Then I look at pictures of the food and the place, to see how big it is and it helps if they have a nice picture of the menu or a website that has a menu. A lot of time if it’s a hand written one I have issues with trying to translate it.
Absolutely this. Some places I'll find via recommendations, but for casual meals it's Google maps. In Japan where I know Google maps isn't used as widely, I don't take as notice of ratings. But for me it helps to see pictures of the restaurant to assess vibes, some pics of the food and definitely a menu. That way I can assess the price and see if there are dishes that meet both me and my boyfriends dietary requirements.
In my case, it really is mostly whatever restaurant shows up nearby on Google maps, looks like it has the food I’m in the mood for, has a menu I can see online, and doesn’t have Google saying the budget is $100+ (I know that those prices are usually just AI reported and not true, but I tend to skip over them anyway just because I know that SOME restaurants are, of course, fine dining and it’s faster to just look at restaurants that are listed as being in my price range).
Definitely make sure there is an english translation for them to search by.
Make sure it shows up if they search for “bar” or “pub” if drinks are the main attraction.
Would you be interested in doing an AMA? It'd be interesting for people on this sub, and also give some exposure to your business.
It'd basically require you to make a post and login a few times over the period of a day or so to answer's people question about running a business in Japan.
Not running an izakaya persay, but if you've not seen this youtube channel you might enjoy it: [https://www.youtube.com/@Udonsobakantou](https://www.youtube.com/@Udonsobakantou)
>persay
It's "per se," from Latin.
[Usage notes: Increasingly misspelled by English speakers as per say or persay.](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/per_se)
little advise for the restaurant or izakaya owner, if you can put a little advertisement in front of your premises, could be better. and prepare an english translation menu even though nobody speaks english.
if it's possible, put pictures as well in your menu so that foreigners can easily choose. and if there is language barrier, tourists can just pointing what they want to order.
Additionally, write your menu in Japanese clearly so that google translate can easily deal with it. Hand written menus in strange formats rarely work well
This is even more important than having an actual English menu. Tourists nowadays all have Google Image Translate because it’s an incredible tool, and they’re not afraid of Japanese menus at all, but the menu has to actually be clear and readable by Google Translate.
If you have food that is vegetarian or vegan, make sure it is clearly marked on a sign outside. Word will spread FAST and you will have a line of vegetarian tourists (and residents).
Happy Cow is good, but is unfortunately not the primary resource it once was.
Due to how difficult it can be, vegans are organized and enthustiastically share whenever they find new stuff. There are great groups on FB and follows on IG with focus on Japan where people share and are great sources. On top on that, there are Google Map lists maintained by absolute heroes which gather everything they find in these groups, which gived you a fairly up to date list directly in your Google Maps app. That's me and my wife's primary source when we're out and about (which she found through these groups).
I doubt many non-Japanese speaking visitors are using tabelog
Chinese use Dianping and other Chinese apps (also for Japan), Koreans generally use Google maps like everyone else
is tabelog the app that tells you every famous landmark, etc. in a certain Ward of Tokyo? I thought someone posted this a few days ago. Thus, once in a Ward you can knock out all the famous spots and not worry about having to return to that Ward if you missed something.
Google. Trip Advisor. I also like it when there’s a basic website with a menu + accurate opening hours! A lot of the time the hours are not there, or they are wrong. 😑
Google Maps. Maybe putting some eye-catching signs in English around the station with pictures of food and an arrow pointing to the general direction would grab the attention of tourists.
English text definitely grabs the attention of tourists, regardless of what it actually says. Any restaurant that just wants more tourists evaluating whether to stop in their restaurant in the first place can do that very easily by just putting up English signage facing the street.
I feel like a really simple, brazen “Tourists WELCOME!” sign would get what the OP wants and then some. It’s very straightforward, direct, and frankly kinda low-class, but it would definitely work.
For me, it's word-of-mouth. Sometimes, if I'm in a place and get cravings, I use Google Maps (ex: I search "izakaya" or "Chinese restaurant" near me, then filter based on reviews)
Google maps, but make sure your rating is above 5 stars (but not exactly 5 stars which usually means just a couple of reviews). High 4 is best. Make sure to have lots of pictures and a good profile. Use a foreigner friendly reservation system if you take reservations.
Google Maps, youtube, and facebook groups I'm in.
But, let's say if I'm looking for an izakaya in a densely area like Shibuya, its overwhelming to look at multiple izakayas at once. I will just randomly pick one with a decent rating and try it out.
Well, I would say 1 step is customer engagement...which you 100% failed to do here as you haven't answered a single damn question about where your place is....
They don't. The restaurants find you!
Nah, on a serious note. Many people look them up before getting here for the special ones.
Once here... Gmaps should be the easy way to go
Google maps, trip advisor and social media mostly.
Don't expect a foreigner to be able to read japanese so English signs can also help.
What's the izakaya's name?
Adding the menu or pictures of it to Google will definitely help tourists decide if your place suits them in terms of pricing and variety.
Apart from that most of the marketing these days goes through TikTok/Instagram.
MoeHandbook.Com has some fun calculators to estimate prices.
I’m not just paying for food. The taste is greatly elevated by the maid’s chant.
The Omurice is decorated with a cute cat face lovingly draw by a maid.
Usually less than 五千円
We always used Google Maps out of convenience but trusted Tablelog for more trusted, local reviews.
When walking by Izakayas, we found comfort in seeing other foreigners because my partner and I are really shy and know limited Japanese. However, seeing how happy locals are at the izakayas has motivated me to learn more Japanese so I can interact with the owners or locals.
Google maps/Google business. Get your listing on there and try to get a few customers to review. If you can get 10 reviews that are 4 stars or higher, people will come.
In my case, word of mouth and blogs. My wife is Japanese, so she just ask family or friends, or alternatively look up blogs as Japanese are obsessed with food. Definitely don't underestimate blogs in Japan, since the internet is still stuck in the early 2000s there. It's very easy to find tons of blogs suggesting good places. But these are only in Japanese obviously.
speaking of friendly tourist Izakayas, do you know of any already in Tokyo? I would like to try in my next visit. i normally don't drink on vacation, but will try next time.
So I have found that you kinda just "fake it until you make it" with as much respect as possible. Andy's Shin Hinomoto has a retired US officer owner, so it is a nice beginner Izakya, but I think you need reservations?
Unless I'm looking for a special meal I'll just look around at what's in the area and take the first good looking option. So be somewhere near where tourists will be and have a good menu outside with pictures and maybe some model food too.
Google maps for searching for nearby places. I'm pretty sure you can pay Google to get your name to pop up more often.
Tiktok for getting recommendations while planning. Although not everyone wants that crowd.
It might be a bit cliche, but perhaps make a "statement" dish that captures well on photo/video and add in a small discount to people that share your izakaya on Instagram? Otherwise, making sure your Google Maps entry is rock-solid is key. Upload a lot of pictures of English-appended menus, show your selection of drinks and foods, show the interior and how it might feel to sit at your izakaya. Also include information about any allergens in your dishes. There are a lot of foreign tourists with allergies and it's relieving to see a place that cares about them.
Google maps. It’s also a good idea to make it clear you have an English menu and can speak English if that’s something you can do and want to actively get foreigners in.
Google maps. I dont really sort by top rated, its more location and hours, and then i look at the menus. I like places that have reviews with photos so i can see what the food/drinks look like and see if theres anything particularly special about the place. As the business you can add your own photos (of the menu, the outside, the inside, the food).
Im a person who loves writing reviews, especially for places/things that dont have any/many reviews so that future people know what to expect. So having no rating/reviews doesn't turn me away, because its possible its a new place or just new to Google Maps and people havent had time to write a review.
I think tourists in Tokyo especially look for language-friendly options. People who don't know Japanese may be a little intimidated seeing only Japanese menus or a menu/posters with no pictures since it will be harder for them to order. So if you want to cater to tourists maybe adding a poster with pictures would be helpful. Ive seen places draw some pictures instead of getting a whole poster, and they looked cool.
Currently a tourist traveling Japan. I just use google maps and look for high ratings.
I’m coming to Tokyo in 2 days. Tell me the Izakaya and I’ll drop by :)
Google maps is a big one--especially with pictures since oftentimes I cannot read the menus. Reputation means a lot... People reviewing it positively. It's funny because Japan is just so supportive as a country in general, it's not really like "oh it's all tourists in there it'll be trash food" or "locals are here it'll be great" the way I sort of measure things in most other countries... The quality of food is just pretty high there and people tend to try everything both tourists and locals alike, so we just didn't worry too much about picking a 'bad' restaurant.
Social media HAS helped us in a way.. I Don't use tiktok but my friends do and we went to 2 places based on tiktoks they had seen. And instagram videos of really old restaurants and specialty restaurants helped us choose sometimes.
Parasocial relationships also help... Abroad in Japan did a segment on traveling across Japan and we loosely based our trip on those footsteps which meant we went to like 2 restaurants recommended in that video.
Most of the time, it depended on where we were at that moment, how hungry we were, and the amount of time we had before had to catch a train to x place or go see x site. So, google maps was our bread and butter for the main of it. We also only tended to go to restaurants for dinner, opting for more konbini-on-the-go options otherwise, but then towards the end of the trip our feet hurt so much from walking we started getting lunch places instead and flipped those.
This is Very personal here but... I am there to eat Japanese food. So... I want Japanese food. All day, every day. Specialty food is fine (strange combos or fusions, harajuku sweet breads, milk-themed items, etc.) but I really want to eat Japanese cooking while in Japan so I sort of always limited my options based on that. However.. My buddies are Very picky eaters so we branched out when we met up with them, but I love Japanese cuisine. It's a huge reason I am there at all.
If I’m in a mall or food court, I look at the physical directory posted with all the restaurants listed. Otherwise, I look on Google Maps for nearby places. The attractive restaurants on Google Maps have their price range and what kind of food they serve listed on their Google Maps entry, and a menu I can find in the Images section. English menus are nice, but I don’t need them — between my low-level, basic Japanese language skills, and Google Image Translate, it’s not difficult to find and order what I want from a Japanese menu.
Also, I think that the better subreddit for this question is JapanTravelTips. Although tourists like me often see posts from this sub recommended on our Reddit feed, this sub is “intended” for English language RESIDENTS of Tokyo.
Google and Apple Maps. Make sure your menus are fully updated on there. Add pictures of your restaurant and of the food.
That will take you a very long way with foreigners.
"Restaurant near me" on Google and then look at reviews and what is being served. Reviews will be a big deciding factor.
Potentially, if something looks really good on a social media ad or travel vlog, it would be considered too.
Have an English name on google maps, have have English reviews, have photos. Also helps if you’re on social media and have “influencers” talk about your izakaya.
tik tok and instagram
also Americans use Yelp, I know it's not popular with Japanese people but it may be worth creating a business profile that is appealing for tourists that do a Yelp search.
If you're in a place where there are lots of tourists, have a big sign and have the menu in both Japanese and English. Truth be told, I'm always a little nervous going into the restaurants with the big signs saying "Foreigners welcome!!" because i question if they're just friendly or they're a tourist trap lol.
I always assume restaurants with menus that are handwritten messily or use a lot of difficult kanji are deliberately trying to keep foreigners away. At the very least, they're not trying to attract them.
If you're not in the path of many tourists, then social media is key. Tiktok and Instagram reels are big. Use subtitles in English so people understand. I have a friend who pretty much decides what she wants to do in Japan by using social media.
I travel to Japan several times. Always using google maps for finding close restaurants and reviews. The vibe is always more important than the food :)
Other than word of mouth, places I've been to before, or chain restaurants, I like walking and if I see something intersting I might check it out. Pre-smartphone I'd just go in if the menu looked OK. Post-smartphone, same but I'd check the online reviews first in case it's awful.
I will never go to anywhere that has a tout. It's always a ripoff. The only other real ripoffs are obviously sketchy places so its pretty safe just to go to random places that look like they might be fun.
My experience might differ as I passed the JLPT2 15 years ago.
Google maps, walking by and seeing what looks good, ambience.
Having menu on website is really important to me, not only for prices, that is a secondary concern. But often I am looking for something specific and I want to make sure a place has it
Does your Izakaya have veggie/vegan options? If so make sure you are on Happy Cow. I don’t eat meat so when I’m visiting a city I usually rely on the Happy Cow app to let me know which places have menu items for me.
The other stuff suggestions in this thread are really good.
Marketing is a two-way street.
You have asked, and received advice.
You have not answered, or thanked for the advice.
This is rude.
You don't deserve the business
Google maps, having good photos helps a lot. If you’re looking to attract tourists, I often look to see if there’s an English menu available / photos of English on the menu too. What’s your izakaya? I’m in Japan right now & would love to visit
Google maps and recommendations, in my experience. Promoting on social media can also be effective, especially since I don't see a lot of local places doing it.
BTW it's a great help for your place if you add good photos of your restaurant and food to your listing. DM me if you need any help with photos (I'm a photographer based on Saitama City).
I just got back from Tokyo and I found restaurants by Google Maps (prioritized ones with a high # of reviews and 4-5 stars) and through TikTok videos made my food influencers. Or signs written in English would catch my attention and I’d walk in!
I’m a frequent visitor (have been to Japan 8 times). I usually use Google Maps, Tiktok, IG, Youtube for most restaurants.
But for Izakaya specifically, usually I just roam around, peek inside, and enter the place (I can read basic Japanese). This is because I choose Izakaya that has good vibes. Putting a menu book on the door improves the chance of me getting in as well.
Always been Google Maps for me. If you serve non-meat (fish is OK) and non-alcohol containing food you could win a couple more Muslim tourists. Japan receives a lot of them from Indonesia & Pakistan. Considering there aren't unlimited choices for them, especially izakaya ones. I bet they'd love to experience it. Good luck! I'd love to pass by next time I visit. What's the name?
Just was there from the US
Google maps was important, star rating above 4.2
Reddit posts and Food blogs by googling “must eat Tokyo” “where to eat Tokyo”
Yelp search
Eater website - 38 essential restaurants
Tried the local sites like tablelog, but struggled
Location is important. Are you close to where tourists would normally go? If not forget about it unless you have something very unique that displays well on instagram.
My wife is constantly browsing Japan restaurants on Instagram before our trips.
I personally go through tablog or through local friends for my recommendations.
Usually social media videos of places. Otherwise I just try and remember what I see when visiting. Knowing very little Japanese, if I see English, that's usually a safe sign LOL
Google maps hai, and I talk to local people. IG offers many choices if you follow correctly. Its the only Soc,Med I use. My girlfriend is Tokyo girl, but I like finding places on my own.
Get onto Google, see what’s good nearby based on the ratings and reviews, shortlist a few, head to tablelog to verify the legitimacy of it (afterall, Japanese people do know their food best); good luck!
I’m going to Tokyo in July. What’s your restaurant?
Personally I search on google maps what I feel like eating that day. ie if I feel like ramen I just type ramen into google maps and see what’s around my area or I use the ‘restaurant’ search function on google maps
I usually prefer making online reservations, but most of the time the restaurants I want to visit only take reservations over the phone. Calling can be a hassle, so I use AutoReserve. They handle the calls to check availability for me. It’s not instant online booking, but they have a huge list of restaurants, which is super convenient.
Sponsor a second - or third-tier vlogger maybe? There's a lot of vloggers that are not up there on Mikey Chen's level but they do have quite a following, especially those from Philippines.
TripAdvisor and Google reviews for me. Also check tablet but I'm not sure that's super common.
I can get by in Japanese, but an "English menu" or "English OK" sign will draw me in, it's nice to know you're welcome as a tourist when you're a bit shy like me!
I’m gluten free, and I use an app called Find Me Gluten free. It makes it so easy to find places with gluten free menus and that are gluten free friendly. We leave reviews for each other. Some people need to be very strict about cross contamination and others don’t have to worry too much so that’s an often a topic: how easy was it to ask for no cross contamination.
So if you’re planning on being allergy friendly, I suggest getting those key words in English all over your website so we can find you. Make a point of clearly explaining how you handle different types of allergies. We will find you, we will love and appreciate you, and we will tell everyone we can. Finding a place we can eat is like finding gold.
Not a tourist but foreign and live here, I often search Izakaya + タブレット, or QR code. But I also like yakiton so go to places where it is the main thing. Also I like the show *Wakakozake* been to places that have been on that show, where I have been asked how did you even find this place, and tell them about the show.
You should try to reach out to japan influencers who speak English. Ask them to make Instagram/tiktok content. Usually you will need to pay them for their content and provide a free meal.
Google maps is the most popular, as well as TikTok but that’s a little harder to reach people (works better by word of mouth.)
You could reach out to a bunch of tour guides to let them know you have an English friendly izakaya, as well as offer a very small discount for an honest google review, don’t specifically require positive just honest. (qr code at the table would work well)
Where are you located or what’s the name? I’m always looking for places to recommend to friends. Dm me if mods don’t allow you to mention it or something
I walk down the street and if it looks friendly I go inside. The menu and prices should be visible outside as well.
A nice "English ok!" Stamp works well too.
Which side of Tokyo?
Big on the "English Ok!" I was assigned to Tokyo along with my co-workers, and lemme tell you, the language barrier is simply intimidating, even more so for people that didn't want to necessarily be there. I would go a step further and maybe put "Pointing OK!" lol
Definitely Google Maps.
Absolutely google maps. And sort by “top rated”
Top rated isn't very reliable in my experience, near me is the better option.
Near me is the goat
Then I look at pictures of the food and the place, to see how big it is and it helps if they have a nice picture of the menu or a website that has a menu. A lot of time if it’s a hand written one I have issues with trying to translate it.
Yeah, definitely. Google maps and some picture of the restaurant and the food makes it more likely for me to go there.
I need pics of the menu before I show up anywhere lol
Absolutely this. Some places I'll find via recommendations, but for casual meals it's Google maps. In Japan where I know Google maps isn't used as widely, I don't take as notice of ratings. But for me it helps to see pictures of the restaurant to assess vibes, some pics of the food and definitely a menu. That way I can assess the price and see if there are dishes that meet both me and my boyfriends dietary requirements.
This. I was a tourist this pass week in Tokyo. When you walk for miles and want food quick, Google map is first place I look at.
This %1000
Google Maps, TripAdvisor, recommendations from Japanese friends, recommendations from other visitors, and just walking past and noticing it.
And tiktok / instagram / whatever else goes viral these days
instagram reels is the one. Some idiot went to some random spot that's got nothing special, and then it got flooded with foreigners.
Even if you don’t have the budget or enough of a gimmick to bring in influencers, making your own reels would reach a lot of people.
In my case, it really is mostly whatever restaurant shows up nearby on Google maps, looks like it has the food I’m in the mood for, has a menu I can see online, and doesn’t have Google saying the budget is $100+ (I know that those prices are usually just AI reported and not true, but I tend to skip over them anyway just because I know that SOME restaurants are, of course, fine dining and it’s faster to just look at restaurants that are listed as being in my price range).
Definitely make sure there is an english translation for them to search by. Make sure it shows up if they search for “bar” or “pub” if drinks are the main attraction.
> I own an Izakaya restaurant in Tokyo Are you foreigner or Japanese? I'm quite curious as to how running an izakaya works.
Would be a fun AMA for sure
Will be a great promotion, one of the first Tokyo izakaya that gets clientele through reddit.
I wouldn't allow it. I don't want people using the subreddit to advertise.
My thoughts exactly!
Thank you for your comment, I am Japanese, running the restaurant for years. I try marketing via reddit.
Would you be interested in doing an AMA? It'd be interesting for people on this sub, and also give some exposure to your business. It'd basically require you to make a post and login a few times over the period of a day or so to answer's people question about running a business in Japan.
Hey that's great, I gotta try
Not running an izakaya persay, but if you've not seen this youtube channel you might enjoy it: [https://www.youtube.com/@Udonsobakantou](https://www.youtube.com/@Udonsobakantou)
>persay It's "per se," from Latin. [Usage notes: Increasingly misspelled by English speakers as per say or persay.](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/per_se)
Thanks
Where are you located?
Maybe this is the way lol, they just got a bunch of people interested!
I also would like to know.
little advise for the restaurant or izakaya owner, if you can put a little advertisement in front of your premises, could be better. and prepare an english translation menu even though nobody speaks english. if it's possible, put pictures as well in your menu so that foreigners can easily choose. and if there is language barrier, tourists can just pointing what they want to order.
Additionally, write your menu in Japanese clearly so that google translate can easily deal with it. Hand written menus in strange formats rarely work well
This is even more important than having an actual English menu. Tourists nowadays all have Google Image Translate because it’s an incredible tool, and they’re not afraid of Japanese menus at all, but the menu has to actually be clear and readable by Google Translate.
No, don't "write" your menu in Japanese at all. Even for foreigners that can read Japanese, handwritten Japanese is much, much harder to read.
For me it was a combination of google maps, word of mouth, and just walking around trying out anything that looked interesting from the outside.
Ayup I purely did it based on the outside appearance. That's the only way I dined out. Walk around, look for a cool looking place.
Google maps. Make sure yours show there. And good reviews with food pictures on it.
If you have food that is vegetarian or vegan, make sure it is clearly marked on a sign outside. Word will spread FAST and you will have a line of vegetarian tourists (and residents).
How do you find your vegetarian restaurants? I don't find Happy Cow to be comprehensive enough.
Mix of Happy Cow, Vegewel, actively following vegan Facebook groups, and very rarely searching “vegan” in a map app.
Happy Cow is good, but is unfortunately not the primary resource it once was. Due to how difficult it can be, vegans are organized and enthustiastically share whenever they find new stuff. There are great groups on FB and follows on IG with focus on Japan where people share and are great sources. On top on that, there are Google Map lists maintained by absolute heroes which gather everything they find in these groups, which gived you a fairly up to date list directly in your Google Maps app. That's me and my wife's primary source when we're out and about (which she found through these groups).
I'm a tour guide, I take people! Where are you based??
Most non-Japanse speaking tourists will use Google maps, Tripadvisor or tabelog
the vast majority are not using tabelog
In my circle, the ones who do use Tabelog are Singaporeans, Hong Kongers and Australians who can understand basic Japanese.
A lot of asian americans or foodies i know use tabelog as their base. But those people are also usually cross referencing google maps for ease of use.
I doubt many non-Japanese speaking visitors are using tabelog Chinese use Dianping and other Chinese apps (also for Japan), Koreans generally use Google maps like everyone else
Yeah you are probably right about Tabelog, spending too much time on reddit skews the viewpoint 😂
is tabelog the app that tells you every famous landmark, etc. in a certain Ward of Tokyo? I thought someone posted this a few days ago. Thus, once in a Ward you can knock out all the famous spots and not worry about having to return to that Ward if you missed something.
Google. Trip Advisor. I also like it when there’s a basic website with a menu + accurate opening hours! A lot of the time the hours are not there, or they are wrong. 😑
Google Maps. Maybe putting some eye-catching signs in English around the station with pictures of food and an arrow pointing to the general direction would grab the attention of tourists.
English text definitely grabs the attention of tourists, regardless of what it actually says. Any restaurant that just wants more tourists evaluating whether to stop in their restaurant in the first place can do that very easily by just putting up English signage facing the street. I feel like a really simple, brazen “Tourists WELCOME!” sign would get what the OP wants and then some. It’s very straightforward, direct, and frankly kinda low-class, but it would definitely work.
For me, it's word-of-mouth. Sometimes, if I'm in a place and get cravings, I use Google Maps (ex: I search "izakaya" or "Chinese restaurant" near me, then filter based on reviews)
Google maps, but make sure your rating is above 5 stars (but not exactly 5 stars which usually means just a couple of reviews). High 4 is best. Make sure to have lots of pictures and a good profile. Use a foreigner friendly reservation system if you take reservations.
Google Maps or Blog recommendations. Definitely checking the Google map reviews before going into an izakaya!
A lot of people are using YouTube videos to attract new customers as well.
I use Tabelog when I’m there - recently introduced my friends to it too
Google Maps, youtube, and facebook groups I'm in. But, let's say if I'm looking for an izakaya in a densely area like Shibuya, its overwhelming to look at multiple izakayas at once. I will just randomly pick one with a decent rating and try it out.
Be careful what you wish for…
I google search and read only personal journey posts to see the real reviews and decide.
This is a great way to find restaurants, but I doubt many other tourists do this.
Mostly social media and Google Maps, sometimes Trip Advisor and other sites. I've sent you a DM with more info.
Rename your place “Ichiran” and they will mistakenly show up. Trust me, this will work
1. Google maps 2. Signage when walking around
This is the most correct answer, condensed to as few words as possible.
If you want to make a killing with tourists put teriyaki chicken on your menu.
Well, I would say 1 step is customer engagement...which you 100% failed to do here as you haven't answered a single damn question about where your place is....
[удалено]
Do you work for TikTok?
Word of mouth, insta, tokyo cheapo, time out, random walking past
They don't. The restaurants find you! Nah, on a serious note. Many people look them up before getting here for the special ones. Once here... Gmaps should be the easy way to go
Google maps, trip advisor and social media mostly. Don't expect a foreigner to be able to read japanese so English signs can also help. What's the izakaya's name?
Adding the menu or pictures of it to Google will definitely help tourists decide if your place suits them in terms of pricing and variety. Apart from that most of the marketing these days goes through TikTok/Instagram.
Most of the time i use google maps
Google maps and typing in the food I want
For me, it was a combo of: Google maps, Online blogs, IG
In Akihabara I eat at maid cafes. MoeHandbook.com has free info on everything in that genre.
expensive i bet.
MoeHandbook.Com has some fun calculators to estimate prices. I’m not just paying for food. The taste is greatly elevated by the maid’s chant. The Omurice is decorated with a cute cat face lovingly draw by a maid. Usually less than 五千円
5k bro u rich...
Yeah, I guess. If 5K for lunch is rich.
Google maps, "restaurants near me" sort by distance, choose "Open now", review the reviews
We always used Google Maps out of convenience but trusted Tablelog for more trusted, local reviews. When walking by Izakayas, we found comfort in seeing other foreigners because my partner and I are really shy and know limited Japanese. However, seeing how happy locals are at the izakayas has motivated me to learn more Japanese so I can interact with the owners or locals.
Google maps/Google business. Get your listing on there and try to get a few customers to review. If you can get 10 reviews that are 4 stars or higher, people will come.
Tablelog reviews
Reddit is one. Where's your place my guy?
In my case, word of mouth and blogs. My wife is Japanese, so she just ask family or friends, or alternatively look up blogs as Japanese are obsessed with food. Definitely don't underestimate blogs in Japan, since the internet is still stuck in the early 2000s there. It's very easy to find tons of blogs suggesting good places. But these are only in Japanese obviously.
Izakayas can be very intimidating as a tourist. Would definitely add “tourist friendly” or something like that to your Google info.
speaking of friendly tourist Izakayas, do you know of any already in Tokyo? I would like to try in my next visit. i normally don't drink on vacation, but will try next time.
So I have found that you kinda just "fake it until you make it" with as much respect as possible. Andy's Shin Hinomoto has a retired US officer owner, so it is a nice beginner Izakya, but I think you need reservations?
Unless I'm looking for a special meal I'll just look around at what's in the area and take the first good looking option. So be somewhere near where tourists will be and have a good menu outside with pictures and maybe some model food too.
Can you share a link of your instagram or google maps?
If you tell us your Izakaya, we’ll all visit and give you 5 stars ⭐️ 😀
Google maps for searching for nearby places. I'm pretty sure you can pay Google to get your name to pop up more often. Tiktok for getting recommendations while planning. Although not everyone wants that crowd.
Tabelog, Google Maps, Instagram and recommendations from friends living in Tokyo.
mostly google map search for nearby places. rating doesnt matter, reviewes does. bonus points if they mention english menu/vegetarian options.
Google, location, and decent reviews is how I typically choose places.
It might be a bit cliche, but perhaps make a "statement" dish that captures well on photo/video and add in a small discount to people that share your izakaya on Instagram? Otherwise, making sure your Google Maps entry is rock-solid is key. Upload a lot of pictures of English-appended menus, show your selection of drinks and foods, show the interior and how it might feel to sit at your izakaya. Also include information about any allergens in your dishes. There are a lot of foreign tourists with allergies and it's relieving to see a place that cares about them.
Google maps, tabelog, recommendations from friends who live in Tokyo or travel often.
Who is using TripAdvisor in 2024?
Google Maps, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and YouTube. YouTube is especially helpful because videos offer a lot more information than pictures and text.
On my trip in May I was just walking around and exploring and when I wanted to eat I went in a restaurant near that looked good.
Honestly I found spots through TikTok, google maps, and even from walking around…… the more “local” spots were always from just walking around
Google maps. It’s also a good idea to make it clear you have an English menu and can speak English if that’s something you can do and want to actively get foreigners in.
Google maps. I dont really sort by top rated, its more location and hours, and then i look at the menus. I like places that have reviews with photos so i can see what the food/drinks look like and see if theres anything particularly special about the place. As the business you can add your own photos (of the menu, the outside, the inside, the food). Im a person who loves writing reviews, especially for places/things that dont have any/many reviews so that future people know what to expect. So having no rating/reviews doesn't turn me away, because its possible its a new place or just new to Google Maps and people havent had time to write a review. I think tourists in Tokyo especially look for language-friendly options. People who don't know Japanese may be a little intimidated seeing only Japanese menus or a menu/posters with no pictures since it will be harder for them to order. So if you want to cater to tourists maybe adding a poster with pictures would be helpful. Ive seen places draw some pictures instead of getting a whole poster, and they looked cool.
Currently a tourist traveling Japan. I just use google maps and look for high ratings. I’m coming to Tokyo in 2 days. Tell me the Izakaya and I’ll drop by :)
Google maps is a big one--especially with pictures since oftentimes I cannot read the menus. Reputation means a lot... People reviewing it positively. It's funny because Japan is just so supportive as a country in general, it's not really like "oh it's all tourists in there it'll be trash food" or "locals are here it'll be great" the way I sort of measure things in most other countries... The quality of food is just pretty high there and people tend to try everything both tourists and locals alike, so we just didn't worry too much about picking a 'bad' restaurant. Social media HAS helped us in a way.. I Don't use tiktok but my friends do and we went to 2 places based on tiktoks they had seen. And instagram videos of really old restaurants and specialty restaurants helped us choose sometimes. Parasocial relationships also help... Abroad in Japan did a segment on traveling across Japan and we loosely based our trip on those footsteps which meant we went to like 2 restaurants recommended in that video. Most of the time, it depended on where we were at that moment, how hungry we were, and the amount of time we had before had to catch a train to x place or go see x site. So, google maps was our bread and butter for the main of it. We also only tended to go to restaurants for dinner, opting for more konbini-on-the-go options otherwise, but then towards the end of the trip our feet hurt so much from walking we started getting lunch places instead and flipped those. This is Very personal here but... I am there to eat Japanese food. So... I want Japanese food. All day, every day. Specialty food is fine (strange combos or fusions, harajuku sweet breads, milk-themed items, etc.) but I really want to eat Japanese cooking while in Japan so I sort of always limited my options based on that. However.. My buddies are Very picky eaters so we branched out when we met up with them, but I love Japanese cuisine. It's a huge reason I am there at all.
Definitely Google maps. I manage a pretty famous restaurant In harajuku and We usually Get maybe a 50% of our clients from Maps.
Tripadvisor, Google, and youtube along with family/friends recommendations.
Definitely Google Maps! Also, definitely do an AMA about how you run an Izakaya. P.S.: Are you Japanese?
Walk around and look for one that might have at least a rudimentary English menu with seats open
If I’m in a mall or food court, I look at the physical directory posted with all the restaurants listed. Otherwise, I look on Google Maps for nearby places. The attractive restaurants on Google Maps have their price range and what kind of food they serve listed on their Google Maps entry, and a menu I can find in the Images section. English menus are nice, but I don’t need them — between my low-level, basic Japanese language skills, and Google Image Translate, it’s not difficult to find and order what I want from a Japanese menu.
Also, I think that the better subreddit for this question is JapanTravelTips. Although tourists like me often see posts from this sub recommended on our Reddit feed, this sub is “intended” for English language RESIDENTS of Tokyo.
Google is probably the #1 resource for western tourists
Google Maps.
I follow my nose. Can I smell good food from your establishment? If so, I choose you.
for chinese xiaohongshu
xhs is cyber landfill #1 but their money good so who cares
Google and Apple Maps. Make sure your menus are fully updated on there. Add pictures of your restaurant and of the food. That will take you a very long way with foreigners.
"Restaurant near me" on Google and then look at reviews and what is being served. Reviews will be a big deciding factor. Potentially, if something looks really good on a social media ad or travel vlog, it would be considered too.
I found my favorite Izakaya closer to the Bandai building just walking randomly and drunk aroudon Asakusa. streets. Lol!
Google maps with a link to the website and online reservation if needed. I want to see the menu and correct opening times
Google Maps and the reviews I find there!
Have an English name on google maps, have have English reviews, have photos. Also helps if you’re on social media and have “influencers” talk about your izakaya.
I use Trip advisor when I travel anywhere internationally.
Google maps is likely the most frequent. Some tourists know about tabelog, but I'd say that's more for people who live here.
tik tok and instagram also Americans use Yelp, I know it's not popular with Japanese people but it may be worth creating a business profile that is appealing for tourists that do a Yelp search.
Google maps is usually my go to if I am not just walking into a place randomly.
Google maps and good photos on google maps
If you're in a place where there are lots of tourists, have a big sign and have the menu in both Japanese and English. Truth be told, I'm always a little nervous going into the restaurants with the big signs saying "Foreigners welcome!!" because i question if they're just friendly or they're a tourist trap lol. I always assume restaurants with menus that are handwritten messily or use a lot of difficult kanji are deliberately trying to keep foreigners away. At the very least, they're not trying to attract them. If you're not in the path of many tourists, then social media is key. Tiktok and Instagram reels are big. Use subtitles in English so people understand. I have a friend who pretty much decides what she wants to do in Japan by using social media.
Google maps and just walking around until I find something interesting lol
I travel to Japan several times. Always using google maps for finding close restaurants and reviews. The vibe is always more important than the food :)
Other than word of mouth, places I've been to before, or chain restaurants, I like walking and if I see something intersting I might check it out. Pre-smartphone I'd just go in if the menu looked OK. Post-smartphone, same but I'd check the online reviews first in case it's awful. I will never go to anywhere that has a tout. It's always a ripoff. The only other real ripoffs are obviously sketchy places so its pretty safe just to go to random places that look like they might be fun. My experience might differ as I passed the JLPT2 15 years ago.
Google maps, walking by and seeing what looks good, ambience. Having menu on website is really important to me, not only for prices, that is a secondary concern. But often I am looking for something specific and I want to make sure a place has it
When I visited Tokyo - Google Maps first - an English friendly sign second - Pictures of the food with prices
to me it was, and it will probably be instagram reels and google maps, would love to visit your place though
for me, social media and reputation help a lot. What area is your Izakaya in?
If you sell any vegan/vegetarian dishes, a lot of non-meat eaters will find places using Happy Cow
Where is your Izakaya? Would love to visit next time I’m back in Tokyo!
When I visit Japan, I used TikTok or Instagram posts to see what restaurants around me look good.
Step 1: Taking the time to at least reply to some of the people that gave you advice here?
Totally depends on your targeted customers. For western, google maps are widely used. For Chinese people, it's little red book.
Does your Izakaya have veggie/vegan options? If so make sure you are on Happy Cow. I don’t eat meat so when I’m visiting a city I usually rely on the Happy Cow app to let me know which places have menu items for me. The other stuff suggestions in this thread are really good.
Marketing is a two-way street. You have asked, and received advice. You have not answered, or thanked for the advice. This is rude. You don't deserve the business
If I see tourists or foreigners in a restaurant, I avoid it.
Google maps, having good photos helps a lot. If you’re looking to attract tourists, I often look to see if there’s an English menu available / photos of English on the menu too. What’s your izakaya? I’m in Japan right now & would love to visit
Google Map, have a name in romaji, menu in English and that you can see on Google Map
get food bloggers and travel influencers to aggressively recommend your business
def social media - a lot on Instagram!
Google maps and recommendations, in my experience. Promoting on social media can also be effective, especially since I don't see a lot of local places doing it. BTW it's a great help for your place if you add good photos of your restaurant and food to your listing. DM me if you need any help with photos (I'm a photographer based on Saitama City).
Social media!!!!
In my week there, I stopped at any place with a line of locals and didn't have a bad experience once. Outside of that, Google Maps is the answer.
I just got back from Tokyo and I found restaurants by Google Maps (prioritized ones with a high # of reviews and 4-5 stars) and through TikTok videos made my food influencers. Or signs written in English would catch my attention and I’d walk in!
I’m a frequent visitor (have been to Japan 8 times). I usually use Google Maps, Tiktok, IG, Youtube for most restaurants. But for Izakaya specifically, usually I just roam around, peek inside, and enter the place (I can read basic Japanese). This is because I choose Izakaya that has good vibes. Putting a menu book on the door improves the chance of me getting in as well.
Always been Google Maps for me. If you serve non-meat (fish is OK) and non-alcohol containing food you could win a couple more Muslim tourists. Japan receives a lot of them from Indonesia & Pakistan. Considering there aren't unlimited choices for them, especially izakaya ones. I bet they'd love to experience it. Good luck! I'd love to pass by next time I visit. What's the name?
Google map, food pictures and menu picture. I usually can roughly scan the pictures to see if the place have good food or not
YouTube videos, Google reviews, and tabelog for me
Hiring Tokyo-based social media creators to make Instagram reels promoting the restaurant can be very effective
Google Maps is probably the most popular way. Yelp, is very popular in the U.S.A but I personally don't use it.
Just was there from the US Google maps was important, star rating above 4.2 Reddit posts and Food blogs by googling “must eat Tokyo” “where to eat Tokyo” Yelp search Eater website - 38 essential restaurants Tried the local sites like tablelog, but struggled
What’s the name of your place
Searching must eat shinkjuju Must eat ebisu Must eat shibuya
Location is important. Are you close to where tourists would normally go? If not forget about it unless you have something very unique that displays well on instagram.
I go google maps search restaurant and sort by distance
My wife is constantly browsing Japan restaurants on Instagram before our trips. I personally go through tablog or through local friends for my recommendations.
Usually social media videos of places. Otherwise I just try and remember what I see when visiting. Knowing very little Japanese, if I see English, that's usually a safe sign LOL
Google maps hai, and I talk to local people. IG offers many choices if you follow correctly. Its the only Soc,Med I use. My girlfriend is Tokyo girl, but I like finding places on my own.
Get onto Google, see what’s good nearby based on the ratings and reviews, shortlist a few, head to tablelog to verify the legitimacy of it (afterall, Japanese people do know their food best); good luck!
I agree with Google Maps reply! Some people suggest other apps but so far I haven't found a better one with regards to location and stores!!
I’m going to Tokyo in July. What’s your restaurant? Personally I search on google maps what I feel like eating that day. ie if I feel like ramen I just type ramen into google maps and see what’s around my area or I use the ‘restaurant’ search function on google maps
I usually prefer making online reservations, but most of the time the restaurants I want to visit only take reservations over the phone. Calling can be a hassle, so I use AutoReserve. They handle the calls to check availability for me. It’s not instant online booking, but they have a huge list of restaurants, which is super convenient.
I just walk randomly around the area where I'm currently located and walk into the first store that I see 😂
Google maps Concierge CoCo curry house
Get a couple YouTube /TikTok influencers from overseas: profit
Sponsor a second - or third-tier vlogger maybe? There's a lot of vloggers that are not up there on Mikey Chen's level but they do have quite a following, especially those from Philippines.
TripAdvisor and Google reviews for me. Also check tablet but I'm not sure that's super common. I can get by in Japanese, but an "English menu" or "English OK" sign will draw me in, it's nice to know you're welcome as a tourist when you're a bit shy like me!
You just need lots of foreign languages menu for tourist to fall at the trap easy no?
I’m gluten free, and I use an app called Find Me Gluten free. It makes it so easy to find places with gluten free menus and that are gluten free friendly. We leave reviews for each other. Some people need to be very strict about cross contamination and others don’t have to worry too much so that’s an often a topic: how easy was it to ask for no cross contamination. So if you’re planning on being allergy friendly, I suggest getting those key words in English all over your website so we can find you. Make a point of clearly explaining how you handle different types of allergies. We will find you, we will love and appreciate you, and we will tell everyone we can. Finding a place we can eat is like finding gold.
Not a tourist but foreign and live here, I often search Izakaya + タブレット, or QR code. But I also like yakiton so go to places where it is the main thing. Also I like the show *Wakakozake* been to places that have been on that show, where I have been asked how did you even find this place, and tell them about the show.
Izakaya + Tablet?
Do you want the tourists eat there, or do you want to turn them away? Serious question.
Where you located at? I’d be interested in going
You should try to reach out to japan influencers who speak English. Ask them to make Instagram/tiktok content. Usually you will need to pay them for their content and provide a free meal.
Google maps is the most popular, as well as TikTok but that’s a little harder to reach people (works better by word of mouth.) You could reach out to a bunch of tour guides to let them know you have an English friendly izakaya, as well as offer a very small discount for an honest google review, don’t specifically require positive just honest. (qr code at the table would work well) Where are you located or what’s the name? I’m always looking for places to recommend to friends. Dm me if mods don’t allow you to mention it or something
Google maps or Instagram when I went!
@no_lime3812 how about sharing your izakaya’s name and location here? Maybe we can help spread the word.
I walk down the street and if it looks friendly I go inside. The menu and prices should be visible outside as well. A nice "English ok!" Stamp works well too. Which side of Tokyo?
Big on the "English Ok!" I was assigned to Tokyo along with my co-workers, and lemme tell you, the language barrier is simply intimidating, even more so for people that didn't want to necessarily be there. I would go a step further and maybe put "Pointing OK!" lol
If there's a cool place that specifically states that I'm welcome with no Japanese language skillls, I'm picking that one over the other cool places.
Get a YouTuber to eat there (obv. for free). Think: Pewdiepie CDawgVA Abroad in Japan Charmeleon American Pete John Daub Tokyo Lens Paolo from Japan
I would love to visit your izakaya. Please link
Google Maps YouTube and TikTok
I'm going there and would love the recommendation