LiveLingoQuick Answer
- Check the English booking sites first: TableCheck (no diner fee, also behind Google Maps' Reserve a table), Tabelog (¥440 per person system fee) and omakase.in (¥390 per seat) cover many restaurants.
- Ask your hotel concierge for places that require it. Some famous sushi counters only accept overseas guests through a hotel concierge.
- For phone-only places, call yourself with LiveLingo: you speak English, the restaurant hears Japanese, and their answer comes back in English. They answer like any call.
- Show up, or cancel early. A phone booking counts as a contract in Japan, and restaurants can charge cancellation fees.
1. Ways to Book, Compared
| Option | What it covers | Cost to you | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| TableCheck | Thousands of restaurants, including many Michelin-starred; 18 languages | No booking fee for diners | Also powers Reserve a table on Google Maps in Japan; deposits and no-show fees are set by each restaurant |
| Tabelog (English) | Participating restaurants that accept Tabelog online booking | ¥440 per person system fee, not refunded | Card required; listings without online booking say to contact the restaurant directly |
| omakase.in | High-end sushi and kaiseki | ¥390 per seat | Cancellation fees set per restaurant |
| Pocket Concierge | Fine dining | Course prepaid by card | Default cancellation fee 50% two to three business days before, 100% the day before |
| Paid concierge services (My Concierge Japan, JPNEAZY and others) | Hard-to-book restaurants | Booking fees, for example 10% or ¥800 to ¥5,000 per person | Fees often non-refundable |
| Your hotel concierge | Anything nearby, including concierge-only restaurants | Usually free for guests | Needs a few days' notice for popular places |
| Calling yourself with LiveLingo | Any place with a phone number, including phone-only | Pro+ call minutes | You speak English, they hear Japanese |
AutoReserve is another option: an app whose AI phones phone-only restaurants for you and books on your behalf. With LiveLingo you make the call yourself, so you can answer the restaurant's questions and agree on details on the spot.
2. Why So Many Places Only Take Phone Bookings
Small restaurants in Japan often have a dozen seats and a fixed course, so a single empty seat costs real money. A 2018 report for Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry estimated that no-shows cost restaurants around ¥200 billion a year. Taking bookings by phone lets the owner talk to the guest, confirm the details and judge whether they will come. Some places add their own rules: the famous Sukiyabashi Jiro, for example, only accepts overseas guests through their hotel concierge.
The same report notes that a phone reservation can form a contract, that for a course booking the full course price can be claimed for a no-show, and that guests should cancel by any means as soon as they know they can't come. Restaurants should tell you their cancellation policy when you book, so ask.
3. What the Restaurant Will Ask
- Date and time
- Number of people
- Seating: counter, table or private room
- Course or à la carte, and which course
- Your name (spell it, or give a simple version) and a phone number they can reach you on in Japan
- Allergies or foods you can't eat. Tell them now, not on the night.
Call outside meal service. Restaurants are busiest at lunch and dinner and often can't answer then; some list specific phone hours on their website or booking page. Have a second date and time ready in case your first choice is full.
4. How to Call a Japanese Restaurant With Live Translation
- Open LiveLingo on your iPhone or Android phone, or the Call tab of the web app.
- Verify your own phone number once with an SMS code.
- Choose Japanese as the language the other person speaks.
- Dial +81 and the number without its leading 0. For example, 03-1234-5678 becomes +81 3 1234 5678.
- When they pick up, the restaurant hears: "もしもし、[your name]さんからLiveLingoを通じた翻訳通話です。各翻訳の後にお話しください。" (Hello, this is a translated call from [your name] via LiveLingo. Please speak after each translation.)
- Speak English in short sentences and pause after each one. They hear your voice, then the Japanese translation, and their answer comes back to you in English.
- Repeat the key details back at the end: date, time, number of people, name.
The call runs over the internet from the app, so your phone plan isn't charged for an international call. Calls to Japan use the higher rate: up to 60 minutes a month on Pro+ ($29.99 per month), and up to 30 minutes per call. A booking call usually takes a few minutes. If a phone menu answers, press the number on the in-call keypad.
5. Ryokan: What to Sort Out by Phone
Many ryokan are bookable in English through the sites listed by Japan's national tourism organization, including JAPANiCAN, Jalan, Rakuten Travel and Selected Onsen Ryokan. Smaller inns may only take bookings by phone, and even after booking online, a call helps with details that matter:
- Arrival time and dinner. Ryokan dinners are served at set times, and arriving late can mean missing dinner. Tell them when you will arrive.
- Dietary needs and allergies. Kaiseki meals are prepared in advance, so give notice days ahead.
- Tattoos and the baths. Japan's Tourism Agency asked inns in 2016 not to refuse guests solely for tattoos, and suggested cover stickers and private baths. Policies still vary, so ask whether a private bath (kashikiri) is available.
6. Campsites
Japan has about 3,000 campsites, and reservations are highly recommended, especially in summer and Golden Week. The biggest booking site, Nap (nap-camp.com), lists thousands of campsites but is in Japanese, and many smaller sites still ask you to call. Japan Camp Easy offers English booking for campsite plans with gear rental. For everything else, a translated call lets you ask about availability, car access, check-in time and rental gear directly.
7. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I book a restaurant in Japan that only takes phone reservations?
Ask your hotel concierge, use a paid booking service, or call yourself with a translated call app like LiveLingo: you speak English, the restaurant hears Japanese, and their answer comes back to you in English.
Can I make a restaurant reservation in Japan online in English?
Yes, for many restaurants. TableCheck works in 18 languages with no diner booking fee, Tabelog's English site takes online bookings at participating restaurants for a ¥440 per person system fee, and omakase.in covers high-end restaurants for ¥390 per seat.
How do I call a Japanese number from abroad?
Dial +81, then the number without its leading 0. For example, 03-1234-5678 becomes +81 3 1234 5678.
Do Japanese restaurants charge for no-shows?
They can. A phone reservation can form a contract, and for a course booking the restaurant can claim the full course price. Ask about the cancellation policy when you book, and cancel as soon as you know you can't come.
Will the restaurant know it's a translated call?
Yes. The call opens with a short greeting in Japanese saying it is a translated call from you, then they hear your voice followed by the Japanese translation.
How much does it cost to call Japan with LiveLingo?
Translated calls are part of Pro+ at $29.99 per month. Calls to Japan use the higher rate, up to 60 minutes a month, with up to 30 minutes per call. Pro includes one 3-minute trial call.
Some of the best meals in Japan are behind a phone number. Call them with LiveLingo and book in Japanese without speaking it.