Ordering at McDonalds in Japan is difficult. This issue was brought to my attention by a friend some years ago, before I came to Japan. I’ve thought about it recently in conjuction with some thoughts I had on Japanese language requirements for visa holders (which I’ve come to fully support, maybe a bit after the fact).
Back to McDonalds. Food is a basic necessity. Getting some from any convenience store is as easy as choosing what you want, handing it to the person at the cash register, and paying for it. At first glance, ordering food at McDonalds should be no harder than saying (or pointing at) what you want and paying for it. If this were true, it would be easier than buying food at the convenience store since there are only two steps and you don’t even have to carry your items to the cash register. I’m sure many Americans recognize the golden arches and are lured inside with the promise of a tasty bit of home. But what awaits them is often confusion and frustration. For those who may be confused or frustrated, here’s a short guide to ordering at McDonalds in Japan.
Step 1: Get in a line. Upon entering a McDonalds in Japan, you must decide which line to stand in. Most Japanese McDonalds have signs which diagram how to make straight lines infront of open cash registers. These are conveniently written in Japanese with people represented by simple pink-orange circles. Customers who don’t stand in one of the predetermined lines will most likely be ignorned (especially if the store is busy).
Step 2: Order. This is the hardest part since a barage of questions (asked in Japanese, of course) must be answered. Eating here or to go (koko de meshiagari desuka–will you eat here)? Do you want a set (fries+drink) with that (setto wa ikagadesuka)? If you had a drink, what kind of drink do you want (nomimono wa ikagadesuka)? Even if you know the polite form of each question in Japanese, the person at the register may ask them out of order or with slight variations to throw you off. They may even ask unexpected questions: Is the “M” size okay (emu-saizu wa yoroshiideshouka)? That will take a little while, do you mind waiting (…omachiitadaitemo iideshouka)? Maybe the machine for your drink is out of order. In this case, the McDonalds employee will appologize for the inconvenience (moushiwakenaidesuga…) and you’ll have to select something else (assuming you understood which item you could not have).
Step 3: Get your order. This seems simple, but it may not be. The cashier will tell you one of three things. Here they are in order of increasing difficulty (for you to understand). 1) Please wait. You simply stand where you are and they’ll get your order and hand it to you. 2) Please wait over here. In this case you must go to where they pointed and wait. Most likely they want you to move out of the way so they can get the next person’s order. Someone will hand you your food over the counter. 3) Please have a seat and wait for this number. This is the most difficult case. You’ll be given a plastic plate with a number on it. You should get out of the line and stand/sit off to the side so others can place their orders. Eventually someone will come to you and give you your order.
As you can see, ordering at McDonalds can be quite complex. I think that most students of Japanese do a lesson where they roleplay ordering at a restaraunt. Maybe teachers should opt for a more practical McDonalds lesson, including appropriate keigo. Also note that pointing in conjuction with random noises may be effective when ordering, but exercise caution not to scare the cashier or people in the next line.
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IHCWAY クチコミで評判のマンツーマン英会話
