A Few Helpful Notes Closing Time Punctuality is a blessing and a hindrance in Japan.
Trains are unfailingly reliable.
It takes something near catastrophic to stop them,and an earthquake or flood will often result in a short delay. Shops,too,and most particularly restaurants are conscious of the clock. Though shopkeepers may stretch to accomodate a last minute cutomers,restaurants follows a strict regime,and the posted closing time refers to the hour in which the shops locks its doors for the night, with all customers on the outside. So if you wish to linger over your meal,allow yourself ample time by arriving several hours before closing. Because the claening up procedures are time -consuming, kitchens frequently shut down thirty to sixty minutes prior to closing.