It happened to me twice (as a tourist, overall being seven weeks in Japan). My strong feeling was that the proprietor of those places were afraid that they won

It happened to me twice (as a tourist, overall being seven weeks in Japan). My strong feeling was that the proprietor of those places were afraid that they won't be able to communicate appropriately and that they may lose face if they can't make me happy. I never felt discrimanted against, really. On the other hand I had fantastic experiences walking into places, where nobody spoke an English word, throwing a hearty Omakase! (essentially: you decide) at the chef. Smiling and an occasional Oishii! (delicious) delivered with a smile also go a long way. You have to be aware that they're really scared to lose face and that you could leave unhappy. A very big no!no! in Japanese culture. I had fantastic experiences, let alone extremely tasty meals with this approach. edit : spello