How it works
Booking a Japanese table you can't reach from home
We are a reservation desk in Tokyo. We call the restaurants that answer only in Japanese, only by phone, and often only for people they know — and we hold the line so you don't have to. Here is exactly how it goes, and exactly what it costs.
Tell us the table
Name a restaurant, or describe the evening you want. Register a card — nothing is charged now.
We make the calls
From Tokyo, in Japanese: house lines, allocation seats, release-day races. We do the waiting and the redialing.
You approve, in writing
We send a written confirmation with everything in English. Only when you approve it is anything charged.
What a table actually costs
Two people at a ¥30,000-per-person sushi counter, as an example:
| Our booking fee — ¥8,000 × 2 seats | ¥16,000 (≈ $110), paid to us |
|---|---|
| The dinner — ¥30,000 × 2, paid to the restaurant on the night | ¥60,000 (≈ $400), paid to the house |
The only sum you pay us is the booking fee, and only once your table is confirmed. The course price is settled directly with the restaurant, usually on the evening. Dollar figures are approximate. Any extras — an interpreter, a special arrangement — are quoted to you first.
When you're charged — and when you're not
Nothing is confirmed, and nothing is charged, until you approve a written confirmation. Up to that point you are under no obligation. After you approve, the cancellation schedule applies:
| Cancellation | Charge |
|---|---|
| 4+ days before | Free |
| 2–3 days before | 50% |
| 1 day / same day / no-show | 100% |
Charges are shown as a percentage of the estimated course total. A cancelled counter seat in Japan usually cannot be resold, so the charge goes to the restaurant as compensation — the guarantee that makes chefs trust us with their seats. We never charge your card without emailing you first. See the full policy.
Questions travelers ask
What happens if you can't get the table?
Nothing is charged. We tell you plainly that the seat could not be secured, and we offer honest alternatives of the same caliber — counters of equal craft that are simply hard to reach from abroad. You are free to decline them all and owe us nothing.
When exactly am I charged?
Never at the request stage. You register a card so we can act the moment a seat opens, but ¥0 is charged until you approve a written confirmation. The booking fee is taken only then. If we never confirm a table, your card is never charged.
Why do I register a card before the table is confirmed?
Japan's best counters release seats without warning and give them only to people who will not waste them. A registered card lets us commit on your behalf the instant one appears, and it is what lets the restaurant trust us with seats they give no one else. It is a readiness step, not a charge.
How is my card handled?
Your card is stored by Stripe, the same infrastructure used by Amazon and Shopify. We never see or store your card number. If we cannot secure any table for you, the registered card is removed.
Can I cancel? What if my flight is delayed?
Until you approve the written confirmation, you are under no obligation and can walk away for free. After confirmation, the cancellation schedule applies, because a released counter seat usually cannot be resold — the fish was bought for you. Genuine emergencies such as a cancelled flight are handled individually and in good faith; we never charge a card without emailing you first.
When will I hear back?
An automatic acknowledgement reaches you within minutes. A real person from our Tokyo desk then follows up — often the same day — with either a confirmed seat or honest options. You will always know where your request stands.
Request a table