"Sekai Menu", a smartphone-based service targeted at restaurants and accommodations with foreign customers, began trial service in April 2014. The service, which allows customers to display translated menus and place orders directly from their smartphones, is developed by Sekai Menu (Main Office: Sapporo, Japan; Representative Director: Nobuyasu Fukunishi), and will be provided worldwide along with a new "Self Plan" starting 27 June, 2014.
With the "Self Plan", restaurant and accommodation owners can provide business information, menu details and photos through an online form, after which a printable QR code image will be provided for free use. By reading the QR code with a smartphone, patrons will be sent to a smartphone web page, where they can view a translated menu and place orders directly to the business.
In order to provide multilingual service, the business owner must currently register translated menu data for each language. However, Sekai Menu plans to include an affordable online translating service starting in August, 2014 that will provide translated menu data as well.
In additional, Sekai Menu will provide a method for businesses to register and maintain their use of the service with a "Support Plan", through the help of registered support agencies.
"Sekai Menu aims to satisfy foreign tourists and reduce the burden on restaurants and accommodations of providing internationalized service." said Nobuyasu Fukunishi, Sekai Menu's Representative Director.
