Eating Out in Japan

What we like most about eating at a restaurant in Japan is that we do not have to pay a tip. We do not mind paying it, or rather are willing to, when we get good service there. However, getting nice service is, unfortunately, not always the case in the US. Even when waitpersons do not attend you well, you are obligated to leave a tip against your will. Calculation of the amount of tip may sometimes be a headache.

In Japan, however, you do not have to worry about tipping at restaurants in general. Some restaurants in hotels, for example, charge you for their service. In this case as well, you do not have to worry about the tip because the service charge is already included in your bill. Also, good service is almost guaranteed at such upscale restaurants. Even not-so-sophisticated restaurants, like ones a little above fast food places, generally provide good service to their customers. You could enjoy your meal without worrying about how much you leave for the tip or being upset about the treatment you would get.

McDonald Japan has been on a campaign “Smile for $0,” which promotes a high quality of customer service. The attitudes of its attendants with a lot of smile would surprise you. However, good service is not limited to smile. One of the unique services at restaurants is a clean and hot wet towel (as you can see in the picture), by which you can clean your hands before eating or even wipe your sweat in summer. Once you get accustomed to this great service, you would surely miss it.

Another convenient service is a bell placed on each table, as shown in the following web link: http://www.pospos.jp/sonet.html. When you place your order, you just press the bell to get waitpersons’ attention. The bell transmits to the waitpersons the wireless signal that you are ready to order. At some restaurants, when placing an order, you can even avoid interactions with waitpersons. On the screen of some electric gadget, as shown in the links http://www.necinfrontia.co.jp/fit/hw.htm, you only select food items and then directly transmit the order to the cooks. When checking out, you press the panel and then go to the cashier. You can even check your bill before paying as well.

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