Choosing a complete meal
Look for 定食 for a set meal. Use the printed list of included items because the contents are not fixed by the word itself.
Read a Japanese menu without guessing
Start with the words that describe how an item is ordered or paid for. These translations help you read the structure of a menu; they do not identify ingredients.
Do not use a menu word as allergen evidence
A dish name, photo or category cannot prove which ingredients were used or whether cross-contact is possible. Ask the restaurant directly. If you have a food allergy, use the Consumer Affairs Agency's official multilingual communication sheet rather than relying on this decoder.
Official food allergy communication sheetWhich word should you look for first?
Choosing only one item
Look for 単品 meaning a single item or à la carte. It does not describe the item's ingredients.
Ordering at a machine
食券 means a meal ticket. Follow the restaurant's displayed instructions for buying and handing over the ticket.
Checking the amount shown
税込 means tax included. Do not use it to infer which payment methods the business accepts.
Tap a term to decode it
The note under each term states what the word does not tell you, so a translation does not turn into an ingredient, price or availability assumption.
定食 teishoku set meal
Meal format
The included dishes vary. Read the listed contents instead of assuming which sides come with it.
単品 tanpin single item / à la carte
Meal format
This labels an item ordered by itself rather than a set.
食券 shokken meal ticket
Ordering
If you see this near a vending machine, the restaurant may ask you to buy a ticket before handing it to staff.
テイクアウト teikuauto takeaway / takeout
Ordering
Availability still depends on the item and the business, so confirm before ordering.
おかわり okawari refill / another serving
Ordering
The word does not say whether a refill is free or which item can be refilled. Check the surrounding text.
ラストオーダー rasuto oodaa last order
Availability
This is an ordering cut-off, not necessarily the time the business closes.
売り切れ urikire sold out
Availability
The marked item is unavailable. It does not indicate when it will return.
税込 zeikomi tax included
Payment
The displayed amount includes tax.
現金 genkin cash
Payment
This word identifies cash; it does not by itself say which other payment methods are accepted.
会計 kaikei bill / payment
Payment
Look for this when you are ready to pay or locating the payment area.
Official references
The vocabulary and menu-reading approach were checked against the official tourism resources below on 7 August 2026. The allergy boundary follows the Consumer Affairs Agency's guidance. None of these sources verifies an individual restaurant menu.