Phrase card
Say it in Japanese: a dietary & allergy phrase card
Show, don't struggle. Copy-ready Japanese phrases for vegetarian, vegan, halal, pescatarian and gluten-free diners — plus the hidden ingredients to name.
指南
日本美食与用餐指南
如何吃寿司、拉面等——礼仪、习俗与美食背后的故事，专为访日游客而写。
Food culture
Special-occasion Tokyo: starred tables a visitor can actually book
Tokyo holds more Michelin stars than any city on earth. Here's how to choose, book and behave at a high-end Japanese table — and a few that genuinely welcome visitors.
Area guide
Omotesando & Aoyama: stylish streets, quietly diet-friendly
Tokyo's most elegant boulevard hides one of its best clusters of plant-based and produce-led dining — between the flagship stores, eat beautifully whatever your diet.
Practical guide
Tokyo for Muslim travellers: certified, friendly, and what to ask
Tokyo's halal scene has grown fast — certified wagyu, halal ramen, prayer rooms and Muslim-friendly kaiseki. Here's the difference between 'certified' and 'friendly', the seasonings to watch, and where to start.
Area guide
Market sushi: Toyosu & Tsukiji, eaten right
The fish moves; the ritual stays. A friendly guide to eating sushi where it's landed — the wholesale energy of Toyosu and the street-food sprawl of the Tsukiji Outer Market.
Dietary guide
Pescatarian Tokyo: the easiest city in the world to eat fish-first
If you eat seafood but not meat, Tokyo is paradise. Sushi, sashimi, grilled fish and seafood bowls are everywhere — here's how to order with confidence, plus the hidden meat to watch for.
Food culture
Tokyo on any budget, from ¥ to ¥¥¥¥
Some of Tokyo's best eating costs a few hundred yen. How to feast well at every price — bowls, counters and splurges.
Practical
How to book a table in Tokyo
Walk-in, Tabelog, Ikkyu or the concierge — how reservations really work in Japan, and why showing up matters.
Food culture
First trip to Japan? 10 dishes to try
A friendly starter list of the dishes that define a first trip — what they are, and where on this site to go deeper.
Food culture
Sake, shochu & beyond: a drinks guide
What to drink with Japanese food — from sake grades to shochu, highballs, beer and the teas that round out a meal.
Practical
How to order and pay (without the awkwardness)
Ticket machines, the otoshi charge, cash vs. card, and how to ask for the bill — the practical mechanics of eating out in Japan.
Food culture
The konbini guide: how to eat well at a convenience store
Japan's convenience stores are a genuine food destination — fresh onigiri, bento, oden and famous fried chicken, 24/7.
Food culture
Eating by the season: shun, Japan's culinary calendar
Japanese cuisine is built on shun — eating each ingredient at its seasonal peak. Here's what to look for, spring to winter.
Area guide
Ginza dining guide: polish, from a cutlet to two stars
Tokyo's most refined district spans department-store institutions, a katsu-curry birthplace and a two-Michelin-star kaiseki counter — plus elegant vegan dining.
Area guide
Asakusa food guide: old Tokyo, open to everyone
Senso-ji's temple town is the most inclusive food district in Tokyo — halal sushi, gluten-free tempura, vegan temple food and the world's richest matcha gelato.
Dietary guide
Vegan sweets & cafes in Tokyo
Fluffy egg-free pancakes, plant-based puddings and the world's richest matcha gelato — dessert without compromise.
Dietary guide
Shojin ryori: Japan's original vegetarian cuisine
Buddhist temple food was vegan centuries before the word existed. Meet shojin ryori — and the Tokyo tables that keep it alive.
Dietary guide
Gluten-free Tokyo: a coeliac's survival guide
Soy sauce hides wheat, and so does soba — but Tokyo now has certified gluten-free kitchens. Where to eat, and what to avoid.
Rankings
Editor's top picks for inbound diners
The eight Tokyo restaurants we're sending friends to right now — spanning vegan, halal, gluten-free and the timeless classics.
Area guide
Where to eat in Tokyo, by neighbourhood
Old-Tokyo Asakusa, refined Ginza, buzzing Shibuya and Shinjuku — what to eat where, and which of our picks to book.
Dietary guide
Halal in Tokyo: where to eat with confidence
From halal-certified sushi to A5 wagyu yakiniku and rich chicken ramen — Tokyo's halal scene has quietly become excellent.
Dietary guide
Vegan & vegetarian Tokyo: the complete guide
Tokyo is far easier than its reputation — if you know about dashi. Where to eat, what to watch for, and the phrases that help.
Etiquette
Japanese dining etiquette: the essentials
Chopstick rules, why there's no tipping, the hot towel, and 'itadakimasu'. The customs that make dining out feel easy.
Etiquette
Ramen, the right way: ordering and slurping
Buy your ticket at the machine, slurp without shame, and finish while it's hot. How to order ramen with confidence.
Etiquette
How to eat sushi like a local
Hands or chopsticks? Dip the fish, not the rice. A clear, friendly guide to enjoying sushi the way it's meant to be.