Restaurants are not only a developed system of public catering, but also an important part of the Japanese way of life. In Japan, places where you could dine for a fee, appeared in the Edo era in 1600-1868. In 1657, according to sources, in the Edo period there were 228 first - class restaurants, 595 canteens for workers, including 90 canteens, which served "kabayaki" - fried eel with rice.
Even 30 years ago, for the average Japanese, eating outside the house meant a rare visit to small restaurants where traditional dishes of tempura, sushi, soba or ramen were cooked. Famous restaurants the Japanese was visited 2-3 times a year on special occasions. The rapid development of the public catering system in Japan received after the exhibition "EXPO-70" in Osaka.
Particularly popular family restaurants and fast food outlets, bars. Currently, Japan ranks first in the world in the number of restaurants per inhabitant. In large hotels and underground floors of office buildings, there may be several dozen. In any Japanese city, and especially in Tokyo, you can find restaurants of various cuisines of the world: American, European, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Greek, Russian. In these restaurants, the national traditions, the chefs are mostly Japanese and created these restaurants, unlike other countries, not immigrants, and by residents of Japan who have experienced the pleasure of a particular food. Russian restaurants in Tokyo were opened in the late 1940s.
As a rule, at the entrance to public catering enterprises in the special shop Windows displayed plastic food replicas and prices, which greatly facilitates the selection. It is suggested that either a set of dishes, or choices. In large and well-known restaurants, including hotels, you can order all the famous range of Japanese dishes. At the same time, you can find specialized restaurants that serve, for example, only sushi.
In Japan, there are several types of restaurant:

• family restaurants offer an extensive menu of Japanese, Chinese and European cuisines to cater to the needs of all family members. In family restaurants, especially a lot of visitors on weekends, when office employees relax with the family (in Japanese for this there is a special term "kazoku sabisu" - "fulfilling family obligations", which includes a visit to a family restaurant).
• restaurant "Izakaya" can be translated into Russian as a bar or beer. In addition to all kinds of alcoholic beverages, the menu "izakaya" you will find a variety of snacks: green peas pods, fried chicken pieces, fish, "sasimi" sausages, French fries, which are served in small portions for alcohol. This kind of restaurant is the most popular among the Japanese, because it has to informal communication.
• Retei is a luxurious, expensive Japanese-style restaurant, where Kaiseki reri's festive food is usually served, and businessmen gather to establish business ties with trading partners or to celebrate an important event in the company's activities. Banquet room "zashiki" with low tables and cushions on the floor, must be ordered in advance.
  · among the Japanese restaurants of foreign cuisine, among which are Chinese restaurants, Italian cuisine, European restaurants ("asecu-I") and ethnic restaurants, a category which also included cuisine in Southeast Asia (Vietnamese, Thai, Indian).
• In restaurants such as "table go" visitors pay a certain amount for the entrance and in the likeness of the buffet serves themselves, not limited to the amount of food.
• Fast food restaurants McDonald's, Burger King, Lotteria, Wendy's, KFC, First Kitchen offer fast and cheap burgers and sandwiches. Adopting foreign traditions in food, the Japanese do not copy them, but customize them to the local taste. In addition to European "fast food", there are many Japanese analogues, but they, in turn, do not specialize in burgers, and on individual dishes of Japanese cuisine: sushi, donburi, yakiniku or a variety of dishes from one product (tofu dishes). For example, cheap and tasty you can dine in the restaurant network "Yoshinoya", specializing in the preparation of "Gyu-don".
  · "Tasuku-I" - restaurants that serves only set Lunches, which usually consist of snacks "Zen SAI", a main dish (e.g. fried fish), Cup of cooked rice and beverage. Such restaurants are concentrated in business areas, as they are convenient for office employees who are always constrained in time.
• the café (kissaten) and coffeehouses offer a wide range of coffees and teas, as well as a selection of cakes.
  · mobile truck "yatai" offering traditional Japanese dishes, simple to prepare, such as "frames", "ODEN" or "takoyaki". Sometimes tables and seats are equipped next to the trolley.
  · multi-colored tents "romance" are set at the time of festivals and holidays. The most common dishes on their menu - "okonomiyaki", "yakisoba", pieces of fried chicken "karaage".
  Thus, the system of public catering in Japan has an ancient history and in modern times is represented by a variety and a wide range of catering facilities for guests of every social class, financial status, with a variety of preferences.