarian? Vegan? Does yogurt make you sick? Do eggs make your throat swell shut? Use the following chart and example sentences to help you.

Keep in mind that many Japanese restaurants specialize in a specific dish, and often can't accommodate special requests. Even so, it's good to give them a heads-up and ask if they have something on their menu you can eat.

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Allergy	アレルギー	アレルギー
Allergic reaction	アレルギー反応	アレルギーはんのう
Severe	重い, ひどい	おもい, ひどい
Vegetarian	ベジタリアン	ベジタリアン
Pregnant woman	妊婦,　妊婦さん	にんぷ, にんぷさん
Vegan	ビーガン	ビーガン
Person	人	ひと
To eat	食べる	たべる
Can eat ~	食べられる, 食べれる	たべられる, たべれる
Can’t eat ~	食べられない, 食べれない	たべられない, たべれない
There is, there are (people)	いる	いる
There isn’t, there aren’t (people)	いない	いない
There is, there are (things)	ある	ある
There isn’t, there aren’t (things)	ない	ない
Meat	肉	にく
Any meat	肉類	にくるい
Pork	豚肉, ポーク	ぶたにく, ポーク
Chicken	鶏肉, チキン	とりにく, チキン
Beef	牛肉, ビーフ	ぎゅうにく, ビーフ
Fish	魚	さかな
Fish broth	魚の出汁	さかなのだし
Vegetable	野菜	やさい
Milk	牛乳, ミルク	ぎゅうにゅう, ミルク
Dairy	乳製品	にゅうせいひん
Egg	卵	たまご
Honey	蜂蜜	はちみつ
Nuts	ナッツ	ナッツ
Any nuts	ナッツ類	ナッツるい
Crustacean	甲殻類	こうかくるい
Any shellfish	貝類	かいるい
Mercury	水銀	すいぎん
A lot of	多い	おおい
Little	少ない	すくない
Uncooked food	生物	なまもの
Raw fish	生魚	なまざかな
Animal	動物	どうぶつ
Cope	対応する	たいおうする
Possible	可能	かのう
Can do	できる	できる
Ok	大丈夫, OK	だいじょうぶ, オーケー
Not okay	NG	エヌジー
To use	使う	つかう
Make	作る	つくる
All, everything, anything	一切	いっさい
Except for ~	~ 以外	~ いがい
In addition to ~, besides ~	~ 以外にも	~ いがいにも
To bring something in	持ち込む, 持ち込みする	もちこむ, もちこみする
Only	だけ	だけ
He, him, his	彼	かれ
She, her, her	彼女	かのじょ
Other people	他の人	ほかのひと
The other person, one more person	もう一人	もうじとり
Course	コース	コース
Chef’s choice/Chef’s tasting menu	お任せ	おまかせ
à la carte	アラカルト	アラカルト

Speaking, Writing, and Requesting a Menu in English

Once you're at the restaurant, unless you're relatively fluent in Japanese, you may want to ask (early on) for an English menu or if someone there can speak English.

Here's a tip, though: since English is compulsory in Japan, most Japanese people have learned it. They often have difficulty hearing native English spoken and speaking it themselves. Yet many can read it more easily. If you need to convey something, you may have a better chance of being understood if you write it down—or use Google Translate to display what you wrote as well as its translation.

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
English	英語	えいご
Japanese	日本語	にほんご
Can speak	話せる	はなせる
Can read	読める	よめる
Good at, well	上手	じょうず
Bad at, poor	下手	へた
Menu	メニュー	メニュー
English menu	英語のメニュー	えいごのメニュー
A person who can speak English (1)	英語が話せる人	えいごがはなせるひと
A person who can speak English (2)	英語の話せる人	えいごのはなせるひと
A person who can speak English (3)	英語を話せる人	えいごをはなせるひと
not ~ much	あまり〜ない	あまり〜ない

Where Would You like to Sit?

At the restaurant, you may have specific seat preferences. Here's how to talk about them.

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Shop, store, restaurant	店	みせ
Seat, place, table	席	せき
All seats, all tables	全席	ぜんせき
Smoking (seat)	喫煙（席）	きつえん（せき）
Non-smoking (seat)	禁煙（席）	きんえん（せき）
Separation from smoking/non-smoking	分煙	ぶんえん
Barrier-free, wheelchair accessible	バリアフリー	バリアフリー
Table seat	テーブル席	テーブルせき
Counter seat	カウンター席	カウンターせき
Tatami mattress seat	座敷	ざしき
Private room	個室	こしつ
Near the window	窓際	まどぎわ
At the back	奥	おく
If possible	できれば	できれば
I prefer ~	〜がいい	〜がいい
Please	お願いします	おねがいします
Leaving it to you	よろしくお願いします。	よろしくおねがいします

Planning a Party

If you are arranging a party, you'll have quite a few details to talk about with the restaurant. Here are the basic vocabulary and phrases.

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Budget	予算	よさん
How much	いくら	いくら
~ yen	〜円	〜えん
About ~	〜ぐらい	〜ぐらい
Coupon	クーポン	クーポン
Discount	割引	わりびき
Discount coupon	割引券,　割引クーポン	わりびきけん, わりびきクーポン
Credit card	クレジットカード	クレジットカード
Cash	現金	げんきん
Cash only	現金のみ	げんきんのみ
Course	コース	コース
A la carte	アラカルト, 単品	アラカルト, たんぴん
Order	注文	ちゅうもん
All-you-can-eat	食べ放題	たべほうだい
All-you-can-drink	飲み放題	のみほうだい
Reserve the whole place	貸切 / 貸し切り	かしきり
Party	パーティー	パーティー
Dress code	ドレスコード	ドレスコード
Exclusive party	貸し切りパーティー	かしきりパーティー
Girl's party	女子会	じょしかい
Drinking party	飲み会	のみかい
Year-end party	忘年会	ぼうねんかい
Birthday party	誕生日会, バースデーパーティー	たんじょうびかい, バースデーパーティー
Birthday plate	バースデープレート	バースデープレート
Cake	ケーキ	ケーキ
Can use	使える	つかえる
To prepare	用意（を）する	ようい（を）する
To decide	決める	きめる
To go	行く	いく
There (over there)	そっち,　そちら	そっち,　そちら

Babies and Children

Please don't assume you can bring children into a restaurant; you'll need to ask first. If it's okay, you may need to clear up a few things ahead of time. You don't want to be rude once you get there!

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Accompanied by children	子供連れ	こどもづれ
Baby food	離乳食	りにゅうしょく
Kids lunch	お子様ランチ	おこさまランチ
For kids	子供用	こどもよう
Bringing ~ in	〜の持ち込み	〜のもちこみ
Kid’s chair	子供用の椅子、キッズチェア	こどもようのいす, キッズチェア
Kid’s room	キッズルーム	キッズルーム
Changing diaper	オムツ替え	おむつがえ
Changing table	オムツ替え台	おむつがえだい
Bathroom	トイレ	トイレ
Where	どこ	どこ

Canceling a Reservation or Running Late

Some restaurants will still charge you full price for the course you reserved if you cancel at the last minute.

If something comes up and you can't keep your reservation, please let the restaurant know ASAP. Japanese restaurants are often very small, and some only have one round of seating per day. If you need to cancel, do it right away!

When you book your reservation, it's smart to ask about their cancellation policy. Ask:

Some establishments have a deadline for cancellation—something like:

• キャンセルは前日のお昼の１２時まで。
• Cancellations have to be made by noon one day before the reservation day.

Be aware that some restaurants will still charge you full price for the course you reserved if you cancel at the last minute.

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
I’m sorry. (polite)	すみません。	すみません
I’m sorry. (very polite)	申し訳ありません。	もうしわけありません
Cancel	キャンセル	キャンセル
To cancel	キャンセルする	キャンセルする
Cannot go	行けない	いけない

Here's how to cancel a reservation:

Tourists who fail to keep their reservations have become a problem in Japan, and many restaurants now ask for a Japanese phone number to confirm them. If you don't have a local number, you can give them the hotel's contact info and/or your email address. If you're staying at an AirBnB and don't have a hotel, or if the restaurant won't accept an email address, tell them:

If you're an American tourist whose phone can receive calls in Japan, providing your phone number with a country code (国番号) works fine, although some restaurants will still double-check to make sure they can reach you. If they've told you they'll be calling to confirm, but you haven't heard back, call them. They may be having trouble contacting you.

Also, please don't arrive late! Remember that Japanese restaurants—especially small ones with limited seating—carefully plan their nightly schedules, and parties that arrive late stand the chance of throwing off the entire plan. One sushi restaurant we visited in Tokyo—Sushiya no Nohachi—has been known to refuse entry to customers who arrive late without notice. If you're going to be more than ten minutes late, it's advisable to call ahead and let them know.

Reservations Full? Have a Plan B.

When the date or the time you request is not available, you are most likely to receive responses such as すみません (I'm sorry), 申し訳（もう　わけ）ございません (I'm sincerely sorry), 恐れ入り（おそ　い　）ますが… (I'm afraid that… [we can't]), or 生憎（あいにく）ですが… (Unfortunately…). Usually they'll tell you clearly that they're all booked up and can't take the reservation. But even if they don't, these expressions all mean "no" in other words.

If you have a Plan B, however, you can still suggest it to them. When suggesting the second option, use では、〜はどうですか？, which means, "Then, how about…?"

English	Japanese	Pronunciation
Then	では,　それでは	では,　それでは
How about ~? / What about ~?	〜はどうですか？	〜はどうですか？
Is ~ available?	〜は空いていますか？	〜はあいてますか？

Or simply ask when it would be available.

Most restaurants accept reservations, but some don't take bookings at lunch, especially on weekends. Casual, fast, dine-in restaurants such as a gyudon-ya, kaiten sushi-ya, or ramen-ya usually don't take reservations; you'll need to wait in line at these. Also, some require you, in order to visit, to be recommended or accompanied by a regular. Without that, they may turn you away! In Japanese culture, this is called 一見さんお断り (いちげんさのことわり).

If they tell you:

• 恐れ入りますが、ご予約はお断りしております。
• I'm afraid that we don't take reservations.

Or something similar, you have to say:

• そうですか。分かりました。有難うございます。
• Is that so? I understand. Thank you.

And hang up.

Honorifics: What a Japanese Restaurant Employee Might Say

In Japan, restaurant staff and other employees use honorific expressions called keigo when speaking to customers, especially over the phone. As explained in our keigo article, these honorifics can be confusing, even to the Japanese. It's too broad a topic to cover right now, but here are some frequently used expressions:

English	Japanese (polite, honorific)	Pronunciation
There is/are ~ (things)	あります,　ございます	あります, ございます
Is, are, am	です,　でございます	です, でございます
It's our rule that ~	〜となっております。	〜となっております
To be available (spot, seat)	空いています,　空いております	あいています, あいております
Available (spot, seat, table)	空きがあります,　空きがございます	あきがあります, あきがございます
Spot/Seat not available (1)	空きがありません	あきがありません
Spot/Seat not available (2)	空きがございません	あきがございません
Spot/Seat not available (3)	空きがない状況です	あきがないじょうきょうです
Fully booked	満席	まんせき
(Seats are) booked up	ご予約（で席）が埋まる	ごよやく（でせき）がうまる
Please	お願いします,　お願い致します	おねがいします, おねがいいたします
Sure, certainly, I see	分かりました,　かしこまりました	わかりました, かしこまりました
Sure, certainly, I see	承知しました,　承知致しました	しょうちしました, しょうちいたしました
To attend (to your request)	承る	うけたまわる
I'm sorry, excuse me (1)	すいません , すみません	すいません , すみません
I'm sorry, excuse me (2)	申し訳ございません	もうしわけございません
I'm sorry, excuse me (3)	恐れ入ります	おそれいります
Unfortunately,	生憎ですが、	あいにくですが
Payment (method)	お支払い（方法）	おしはらい（ほうほう）
Name	お名前	おなまえ
Telephone number	お電話番号	おでんわばんごう
Date	お日にち	おひにち
Time	お時間	おじかん
Seat, table	お席	おせき
Customer	お客様	おきゃくさま
Child	お子様	おこさま
Room	お部屋	おへや
Tatami room	お座敷のお部屋	おざしきのおへや
Birthday person	お誕生日の方	おたんじょうびのかた
Decided	お決まり	おきまり
Preference	ご希望	ごきぼう
Address	ご住所	ごじゅうしょ
Visit (to our restaurant)	ご来店	ごらいてん
Reservation	ご予約	ごよやく
Contact number	ご連絡先	ごれんらくさき
How many people	何名様	なんめいさま
Two people	二名様	にめいさま
We’re waiting for you (1)	お待ちしています	おまちしています
We’re waiting for you (2)	お待ちしております	おまちしております
Is it okay? (1)	よろしいですか？	よろしいですか？
Is it okay? (2)	よろしいでしょうか？	よろしいでしょうか？
How about ~ ?	〜はいかがですか？	〜はいかがですか？
To come (to go, to be at)	来ます, いらっしゃいます	きます, いらっしゃいます
Could you tell me ~ ?	〜を教えて頂けますか？	〜をおしえていただけますか？
Excuse me (for end of call).	失礼致します。	しつれいいたします
Some, a few, little	若干	じゃっかん
Still	まだ	まだ
Already	既に	すでに
Only ~	〜のみ	〜のみ

Final Notes and Role-Play

If you're staying at a good hotel, take advantage of its concierge service to make your reservation.

Remember that restaurants in Japan tend to be small and fill up quickly, so if you really want to try one out, it's safest to book in advance. If the spot is super popular, you may have to book way ahead—sometimes a year!—but, if you're traveling, a couple of months prior is usually sufficient. For casual eateries, a few days in advance is fine.

Google or the Internet is the best place to do basic research. If the restaurant you're interested in doesn't have a website, you can always use…

• Open Table
• Tabiko app
• Tabelog (Don't miss its informative How to make a reservation on Tabelog.)
• Pocket Concierge
• OMAKASE

…and some services such as Voyagin can secure restaurant seats for a fee.

If you're staying at a good hotel, take advantage of its concierge service to make your reservation. Also, some credit cards provide a concierge service, sometimes allowing you to score seats in almost impossible to reserve restaurants. Some restaurants make a few tables available exclusively for those fancy services.

If you can't use any of those alternative methods of making a reservation, pick up the phone. Remember that…

• Restaurants are usually very busy between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and 6 and 9 p.m.; if possible, avoid calling then. (Plus, if it's busy, the reservationist may talk faster than usual!)
• If you must call then, try to start the conversation with, "I'm sorry to call you during this busy time" (お 忙（いそが）しいところすいません).
• For many places, "last call" for ordering food is thirty minutes before the closing time.
• Weekend nights, especially during a busy season like December for year-end and Christmas parties, usually get booked up quickly.
• Because many people in Japan celebrate with family at New Year's instead of Christmas, many restaurants close from December 31 to Jan 3, 4, or 5.
• Be careful about the summer holidays, called Obon, which occur around mid-August. Restaurants may be closed.

In addition to food you order while you're there, some restaurants require you to order a course in advance. Do your research beforehand and decide what you want to do before you call.

Couldn't Hear or Understand?

Don't feel bad if you didn't hear or understand something properly. Here are some phrases for such a situation.

Your Reservation is Done!

All you need to do now is wait until the reservation day (予約の日) and go to the restaurant! When you open the door, say こんにちは or こんばんは with a smile, followed by:

or

Whatever name you made the reservation under, if it's you, have fun, and bon appétit!

Free Reservation Role-Play Giveaway

We put together six(!) different conversations that cover a lot of situations you may run into when making a reservation in Japanese. Included in this download is a PDF with text and translations of all the conversations, plus audio. Even if you don't plan to do that, it's good practice for intermediate and advanced-level students. You'll learn new vocabulary, polite Japanese forms, and more!

Sign up to our email list to download the Reservation Role-Play Giveaway. We'll send you emails to let you know about new Japanese language articles like this one (and we'll just send you every free article giveaway directly from now on), Japanese lessons (a couple times a month), and Tofugu news (just a few times a year).