Menu in Japanese: scripts, menu words and a sample Japanese menu
Updated October 19, 2026
"Menu" in Japanese is メニュー (menyū). A Japanese menu mixes three scripts: kanji for most food words (前菜, appetizers), hiragana for grammar and softer words, and katakana for dishes that came from abroad (カレー, curry; ピザ, pizza). Menus in Japan show prices with tax included, often marked 税込. If you serve Japanese diners, the best result comes from Japanese names written by a fluent speaker for your main dishes, and a menu that customers can switch into 日本語 with one tap.
In short
- Three scripts: kanji for food words, hiragana for grammar, katakana for foreign dishes.
- Foreign dishes go in katakana, as they sound: ハンバーガー, マルゲリータピザ, ビリヤニ.
- Prices in Japan include tax. Japan requires prices shown to consumers to include consumption tax.
- In Menuthere: 日本語 is on the language button from Lite (US$17 a month). Japanese second names replace the translated name for Japanese readers, on every plan.
The three Japanese scripts on a menu
| Script | What it's used for on a menu | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Kanji (漢字) | Most nouns: ingredients, cooking methods, section headings | 前菜 (appetizers), 鶏肉 (chicken), 焼き (grilled) |
| Hiragana (ひらがな) | Grammar endings, and words written softly on purpose | 唐揚げ (fried chicken: kanji plus the hiragana げ), おすすめ (recommended) |
| Katakana (カタカナ) | Foreign dishes and drinks, and emphasis | カレー (curry), ピザ (pizza), コーヒー (coffee) |
Writing direction. Digital menus run left to right, like English. Traditional printed menus sometimes run top to bottom, right to left, but that's a design choice and not needed online.
The long vowel mark ー stretches a sound: コーヒー (kōhī, coffee), ケーキ (kēki, cake). Leaving it out changes the word, so always check it.
Foreign dish names in katakana
Katakana follows how a word sounds in Japanese, not how it's spelled in English. If your dish is already known in Japan, use the name Japanese diners already know.
| Dish | Katakana | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburger | ハンバーガー | hanbāgā |
| Caesar salad | シーザーサラダ | shīzā sarada |
| French fries | フライドポテト | furaido poteto |
| Chicken curry | チキンカレー | chikin karē |
| Naan | ナン | nan |
| Biryani | ビリヤニ | biriyani |
| Mango lassi | マンゴーラッシー | mangō rasshī |
| Margherita pizza | マルゲリータピザ | marugerīta piza |
Japanese dishes in English use Hepburn romanization: ramen, gyoza, karaage, tonkatsu. Some menus add macrons for long vowels (rāmen), but most restaurants outside Japan leave them off. Pick one style.
Useful Japanese menu words
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Menu | メニュー |
| Appetizers | 前菜 |
| Main dishes | メイン料理 |
| Desserts | デザート |
| Drinks | ドリンク (or 飲み物) |
| Today's recommendation | 本日のおすすめ |
| Set meal | セット (traditional meal set: 定食) |
| Tax included | 税込 |
| Spicy | 辛口 |
| Vegetarian | ベジタリアン |
| Large portion | 大盛り |
| Takeout | テイクアウト (or お持ち帰り) |
Example: a Japanese menu section
A short sample for an Indian and Western café abroad that welcomes Japanese visitors.
| English (dish name) | Japanese (second name) |
|---|---|
| Appetizers | 前菜 |
| Caesar salad | シーザーサラダ |
| French fries | フライドポテト |
| Main dishes | メイン料理 |
| Butter chicken curry | バターチキンカレー |
| Chicken biryani | チキンビリヤニ |
| Margherita pizza | マルゲリータピザ |
| Cheeseburger | チーズバーガー |
| Desserts | デザート |
| Chocolate cake | チョコレートケーキ |
| Drinks | ドリンク |
| Coffee | コーヒー |
| Black tea | 紅茶 |
| Mango lassi | マンゴーラッシー |
Prices on a menu in Japan
Japan's National Tax Agency requires businesses that show prices to consumers in advance to show the price including consumption tax, whatever the medium. In practice, menus in Japan show the tax-inclusive total, often with 税込 next to it. If you run a restaurant in Japan, enter your menu prices as the tax-inclusive amounts customers pay. The language button doesn't change your prices; only the text is translated.
Who needs a Japanese menu
| Where you sell | Why Japanese matters | Read next |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Your customers read Japanese. Open the menu in 日本語 and offer English and Chinese for visitors | Japan · Uber Eats Japan, Demae-can and Rocket Now commission · Menu in Chinese |
| Taiwan and South Korea | Close to Japan and popular with Japanese travelers | Taiwan · South Korea · Uber Eats Taiwan, foodpanda Taiwan and Baemin commission |
| Thailand and Singapore | Tourist and business areas with Japanese visitors and residents | Thailand · Singapore · GrabFood Thailand, LINE MAN and GrabFood Singapore commission |
| Japanese restaurants anywhere | Japanese-speaking regulars expect the real dish names | All 13 menu languages |
Your own menu has 0% commission on every Menuthere plan.
Set up a Japanese menu in Menuthere
- Add Japanese names to your main dishes (every plan). Edit Chicken curry in
Menu, tap Add secondary name and type チキンカレー. It appears on a second line under the dish name. - Offer 日本語 on the language button (Lite). Under
Settings → Store details → Currency & Language, turn on Offer other languages and pick 日本語. A dish whose second name is in Japanese (kana or kanji) then shows that name to Japanese readers instead of the automatic translation. - Restaurant in Japan? Open in Japanese. Set Primary language to 日本語 so the menu opens in Japanese. Visitors can switch to English or another language, and their choice is remembered on their next visit.
- Read it on a phone. Check the long vowel marks (ー) and small letters (ッ, ャ) in your names; they're the easiest to get wrong.
Good to know: a second name written only in kanji, such as 紅茶, is made of Chinese characters, so it also shows on the Chinese menu. If you offer both Japanese and Chinese, names that include kana (コーヒー, 唐揚げ) are clearly Japanese.
Japanese menu checklist
- Foreign dishes in katakana, with ー long vowel marks checked.
- One romanization style for Japanese dishes in English.
- Tax-inclusive prices if you're in Japan.
- Spice level shown for curries (辛口 for spicy).
- Allergens tagged on each dish, not only in the description.
- A Japanese speaker has read the menu on a phone.
FAQs
How do you write menu in Japanese?
Menu is written メニュー, read menyū. It's in katakana because the word came into Japanese from English.
Why are foreign dishes written in katakana?
Katakana is the script Japanese uses for words from other languages. It spells a dish the way it sounds in Japanese, so hamburger becomes ハンバーガー and curry becomes カレー.
Do menus in Japan show prices with tax?
Yes. Japan's National Tax Agency requires prices shown to consumers in advance to include consumption tax, so menus show the tax-inclusive total, often marked 税込.
Can my menu open in Japanese?
Yes, on Lite. Set the primary language to 日本語 and the menu opens in Japanese. Customers can switch to another language, and their choice is remembered.
Can I write my own Japanese dish names?
Yes, on every plan. Add a secondary name in Japanese to a dish. When a customer reads the menu in Japanese, your name replaces the automatic translation.
Sources (4)
- National Tax Agency (Japan), No.6902 「総額表示」の義務付け (tax-inclusive price display): https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/shiraberu/taxanswer/shohi/6902.htm (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, Menu in several languages for customers: https://menuthere.com/docs/online-store/menu-in-several-languages-for-customers (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, Dish names in a second language: https://menuthere.com/docs/menu/dish-names-in-a-second-language (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, global volume (19 Oct 2026); Google autocomplete (19 Oct 2026)