Sharing food with family

My family and I will be travelling to Tokyo. I noticed that some of the food portions per person is really huge especially the nabe, syabu etc. We normally share our food as we are small eaters. Is sharing food frown upon or allowed in Japanese restaurants

It’s totally fine to share food between each other. The only time that it is frowned upon is of course when the pricing is per person. Otherwise, when I was visiting family restaurants with my friends, we typically shared dishes that I would have thought of as being meant for one person. So it’s totally fine to share.

Thank lots for your reply. Looking at the food options, we will probably have to miss quite a few places as the pricing is per person.I am amazed at the portions per person as they seem very huge

The places that you are looking at must be quite unusual then. The portion size is normally smaller than the US and most places in Europe. The price per person places are usually the ones with all you can eat or where you are meant to share a dish together.

I am surprised to hear that. Portions are generally smaller than in Western countries and they are often served in several small dishes. If you are in not too formal place and each adult orders a food item you should be ok to let others sample your food. But to buy just one dinner and ask for extra plates is probably a nono. Particularly in a yakiniku or shabushabu restaurant where the price is typically $30+ per person.
Many restaurants offer cheap(er) meals for kids.
You can try inexpensive chain restaurants like Sukiya, Yoshinoya or my favourite, Marukuni sushi. Here you can order to design. Don’t forget the bento sections in grocery and department stores.

My impression of the meal sizes were from the pictures and videos online for certain places. For example chankonabe, syabu syabu. We were going to hit sushi and ramen places as well as the places like food courts etc. I have now added your suggestions. Thanks lots for your suggestions of the food places.

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