Nothing beats the aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the morning, but if you know anything about Japan, it is that they take their coffee culture seriously, almost to the same respect reserved for tea ceremonies.

However, before you can sip on your choice of coffee in your favorite coffee shop, whether it is in Osaka or Tokyo, you will need to order first, completely in Japanese. The good news is that Japan has some amazing coffee, since it’s become an essential part of everyone’s morning routine. On top of that, ordering is actually pretty simple. 

Since coffee and many of its ingredients are borrowed words from English, remembering how to say the katakana equivalents will be a piece of cake (hopefully one you can enjoy with a cup of coffee). To start, you just need to remember a couple of simple phrases to order virtually anything you want, politely. Let’s take a look at how you can order your coffee in Japanese. 

Quick Video on How to Order Coffee in Japanese

Watch our short video summarizing how to order coffee in Japanese!

The Easiest Way to Order Coffee in Japanese

Almost every cafe or coffee shop will have a menu somewhere in sight, usually on top of the cashier’s table. You can simply just point and say, “This, please.” So, how exactly do you say that? Here are two key phrases you can use in Japanese right away.

これをお願いします。
Kore o onegaishimasu.

これをください。
Kore o kudasai.

Both of these phrases simply translate to “please give me this” or “can I have this, please?” and are both considered very polite. However, it might be helpful to include the quantity, so just getting familiar with basic Japanese numbers will come in handy. If you use the most basic numbers such as “ichi, ni, san…”, you might think to say:

これをいちおねがいします。
Kore o ichi onegaishimasu.
Can I have one of these, please?

This works since people will generally understand what you mean. However, it’s not actually correct grammar. When it comes to counting things, you have to conjugate the numbers. It may sound like a lot at first, but this general number conjugation will allow you to specify the quantity of virtually anything you want. Here is a chart showing each number and how they are conjugated into the general number counter:

Numbers	Wago (Numbers for counting general things)	Kango (Basic Numbers)
1	ひとつ (hitotsu)	いち (ichi)
2	ふたつ (futatsu)	に (ni)
3	みっつ (mittsu)	さん (san)
4	よっつ (yottsu)	し (shi) / よん (yon)
5	いつつ (itsutsu)	ご (go)
6	むっつ (muttsu)	ろく (roku)
7	ななつ (nanatsu)	しち (shichi) / なな (nana)
8	やっつ (yattsu)	はち (hachi)
9	ここのつ (kokonotsu)	きゅう (kyuu) / く (ku)
10	とお (too)	じゅう (juu)

So, now, how to order something using the correct number conjugation. For ordering a single item from a menu, you can say:

これをひとつお願いします。
Kore o hitotsu onegaishimasu.
Can I have one of these, please?

これをひとつください。
Kore o hitotsu kudasai.
Please give me one of those.

Key Words to Know for Ordering Coffee in Japanese

If you call yourself a true coffee connoisseur — or simply someone who wants to say more than “this” or “that” when ordering a cup — it would be useful to know common terminology and what kinds of coffee items are usually available in Japan, so you don’t have to scramble through the menu every time. In general, you can find the most popular coffee products that you will find anywhere else. Below are some common menu items you will likely encounter in Japanese cafes. 

English	Japanese	Romaji
Coffee	コーヒー	Koohii
Iced coffee	アイスコーヒー	Aisu koohii
Blend coffee	ブレンドコーヒー	Burendo koohii
Cafe au lait	カフェオレ	Kafe ore
Latte	カフェラテ	Kafe rate
Caramel Latte	キャラメルラテ	Kyarameru rate
Cappuccino	カプチーノ	kapuchiino
Espresso	エスプレッソ	Espuresso
Mocha	カフェモカ	Kafe moka
American/Americano	アメリカン	Amerikan
Macchiato	マキアート	Makiaato
Matcha Latte	抹茶ラテ	Maccha rate
Black tea	紅茶	Koucha
Chai latte	チャイラテ	Chai rate
Hot chocolate/coco	ココア	Kokoa

These are some of the most popular drink items you can find at a Japanese cafe. Try remembering your favorites so you can just ask for them directly without needing to point at a menu every time. It will also make drive-thru and orders over the phone much easier. So, to order your favorite drink, just add it to the phrase we discussed earlier. 

For example:

カフェラテをひとつお願いします。
Kafe rate o hitotsu onegaishimasu.
One cafe latte please.

Test some of these expressions in an encouraging, friendly environment! By taking classes with a highly qualified instructor, you can train your brain to speak Japanese naturally and fluently. Start speaking confidently by signing up for our classes based in Tokyo, Yokohama, or wherever you are online!

Specifying Size and Temperature in Japanese

Most coffee shops will offer different sizes for each item, so they will probably ask what size you want. You might hear the barista saying:

サイズはいかがなさいますか？
Saizu wa ikaga nasaimasu ka?
Which size do you want?

The good news is that drink item sizes are usually expressed using the first letters of small, medium, and large, which we use in English: S, M, and L. Keep in mind that some coffee stores, like Starbucks, use different terms for their sizes: ショート (short), トール (tall), グランデ (grande). They are the same as in English. Here are the most common size labelings:

English	Japanese	English Short Form	Japanese Short Form
Small	スモール (sumooru)	S	エス (esu)
Medium	ミディアム (midiamu)	M	エム (emu)
Large	ラージ (laaji)	L	エル (eru)

As with any cafe, most drinks can be served hot or cold, so when ordering in Japanese, it is important to specify. Thankfully, most Japanese coffee shops make it easy by listing these options with katakana pronunciation as well. 

• Hot: ホット (hotto) 
• Cold (usually written as “iced”): アイス (aisu) 

For example:

ホットキャラメルラテのエムでお願いします。
Hotto kyarameru rate no emu de onegaishimasu.
I’ll have a hot medium (size) caramel latte, please.

アイスのエルサイズカフェオレをください。。
Aisu no eru saizu kafe ore o kudasai
Please give me a large-sized iced cafe au lait.

Some drinks on a menu will always be served cold, like アイスコーヒー (Iced Coffee) or almost always warm, such as the エスプレッソ(espresso). So, in these cases, you won’t need to specify.

Customizing Coffee Orders in Japanese

So, now comes the part that makes people nervous. How do you customize your coffee order in Japanese? This could be important for you if you have dietary considerations, allergies, and preferences. So, you may want to change the milk or ask for an extra espresso shot in your coffee to get through the long day. You might want to put extra caramel syrup or use oatmilk. Here are some key phrases to know.

It’s essential to know terms for allergens and ingredients, so please check out our blog on Japanese food and nutrition labels.

1. How to Change Something in Your Coffee

If there is an ingredient you want to change out, you can kindly ask to replace it with something else. For example, if you want to change to soy milk rather than dairy milk, you can say:

豆乳に変更お願いします。
Tounyuu ni henkou onegaishimasu.
Change to soy milk, please.

Or if you are not sure if they have dairy alternatives, you can say this instead:

豆乳に変更できますか？
Tounyuu ni henkou dekimasuka?
Is it possible to change the milk to soy milk?

Here is a list of common milk substitutes in Japan!

English	Japanese	Romaji
Whole Milk	牛乳	gyuunyuu
Low-Fat Milk	低脂肪乳	teishibounyuu
Non-Fat / Skim Milk	無脂肪乳	mushibounyuu
Soy Milk	豆乳	tounyuu
Almond Milk	アーモンドミルク	aamondo miruku
Oat Milk	オーツミルク	ootsu miruku
Coconut Milk	ココナッツミルク	kokonattsu miruku

2. How to Add Something to Your Coffee

If you want to add something to your coffee, you can use the phrase below:

〜を追加でお願いします
OO o tsuika de onegaishimasu.

This just means “please add~”. You can use this to request adding sugar, another shot, a flavor, or whatever you want to add. Many coffee chains have an “add-on” menu for you to choose from. So, here is how to use the phrase:

エスプレッソショットを追加でお願いします。
Esupuresso shotto o tsuika de onegaishimasu.
Please add an espresso shot.

3. How to Ask to Remove Something from Your Coffee

Sometimes, certain items come with things you may prefer not to have. You may like your mocha or caramel latte without whipped cream, for example. So, here’s how you can politely ask to remove something:

ホイップクリーム無しでお願いします。
Hoippu kureemu nashi de onegaishimasu.
No whipped cream, please.

砂糖抜きでお願いします。
Satou nuki de oneishimasu.
Without sugar, please.

4. How to Increase or Lessen Something in Your Coffee

Oftentimes, we prefer something with less sugar or perhaps more milk. So to express that you want more or less of a certain ingredient, you can say 多め (oome) for increasing an ingredient and 少なめ (sukuname) for decreasing an ingredient.

For asking to decrease something:

砂糖は少なめにお願いします。
Satou wa sukuname ni onegaishimasu.
Please use less sugar.

For asking to increase something:

ミルクは多めにお願いします。
Miruku wa oome ni onegaishimasu.
Please add more milk.

Common Coffee Vocabulary

Japan may be natively known for its matcha, but its coffee scene is booming and showing no signs of slowing down. In Tokyo, people can even try coffee omakase — a “up to you” coffee flight — in Koffee Mameya. If you have a deep appreciation for coffee and happen to be in Japan, stop by a specialty coffee shop and browse their favorite blend. In Japanese! Here are a few common specific coffee vocabulary.

English	Japanese (Kanji / Katakana)	Romaji
Coffee	コーヒー	koohii
Blend Coffee	ブレンドコーヒー	burendo koohii
Single Origin Coffee	シングルオリジンコーヒー	shinguru orijin koohii
Dark Roast	深煎り	fuka-iri
Medium Roast	中煎り	chuu-iri
Light Roast	浅煎り	asa-iri
Decaf	デカフェ / カフェインレス	dekafe / kafeinresu
Coffee Beans	コーヒー豆	Koohii mame
Ground Coffee	粉コーヒー	kona koohii
Roast	焙煎	baisen
Aroma	香り	kaori
Body (flavor depth)	コク	koku

Common Add-Ons and Alternatives in Cafes

At places like Starbucks or popular coffee chains such as Tully’s or Sarutahiko Coffee, you can often customize your drink with add-ons for a small extra charge. Here are some of the most common ones.

English	Japanese	Furigana	Romaji
Caramel Syrup	キャラメルシロップ	—	kyarameru shiroppu
Vanilla Syrup	バニラシロップ	—	banira shiroppu
Hazelnut Syrup	ヘーゼルナッツシロップ	—	hēzerunattsu shiroppu
Mocha Syrup / Chocolate Sauce	チョコレートソース	—	chokorēto sōsu
Extra Syrup	シロップ多め	—	shiroppu oome
Less Syrup	シロップ少なめ	—	shiroppu sukuname
Extra Foam	フォーム多め	—	Foomu oome
Less Foam	フォーム少なめ	—	foomu sukuname
Extra Whipped Cream	ホイップ多め	—	hoippu oome
Less Whipped Cream	ホイップ少なめ	—	hoippu sukuname
Extra Shot (Espresso)	ショット追加	—	shotto tsuika
Extra Ice	氷多め	こおりおおめ	koori oome
Light Ice	氷少なめ	こおりすくなめ	Koori sukuname
Extra Sweet	甘め	あまめ	amame
Less Sweet	甘さ控えめ	あまさひかえめ	amasa hikaeme

When Asked if Eating-in or To-go

Lastly, when you have finished your order, you may be asked if you are going to be eating in or taking it to go. Usually, the service staff will ask something like the following: 

店内でお召し上がりますか？
Tennai de omeshi agarimasuka?
Will you be eating in?

Since this question is asking if you are eating in the cafe or restaurant, in response, you can either say “yes”, you are eating in or “no”, you are taking to go:

For saying “yes”:

はい、店内です。
Hai, tennai desu.
Yes, I’m eating in.

For saying “no”:

いいえ、お持ち帰りです。
Iie, omochi kaeri desu.
No, I’m taking it to go.

Ordering in Japanese: Putting it All Together

So, let’s put everything we learnt together to imitate how a coffee order might go in Japanese.

Example 1:

You:

アイスのカフェラテを一つ、アーモンドミルクに変更お願いします。
Aisu no kafe rate o hitotsu de aamondo miruku ni henkou onegaishimasu.
I’ll have one latte, change the milk to almond milk, please.

Staff:

はい、かしこまりました。店内でお召し上がりますか？
Hai, kashikomarimashita. Tennai de omeshi agarimasuka?
Yes, understood. Will you be eating in?

You:

いいえ、お持ち帰りでお願いします。
Iie, omochi kaeri de onegaishimasu.
No, I would like to do take-out, please.

Example 2:

Barista:
いらっしゃいませ。ご注文はお決まりですか？
Irasshaimase. Gochuumon wa okimari desu ka?
Welcome! Have you decided on your order?

You:

アイスラテをお願いします。オーツミルクに変更できますか？
Aisu rate o onegaishimasu. Ootsu miruku ni henkou dekimasu ka.
I’d like an iced latte, please. Could I change it to oat milk?

Barista:

はい、できます。。シロップはお付けしますか？
Hai, dekimasu. Shiroppu wa otsuke shimasu ka?
Sure. Would you like any syrup?

You:

キャラメルシロップをお願いします。
Kyarameru shiroppu o onegaishimasu.
Caramel syrup, please.

Barista:

ありがとうございます。アイスオーツラテ、キャラメルシロップ入りでよろしいですね？
Arigatou gozaimasu. Aisu ootsu rate, kyarameru shiroppu  iri de yoroshii desu ne?)
Thank you. So that’s an iced oat milk latte with caramel syrup — correct?

You:

はい、お願いします。
Hai, onegaishimasu.
Yes, that’s right, please.

Challenge: Try to Customize an Order in Japanese!

Ordering coffee in Japan might seem intimidating at first, but once you learn a few key phrases, it becomes second nature. Most of the words are simple katakana terms borrowed from English, and baristas are used to hearing them. Being able to order in Japanese not only helps you get your caffeine fix, but it also gives you a taste of the local culture.

If you want more practice with expressions for not just ordering coffee but interacting with service staff overall, we highly recommend taking classes with professional teachers at Coto Japanese Academy. We offer a variety of both full-time intensive or more flexible part-time courses, and can tailor to your unique Japanese learning goals! Sign up today by filling out the form below:

FAQ:

Do I have to speak perfect Japanese to order coffee in Japan?

Not at all! Most cafés, especially chain stores like Starbucks, Doutor, and Tully’s, are used to serving foreign customers. Even if your pronunciation isn’t perfect, polite phrases like これをください (Kore o kudasai) and pointing to the menu will get your order across just fine.

What’s the difference between ください and お願いします?

Both are polite ways to ask for something. ください (kudasai) means “please give me (something)” and is used directly with nouns. お願いします (onegaishimasu) means “please” or “I’d like to request (something politely).” When ordering, both are acceptable. 〜をお願いします sounds slightly more formal and gentle.

For more details, read our blog about the Difference Between Kudasai and Onegaishimasu.

Is tipping expected at Japanese cafes?

No, tipping is not part of Japanese culture. In fact, leaving money on the counter might confuse the staff. The best way to show appreciation is simply to say ありがとうございます！ (Arigatou gozaimasu!) which means “thank you very much!”

What does “Blend Coffee” (ブレンドコーヒー) mean in Japan?

ブレンドコーヒー (burendo koohii) refers to a house blend, a mix of different coffee beans roasted and brewed together for a balanced taste. It’s the Japanese equivalent of a “regular coffee” and is usually served hot and black unless you specify otherwise.

Can I customize my order at cafes in Japan?

Yes, many cafés allow customization. You can change milk types (e.g., soy, oat, almond), ask for extra espresso shots, or remove ingredients like whipped cream.

Are there any unique Japanese coffee drinks to try?

There are a variety of unique Japanese coffee drinks! Try a ブレンドコーヒー (house blend) for a traditional Japanese cafe experience, or explore regional favorites like ウインナーコーヒー (Vienna coffee topped with whipped cream) or 抹茶ラテ (matcha latte). Japanese cafes often have seasonal flavors like sakura (cherry blossom) or sweet potato latte in autumn!

Read More:

• Best Cafes in Shibuya