The coin tray at a Japanese register, and why money rarely changes hands

At almost every staffed register in Japan, a small tray sits between you and the cashier. Your money goes there, not into a hand, and the rest of the exchange is arranged around it.

What the tray is for

It is called a karuton (カルトン), from the French carton, though most staff simply say torē, tray. Many have a mat of soft rubber nubs, so coins lift cleanly rather than slide on the counter. Lay your notes and coins on it and the cashier counts them where both of you can see.

The words that come with it

The count is spoken. Hand over a 10,000-yen note for a 1,300-yen lunch and you will hear ichiman-en o-azukari shimasu, roughly ‘I am taking ten thousand yen into my keeping’, before the till opens.

一万円お預かりします。

Change comes back in order: notes first, often fanned and counted once towards you, then coins with the receipt. The count happens in front of you, so there is little left to check.

Where the tray is thinning out

Supermarkets and convenience chains have moved to semi-self registers, where staff scan and you feed cash into a machine. The tray holds on at bakeries, kissaten coffee shops, pharmacies, shrine offices and rural ticket windows.

What to do at the counter

Use the tray whenever one is there, even if a hand is closer. Place notes flat with coins beside them, wait for the count to finish, then collect your change. Where there is no tray, hand to hand is fine.