[jasonbvr]

I thought Tokyo was an expat community. Every restaurant I go in they hand me an English menu (I'm exaggerating a bit), and I am like, "WTF? I don't live in Tokyo. I kinda like Japanese menus." It's like getting a little puzzle every time I go out to eat that I must decipher in order to get food. Or you can do like my friend, close your eyes, point at something, and then wait for your surprise.

As far as learning Japanese, counting is the most important thing. Which is followed by learning how to order a beer. (Or was it the other way around?) A draft beer is nama bi-ru but just say nama and they'll get the picture. If they start making the international hand gesture for big or small, you will want to say oki chin. If your waitress blushes or slaps you, it is probably because you just said big wang in Japanese. This is where counting comes into play. You are going to need to quickly assess the number of cooks coming at you with sushi knives and the number of able bodied men in your party.

Not quite the answer you were looking for, but it is somewhat useful. Another useful phrase sounds like this, fella ski desk-a. Use this question when those dudes with knives are coming at you. They'll instantly understand your innocent mistake and apologize for getting so bent out of shape about it.