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Perfume and Japanese Restaurants: Why Sushi and Kappo Counters Ask You to Skip the Scent

An empty wooden sushi counter with seats close together
A sushi counter. Seats are close together, and the chef works right in front of you.Photo: Bobby.Creations, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

You've booked a sushi counter or a kappo restaurant for a special night, and you want to look and smell your best. Here is one small thing that makes a big difference: many Japanese restaurants of this kind ask guests not to wear strong perfume. It isn't about you. It's about the food, and about how close everyone sits. This short guide explains why, shows how restaurants word the request, and suggests easy ways to enjoy your evening without worrying.

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  • Two reasons: the aroma of the food, and seats close together
  • What restaurants actually write in their booking notes
  • Simple things you can do instead
  • Where to be careful, at a glance
Two reasons restaurants ask Why Japanese restaurants ask guests to skip perfume Reason one: aroma is part of the dish, for example dashi, yuzu peel, kinome leaves and sansho. Reason two: seats are close together at a counter, so a scent reaches everyone, and some people feel unwell from strong scents. 1. THE FOOD Aroma is partof the dishDashi stockYuzu peelKinome leavesSansho pepper 2. THE SEATS Side by sideat a counterScent reacheseveryoneSome people getheadaches
Based on the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, restaurant booking notes and the Consumer Affairs Agency (checked October 2026).

Reason 1: in Japanese cuisine, aroma is part of the dish

Japanese cooking is enjoyed with the nose as well as the tongue. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries describes how Japanese food culture adds condiments such as wasabi, mustard, ginger and sansho pepper to enjoy their distinctive flavor and a sense of the season, and notes that sansho has a citrus-like aroma and its young leaves are used as a garnish. The base of many dishes, dashi, is valued for its aroma too. In a clear soup, a small piece of yuzu peel or a sprig of kinome (sansho leaf) is often added just for its scent, and you notice it the moment you lift the lid. A strong perfume nearby can cover all of this, for you and for the people next to you.

Reason 2: you sit close together

Sushi bars and kappo restaurants are often small, with a counter where guests sit side by side in front of the chef. A scent that feels light to you can reach the whole counter. Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency, together with other ministries, runs a poster campaign titled "That scent: some people are troubled by it," noting that consumer centers receive reports of headaches and nausea from scented products such as fabric softener, that people feel scents differently, and asking everyone to consider others when using scented products.

What restaurants write

Here is how real restaurants word it (we don't name them; the wording was checked on October 4, 2026):

Read the notes when you book. Booking sites and restaurant pages often put this in a "request to guests" or dress code section.

Scent: where to go easy Where to skip perfume, keep it light, or not worry Skip it: sushi counters, kappo and kaiseki restaurants, and any restaurant whose booking notes ask you to. Keep it light: other Japanese restaurants with counters or small rooms, tea ceremony experiences, ryokan dinners. Usually fine in moderation: casual restaurants, cafes, shopping, sightseeing outdoors. This is a guide, not a rule; the restaurant's own notes come first. SKIP THE PERFUME Sushi countersKappo and kaiseki restaurantsAny place whose booking notes ask KEEP IT VERY LIGHT Other Japanese restaurantswith counters or small roomsTea ceremony, ryokan dinners USUALLY FINE IN MODERATION Casual restaurants, cafes, shopping A guide, not a rule. The restaurant's notes come first.
Our summary, based on restaurant booking notes checked on October 4, 2026 and the Consumer Affairs Agency's scent campaign. Tea ceremony and ryokan are general courtesy; we found no official rule.

What you can do instead

  1. On the day of a sushi or kappo dinner, skip perfume and cologne. You can wear it again after dinner.
  2. If you want a little scent, keep it very light and lower on the body. One perfume brand's official guide suggests the ankles, waist or backs of the knees for a subtle scent, and the wrists for a stronger one.
  3. Remember other scents too: hair products, body cream and strongly scented fabric softener.
  4. Read the booking notes, and share them with everyone in your party.

The same courtesy is often appreciated at a tea ceremony, a ryokan dinner, or a temple stay, where scent and quiet are part of the experience; we found no official rule for these, so treat it as good manners.

My visit

Coming soon: notes from our editor's own meals in Japan.

More on eating out: how conveyor-belt sushi works and food allergies in Japan.

Last reviewed: October 4, 2026. Each restaurant sets its own requests; please read its booking notes.

References

Related guides

More nationwide: Food & dining

Photo credits

  1. An empty wooden sushi counter with seats close together. Photo: Bobby.Creations, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  2. Plates of sushi in different colors moving along a conveyor belt. Photo: JIP, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)
  3. A restaurant window display of plastic food samples with price labels. Photo: Lombroso, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)
  4. A bowl of creamy pork-bone ramen with sliced pork, egg and greens. Photo: Alasdair at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)
  5. A takoyaki food stall with a bright octopus banner. Photo: whalt, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)
  6. The lit entrance of a small izakaya with a white sign. Photo: Japanexperterna.se, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)

Card images combine these photos with the page title. Photos are used under their licenses (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); adapted images are shared under the same license as the original.