Dinner Date in Japan: Tips on Planning the Perfect Evening
Ah, springtime—that special season when people the world over tend to fall head over heels for each other with darting eyes and giddy text messages. So much love in the air is bound to lead to a first date, which most likely means dining for two! This is especially true in Japan, where food is so much a part of how people interact. But in major cities in Japan, like Tokyo and Osaka, where there are as many dinner choices as there are stars in the sky, how do you go about choosing a great restaurant that will help you start your date off right? Here are some tips to help love-struck foodies plan a dinner date in Japan.
Know Your Date’s Food Preferences
While finding out what your date likes to eat may seem like a no-brainer no matter the country you’re in, it does still bear mentioning here. While many restaurants in Western countries often seem to try to please everybody, the popular Japanese senmonten—that is, specialty shops—are very focused on providing a particular kind of food. That basically means that it will be extremely difficult to find anything other than sushi at a sushi restaurant. The same goes for tonkatsu-ya (restaurants specializing in pork cutlets) or tempura-ya (yep, just tempura). When in doubt, choose either dinner buffets or izakaya Japanese-style bars, both of which should have enough variety to keep you (and maybe more importantly, your date) satisfied.
Choose a Restaurant near the Train Station
One of the great things about Japan in general, and cities like Tokyo and Osaka, in particular is that you don’t really need to own a car—you can get most places by train. Not surprisingly, train stations have grown wise to the customer potential, and most major train and subway hubs are more often than not surrounded by good restaurants. Not only that, there are usually stores where you can pass some time and break the ice before dinner. If you are the one making the dinner plans, make sure to choose a place within your date’s comfort zone. Just knowing the train station where you’ll be meeting narrows down your restaurant choices and can help you get rid of some of that pre-planning dinner date anxiety.
Decide the Atmosphere for Your Dinner
Quiet & Romantic
You’ll want to set the tone for your dinner date. For quiet romantics, there are certainly no shortage of excellent, dimly lit Western or European-style restaurants in Tokyo where you and your date can gaze lovingly at each other across your table-for-two. There are also plenty of Japanese-style restaurants, such as those specializing in kaiseki seasonal Japanese ingredients that allow you to relax while experiencing a more traditional, less modern side of Japan.
Food as Entertainment
But if you are worried that too much quiet could sabotage your date and you want to keep up the flow of conversation, choose a restaurant featuring one of Japan’s many “social” foods! These include okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake that is cooked over a hot table by guests themselves, and shabu-shabu, a communal Japanese hotpot which is best enjoyed with two or more people. There is also yakiniku, basically an Asian-style barbeque, as well as teppanyaki, where you and your date can marvel at the awesome meat-and-vegetable-cooking skills of the chef before chowing down.
Not only do these options instantly give you something to talk about, but you might even become closer by cooking together! If you feel a bit overwhelmed at the idea of choosing a restaurant that best fits your mood, have no fear—you can use social media apps and websites, including the GURUNAVI Japan Restaurant Guide, to help make the most delicious choice possible.
Japanese-style vs. Western-style
When it comes to the style of restaurant you want to choose for your date, there’s no need to get overwhelmed by the details; the main style differences you will encounter involve how you sit when they eat, and what kind of utensils you use. On one hand, high tables, chairs and silverware are the norm in Tokyo’s many, many Western-style restaurants, cafes and bars. On the other hand, there are also plenty of traditional Japanese establishments where guests sit shoeless on tatami mats while eating with chopsticks.
If you want to experience the relaxing feel of tatami minus the cramping of either your legs (or your style), you may want to search for restaurants featuring something called a hori-gotatsu—a pit for your feet that allows you and your date to sit completely upright while dining.
Theme Restaurant vs. “Regular” Restaurant
While there is absolutely nothing wrong with going either the “Japanese-style” or “Western-style” route, truly adventurous souls may not want to stop at the difference between a fork and chopsticks! To really make an impression on your date, you may want to try one of Tokyo’s many theme restaurants. From samurai restaurants and animal restaurants to catching your own dinner, there’s no end to the playful inventiveness available in Japan’s metropolitan hubs. Of course, you need to make sure that your date is willing to come along with you for the ride! One thing’s for sure, though: Pick a theme restaurant and you will surely have a story to tell afterward.
Practice Japanese Dining Etiquette
Especially on a first date, being on your very best behavior goes without saying. In Tokyo as in most big, modern cities, you will find that the definition of “best behavior” doesn’t change much compared to what you are used to—but there are some interesting differences in etiquette, especially when it comes to eating! If you do end up taking your date to a traditional Japanese restaurant where you will use chopsticks, or to an upscale sushi bar, it is best to at least try keeping those differences in mind. Even if you don’t remember all of them, your date is likely to give you points for trying anyway!
Make Reservations with GURUNAVI Reservation Agent
If you want to schedule your date for the weekend, that likely means making reservations. While you are certainly welcome to take the gamble and call the restaurant you desire, there is no guarantee that the person on the other line will be able to speak your language. Short of either having excellent Japanese skills or enlisting a friend who does, what can you do to make sure that everything is set for the big night?
Fortunately, GURUNAVI Reservation Agent can help you if you don’t speak Japanese well. Once you’ve found a restaurant listed on GURUNAVI that you want to eat at, click on the red reservation button and you will be given a phone number to call for reservation assistance.
Think of a Plan B
Sometimes, even the best-laid plans don’t work out. For both of those situations, where you desperately need a “Plan B,” there is always coffee. Coffee in Japan has come a long way from the days of yore when cafes were called kissaten—literally, “smoking places.” Tokyo in particular has become a kind of capital of coffee, featuring many unique niche cafes in addition to the big chains. Some are even open all night, or at least late enough so that you and your date can bond over a slow cup of joe. Fantastic food offerings allow dinner in a pinch, and what’s more there are no reservations necessary.
Plan for After-Dinner Entertainment
When the check has been paid and you and your date step out the door and into the night, what do you do if you’re both still smiling? Continue the party, of course! Late night cafes are certainly an option, as are one of many bars from the swanky to the hole-in-the-wall. Movies theaters are also a great nightcap; late shows tend to be slightly cheaper than the 1,800 yen average, which may be cheaper per person than staying in a bar for even two drinks. And if you do attend the late show, do be careful not to miss the last train!
Finally, if you want to end your date with a quintessential Japanese experience, you might want to consider going to karaoke. Whereas many Western karaoke places are open bars, be aware that Japanese karaoke happens mostly in private rooms reserved by two or more people in hourly blocks. You can order food and drinks while singing to your heart’s content—sometimes the karaoke machine even rates your performance! Even if you don’t sing very well, though, it’s your date’s opinion that counts.
A Dinner Date in Japan Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult
We hope these tips will help make your dinner date in Japan a success! And to think it all started with choosing the right restaurant.
Springtime often sets hearts a-pounding with romantic possibilities—along with great places to eat! With so many choices, though, it can sometimes be hard to find the perfect spot. For the very best date-worthy restaurants throughout Japan, look no further than GURUNAVI.
