When Japan opened its borders to individual travelers and increased the daily inbound cap from 20,000 to 50,000 arrivals in October 2022, it signaled the comeback of the country's tourism sector, which, like all travel destinations, took a hit because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Health screenings and temperature checks are still in place at airports, but mask-wearing, the submission of COVID-19 documents, proof of vaccination, and post-arrival quarantine (unless symptomatic) are no longer required.

These developments have elicited excitement from people around the world, especially tourists from certain countries who can enter and stay visa-free in Japan for three months. The ease of exploring the country that combines ancient traditions with technological advancement has thrilled potential visitors who have waited years to experience first-hand its rich culture and see its breathtaking sites.

One of Japan's most famous attractions is its cuisine. Foodies from all over can sample the myriad of gustatory delights offered by the finest establishments in Japan. TableCheck, the premier reservation platform founded in Japan in 2011, will help international tourists do this with ease and, therefore, enable them to cover more ground. 

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Wide reach and unlimited options, but no fees

Other platforms could charge booking fees in addition to corollary services offered by the restaurant itself such as advance reservations for meals and the like. Not TableCheck. It has more than 8,000 restaurants as clients – including 200+ Michelin-starred establishments – and has become the no. 1 restaurant reservation system service in Japan. However, despite its success and the option to monetize its booking service, TableCheck doesn't charge any extra booking fees to diners.

Hassle-free search and booking

TableCheck's app and website are treasure troves for dining options in Japan, with user-friendly interfaces that let visitors look for options by area, type of cuisine (Japanese, American, French, etc.), proximity, budget, time and date, and number of guests. The app is available for download in Apple's App Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android users so anyone with a smartphone can experience the convenience, speed, and ease of finding and booking seats at a restaurant anywhere in Japan.

Convenient contactless payment feature

In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, TableCheck launched “contactless pay”, an online payment service to help restaurants observe diner and staff safety. Now that the world has opened up again, this feature allows guests to conveniently keep paying online for bookings and their meals. From TableCheck’s platform, all diners need to do is register their credit card information at the time of booking and the card can automatically be used to pay for the reservation and their bill, including additional orders. Guests can download their receipts online in a print-ready format for corporate expenses.

"Dining Connected"

TableCheck has forged partnerships with these organizations to connect diners with the top restaurants in Japan.

It has teamed up with SAVOR JAPAN, a popular website for international travelers that lists an array of restaurants and releases informative content on Japan's food scene. Through this partnership, tourists can now make online reservations at TableCheck clients listed on SAVOR JAPAN. With TableCheck offering support in 18 languages, it will be very easy to plan food trips in Japan from overseas.

TableCheck is also the only reservation system in Japan that is fully integrated with Tripadvisor, the popular travel site with an estimated 460 million visitors per year. Restaurants using TableCheck now have a reservation button placed on their TripAdvisor listing, allowing potential guests from Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and others to book their favorite restaurants.

Notably, the world-renowned Michelin Guide chose TableCheck as their first official collaboration in Japan. The partnership allows diners to book seats at their favorite Michelin-starred restaurants, which are TableCheck clients, directly from the official Michelin Guide website 24/7. This eliminates challenges such as the language barrier and time difference.

TableCheck also has partnerships with the world's best-known luxury hospitality brands like Aman Resorts, Hotels and Residences, and the Hyatt and JW Marriott hotel chains, providing more hotel restaurant choices for diners.

With diners' convenience in mind, TableCheck has also been integrated with Google Search and Google Maps to enable visitors to reserve seats instantly through real-time information sharing.

Enjoying Japan's gastronomic offerings has become truly easy because of TableCheck's innovative features and unparalleled services. To learn more about what they can do, visit https://www.tablecheck.com/en/japan