Three different restaurants
The word covers formats that share almost nothing in terms of language. A conveyor belt chain needs a tablet and a greeting; a counter needs you to name fish and read a chef's timing.
Knowing which you are in tells you how much Japanese the evening will require, and it is usually obvious from the entrance.
| Format | How you order | Japanese needed |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyor belt | Tablet, or take from the belt | Almost none |
| Standing sushi | Say each piece to the chef | Fish names |
| Set menu restaurant | Choose a set by name | A little |
| Counter | Piece by piece, in rounds | Fish names and phrases |
| Delivery | App or phone | Reading only |
Standing sushi bars are the best practice ground: counter-style ordering, low prices, and no pressure to sustain conversation.
The fish
This is the vocabulary that actually blocks people. The names are usually written in katakana or in kanji specific to fish, and they do not appear in general textbooks.
Ten names cover most of what appears at an ordinary restaurant, and knowing them changes the meal from pointing to choosing.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| まぐろ | maguro | Tuna |
| サーモン | sāmon | Salmon |
| はまち | hamachi | Yellowtail |
| えび | ebi | Prawn |
| いか | ika | Squid |
| ほたて | hotate | Scallop |
More on the board
A second set covers the rest of a typical board, including the items people order without knowing the name and then cannot order again.
Seasonal fish are often written on a paper strip rather than the printed menu, which is where a counter's best items live.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| うに | uni | Sea urchin |
| いくら | ikura | Salmon roe |
| あなご | anago | Conger eel |
| たまご | tamago | Sweet omelette |
| あじ | aji | Horse mackerel |
| 本日のおすすめ | honjitsu no osusume | Today's recommendation |
The last line is the one to look for on a handwritten strip. It is the shortest route to whatever is actually good that day.
Ordering at a counter
You order in small rounds rather than listing everything at the start. Two or three pieces, eat them, then order again, which is what the format is designed for.
If you do not know what to choose, handing the decision to the chef is a normal and respected move rather than an admission of ignorance.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| おまかせでお願いします。 | Omakase de onegai shimasu. | I will leave it to you. |
| まぐろを二貫ください。 | Maguro o nikan kudasai. | Two pieces of tuna, please. |
| おすすめは何ですか。 | Osusume wa nan desu ka. | What do you recommend? |
| 同じものをもう一つ。 | Onaji mono o mō hitotsu. | One more of the same. |
| わさび抜きでお願いします。 | Wasabi nuki de onegai shimasu. | Without wasabi, please. |
| 軽めでお願いします。 | Karume de onegai shimasu. | Something light, please. |
Finishing
The close is short. You signal that you have had enough, ask for tea or the bill, and pay at the counter or the till depending on the place.
Tipping does not exist. At a counter, a word of thanks to the chef on the way out is the whole ceremony.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| これで大丈夫です。 | Kore de daijōbu desu. | That is enough, thank you. |
| お茶をお願いします。 | Ocha o onegai shimasu. | Tea, please. |
| お会計をお願いします。 | Okaikei o onegai shimasu. | The bill, please. |
| 別々でお願いします。 | Betsubetsu de onegai shimasu. | Separate bills, please. |
| ごちそうさまでした。 | Gochisōsama deshita. | Thank you for the meal. |
| おいしかったです。 | Oishikatta desu. | It was delicious. |
The last two are said on leaving, to the chef directly at a counter. They are the part that gets remembered.
Talking to the chef
At a counter there is conversation, and it is the part that most learners avoid by staying silent for an hour. It is not demanding: where the fish is from, what is in season, whether you have been before.
Because the topics are narrow and repeat, this is unusually easy to prepare for. Running a counter conversation with an AI Sensei in Unihongo's 3D classroom, ordering in rounds and answering the two or three questions a chef actually asks, means you arrive able to talk rather than nod, and the session feedback tells you whether your fish names came out clearly enough to be understood over a busy counter.
A counter meal where you talked is a different experience from one where you did not, and the difference is about six sentences.
Start at a standing sushi bar. Same format, a fraction of the price, and nobody minds if you take three attempts at a fish name.