Saizeriya

Aside from the iconic cheeseburgers served in American fast-food restaurants, Japan has developed a wide range of fast-foods that are typical of the archipelago, such as the Saizeriya brand that serves affordable Italian cuisine in a Japanese style. Called wafu-italian, this food offers a twist on the most popular Italian dishes to adapt them to Japanese people’s traditional preferences. It can be compared to the California rolls, a famous type of maki that doesn’t exist in Japan but that all Westerners have already tried !

Tourists craving for spaghetti or pizza during their trip in Japan can try one of the many Saizeriya (or just "Saïzé" for short) restaurants. As of August 31, 2025, the brand is operating 1,053 shops in 42 of the 47 prefectures (except in Kochi, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa), as well as 629 restaurants throughout Asia (China, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam) and in Australia.

Saize is a place to experience both a Japanese fast-food with quick service and an affordable famiresu family restaurant. While children and young adults do love this fast-food brand, the customer base covers all generations, and also includes salarymen and elderly patrons who can frequently eat at Saizeriya.

The brand was developed quite recently, starting in the 1970s in Ishikawa City, Chiba prefecture, in the eastern suburb of Tokyo. Its founder Yasuhiko Shogaki (80 years old in 2026) is still managing the company to this day. He imagined Saizeriya’s concept, that remains successful to this day: good and casual Italian dishes, served at rock-bottom prices thanks to the efficiency of industrial production. Consequently, Saizeriya is more of a luncheonette or an enhanced Italian-Japanese cafeteria, rather than an authentic trattoria in Japan. We recommend the brand for:

• An immersion into the Japanese people’s daily life;
• Very affordable prices, Saizeriya being among the cheapest fast-foods venues of the country; and,
• The heartwarming taste of simple and unsophisticated dishes with melted cheese.

First steps at a Saizeriya restaurant

Efficiency is a key word at Saizeriya, so all restaurants have standardized menus. At the table, a large card lists all the dishes, also illustrated with straightforward pictures. Ordering is quick and easy as each dish or drink is identified by a number to report on:

• A smartphone app (with QR Code access) that can be set to English; or,
• On a paper with a list of items to check.

The same process applies when ordering to a waiter. Some restaurants have robot waiters that deliver the food to the table to help the staff.

Saizeriya’s most popular or unusual dishes especially worth the try are:

• The iconic rice gratins with gravy and bechamel sauce called "Doria", starting by the "Doria Milano", which is the base for all gratins and the cheapest dish on the menu: ¥300(~US$1.87!);
• Tarako spaghetti with salted roe sauce (usually cod eggs);
• Sausage and corn pizza;
• Japanese-style hamburger;
• Snails fried in butter;
• Spicy fried chicken wings;
• Shrimp salad and its signature sauce; and,
• A tiramisu for a simple, efficient and chocolaty dessert.

We recommend ordering several starters and dishes to share; pizzas are of a relatively small size, suitable to a child's appetite.

As for drinks, the brand boasts a glass of white or red Italian wine for only ¥100 (~US$0.62 !). Don’t expect a great vintage, but the quality is not that bad considering the price. Tap water is freely available and a range of soft drinks is available on self-service.

Saizeriya restaurants are open all-day long, but can be very busy and loud at lunch time and dinner (from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.). They nonetheless offer venues that are particularly suited to families and friends traveling in group, for a simple and budget-friendly meal.