May I take your order?

Service in Japanese restaurants is very different than in America. And in most ways, I think I prefer the Japanese system.

When you enter a restaurant, your waiter or waitress will take you to your table. They give you menus and disappear. They will often return with water and small towels for you to clean your hands with before eating. And then they are gone again. You have all the time in the world to look over the menu. They will never come back to ask if you are ready yet. Once you decide what it is you want, you simply raise your hand and say “Sumimasen,” in a loud voice, which means “excuse me” (in this context at least. It can also mean I’m sorry or thank you, but that’s a topic for another article).

Then, and only then, they return to take your order. After this is completed they will not return again until bringing your food. Usually they bring your bill with your food and leave it at the end of the table so that when you are ready to leave you can simply take it to the cash register in the front and pay. And then again they are gone. They will never come by to ask, “Is everything all right here?” They won’t pop up when you have your mouth full asking if there is anything else they can get you. If you need something, such as a water refill, you simply raise your hand and summon them again.

In larger places, especially those with odd layouts or busy places that cater to large, loud (drinking) parties, you don’t even have to call for them yourself. There are buttons located on the table. When you need something, you press this button and someone will come to find out what you need and bring it to you. I believe at the first party I went to with many other foreigners, this button was dubbed the “Magical Beer Button” when it was discovered that all that was required to get a refill at this all-you-could-drink party was a press of the button.

I like not being constantly bothered by the employees of a restaurant. You don’t have to worry about them interrupting a conversation or constantly asking if they can help you. When you need something, you let them know.

I know many Americans have trouble in Japanese restaurants because they don’t like calling out for the waiter across the room. It seems rude. So they say “Sumimasen” too quietly or just wait, hoping the waiter will eventually come to them (there is actually a humorous story in my junior high third grade [9th grade] text book about this problem and problems Japanese people have in other counties). I’m sure many of them think service in Japanese restaurants is terrible as their water glasses go unrefilled and they are never checked on. If they watched others around them though, they would quickly learn the secret to getting great service. You just have to ask.

I understand why this system largely wouldn’t work in America. The biggest reason is that in Japan, you never have to tip. Everything, including tax and tip, is already included in the listed prices. So you never, ever tip (not cabs, not hairdressers, not hotel staff, and not waiters and waitresses). I know this is going to be a problem when I return to the states and mistakenly jip someone because I forget I have to tip. I really like not having to determine how “good” my service was (should I give a 15% tip, 20%?). I like not having to feel guilted into leaving someone a tip even when the service wasn’t so great, but I know the restaurant is really busy and they are depending on tips. And I like that the staff doesn’t have to be overly helpful or fake polite to earn as much as they can. I like that a group of college age kids will get the same level of service as someone who looks like they have a much larger expendable income and is probably more likely to leave a large tip. I’m not saying that wait-staff shouldn’t be well paid or rewarded for doing their job well. I just like that I don’t have to determine it.

And don’t get me wrong, the staff in Japanese restaurants is still really helpful and polite all the time. Somehow it feels more genuine to me, because I know they aren’t just trying to get a higher tip. They are just doing their job with a smile and trying to treat the customers right so that we might return to the establishment again. And it just really works for me.