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Money · 發布 2026-09-29 · 更新 2026-09-29

事實最後確認 2026-09-29 · 下次檢視 2027-09-01

The table charge you did not order: otoshi and seat charges in Japan, explained

A small dish arrives that you did not order, and it shows up on the bill. This is otoshi. Here is what it is, why Japanese restaurant guides tell staff to explain it, and how to ask before you sit down.

Small grilled dishes on a wooden table
Photo: Sydney Sang / Pexels

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You sit down at an izakaya, order a drink, and a small dish arrives: a few pieces of pickles, a spoon of simmered vegetables, some edamame. You did not order it. At the end, the bill has a line you do not recognize.

That dish is otoshi (お通し), also called tsukidashi (突き出し). It is not a scam in itself. It is a custom Japanese customers are used to. The problem is that nobody tells visitors about it.

What otoshi is, in the words of an official guide

In 2017 the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) published an inbound guidebook for restaurant businesses. Its page on otoshi says, in short:

  • Japanese customers are used to otoshi at izakaya, but many visitors from abroad are not familiar with it.
  • Some guests feel that a dish they did not order was served without asking.
  • Staff should explain it when serving.

The guide also gives staff a sample English explanation: otoshi is like an appetizer, served as a snack with drinks before the first dish, and a charge is added to the bill for every guest as a service charge.

The same guidebook, in another section, notes that otoshi, seat charges (席料) and the addition of consumption tax can confuse visitors at the till, and says it is essential to confirm them when ordering or to write them clearly on the menu or receipt. An interview in the guide also recommends showing, in English outside the shop, whether there is a seat charge.

So the official advice to restaurants is: explain it. The problem you meet is a gap in explanation, not a hidden rule.

How much is it?

We have not measured otoshi prices, and they differ from shop to shop, so we will not give a typical number. The price is set by each restaurant. Check the menu or ask.

Can you refuse it?

We did not find an official rule on this. Some restaurants will let you decline the dish and the charge, and some treat it as a fixed charge per person, like a cover charge. The only reliable way to know is to ask before you order.

How to ask, before you sit down

You can show these lines to staff.

  • お通しはありますか？ (Otōshi wa arimasu ka?) Is there an otoshi?
  • 席料やチャージはありますか？ (Seki-ryō ya chāji wa arimasu ka?) Is there a seat charge or cover charge?
  • 一人いくらですか？ (Hitori ikura desu ka?) How much per person?
  • お通しなしでもいいですか？ (Otōshi nashi demo ii desu ka?) Is it okay without the otoshi?

If the answer does not suit you, it is fine to thank them and leave before ordering.

Otoshi, seat charge, cover charge: what is the difference?

  • Otoshi / tsukidashi: a small dish served to each guest, charged per person. Common at izakaya.
  • Seat charge (席料) or cover charge (チャージ): a charge for the seat itself, with no dish.
  • Service charge (サービス料): a charge added to the whole bill, rather than per dish.

None of these is a tip. We cover tipping in a separate article (planned).

When a charge is not normal

A small dish with a small charge is a custom. A bill far higher than the menu prices, with charges nobody explained, is something else. If you were brought in by someone on the street, see Touts and bar scams in nightlife districts.

Sources