How to Tell If a Spot Is an Authentic Japanese Restaurant

The easiest way to tell was by having my girlfriend at the time call and speak in Japanese although if you are wondering why it all matters if it is an “authentic Japanese restaurant,” here is why.

Oh, and before I get into it, keep in mind you don’t have to be Italian to own a pizzeria or to smash some Koopa’s, just like you don’t have to be Japanese to own an “authentic Japanese restaurant.” You just have to be down AF to carry on the cultures and traditions of the cuisine you represent.

There are a number of reasons why it is worth the time and effort to seek out a Japanese owned and operated restaurant

The simplest one is to experience the culture and cuisine they say they represent. If that interests you, you will not have to book a flight to a country with beer vending machines, no open container laws, and cheap affordable, and delicious food on every corner. Although, the best part, is that you can avoid a ten-plus hour flight where you do not have to inundate yourself with an experience and scene right out of Lost in Translation (featured image), and you can be more like Dolph Lundgren in Showdown in Little Tokyo (you know, the movie where a dimwitted “Japanese” guy played by Brandon Lee teams up with the Japanophile Dolph Lundgren).

Here are the five key identifiers that’ll help you to be more knowledgeable like Dolph Lundgren.

If you want to be more like Dolph Lundgren, and less like the late Brandon Lee, follow these five pointers.

1. Japanese Business and Porn Star Names

Your pet’s name and the street name you grew up on is how you get your porn name, but for a large majority of Japanese restaurants and businesses, they base their business names on their surname (last or family name). The most recognized examples are:

• Nobu (first name) Matsuhisa (surname)
• Morimoto (surname)
• Kazunori (first) Nozawa (surname)
• Jujiro Matsuda (which sounds like “Mazda”, but is supposedly based on the Iranian god of harmony, “Ahura Mazda”).
• Other inspirations for restaurant names may even be where the person is from which may be the case of Yoshinoya (Yoshino-ya) whose owner is Eikichi Matsuda (no relation to the Mazda founder that I know of, haha) who is from the town Yoshino.

There’s also the non-Japanese names where a Japanese person is like “wtf?” because they have names that include or are named “sumo” (wrestling), “taiko” (Japanese drum), “geisha” (a female entertainer/hostess, you knew that), “katana” (Japanese sword), “kabuki” (Japanese dance/drama), “mizu” (“water”, ok, not totally horrendous for sushi), or “wasabi” (either is this one, at least it’s food related). I mean, the worst of them are silly because the American equivalent would be like having an American diner in Japan called “wrestler”, “pinup girl”, or “nacho hat” (and yea, not totally horrendous).

2. Pizza and Kalbi on the Menu

Japanese restaurants typically have a focus because many of the restaurateurs are family owned businesses that have been in business for generations in Japan. Not to say it’s the same with the U.S., but a lot of the restaurants here follow the same basic style which is that they are focused on a particular type of cuisine such as sushi, yakitori, udon, yakiniku, oyakodon, oknonomiyaki, or ramen (all with teriyaki combo… not even joking). You can find places that offer up a variety of items like an izakaya restaurant, but the majority of restaurants focus on a particular cuisine.

3. Japanese Are Comfortable with Tiny

If the place looks like it will seat between 3-30 people vs. 60-200+, it will most likely be a Japanese establishment because you can take the Japanese person out of Japan, but you can’t take the Japanese out of the person. If you’ve been to Japan, a broom closet is a cozy table for two or a bathroom. It’s also not so uncommon to find a bar or other type of business that will only seat four people because tiny spaces like a capsule hotel and automated parking garages are nothing new to a country that makes efficient use of space.

4. Omotenashi: Irasshaimase and Arigato Gozaimasu

Obviously, you’ll want to see if they look, have Japanese names (Nobu, Yuki, Yukiko, etc.) or speak Japanese which is the most tell-tale sign. The easiest way is if they’re able to say “irasshaimase” (welcome) and “arigato gozaimasu” (thank you very much) when you enter or leave without sounding like “ear-rah-say” or “ari-gato goes-away”. Although there are other ways to be able to tell such as the type of service you receive. Japanese service is professional, but they aren’t overly friendly or personal. The difference is that the staff will be very quick, proper, and attentive, but they typically won’t pry into asking if that’s your date or your wife or what your sign is (I’m a Leo BTW).

5. Quality over Quantity

Quality and affordability are usually ingrained in the culture, so you won’t see an abundance of spots offering absurdly cheap AYCE sushi. You will see value-oriented pricing that is a balance between quality and price, but price and quantity won’t be the end all, be all. It’s one reason why when you’re in Japan you can get some of the most amazing meals for a couple bucks.

Conclusion: Nacho Hat American Diner

You can do all five, but you can also just simply ask the staff directly although I stick with the subtle approach. I go about it that way because I know there are a few places where they’re conscientious about divulging that sort of information because people can be overly critical of who owns and operates the business (in California). I find that silly to some extent because there are a few individuals who aren’t the same nationality, ethnicity, or yet alone race that could give an ethnically native person a good run for their money (unless you’re thrown under the bus by a media outlet like a certain pho owner in PA).

“…there are a few individuals who aren’t the same nationality, ethnicity, or yet alone race that could give an ethnically native person a good run for their money.”

On the flip-side is and the reason why there’s a prevailing sentiment among diners which is that there are businesses who just jump on the trend bandwagon for the money.

That won’t be the case with me because my future place Nacho Hat will have some of the best pork green chili and nacho cheese-filled edible hats. I’d also be doing it because I love and respect the cuisine, and you have to respect it if you’re wearing molten chili/cheese on your head.