The general structure
Most izakaya menus group dishes by category rather than listing everything in one long block: cold starters (otsumami), grilled skewers (yakitori), fried items (age-mono), sashimi, and rice or noodle dishes toward the end for anyone still hungry after drinks. Recognising this shape makes an all-Japanese menu far less overwhelming, even without reading a word of it. See the kuidaore guide for the wider etiquette around a night at an izakaya.
Ordering without fluent Japanese
Photo menus are common enough that pointing works in most places, and staff are generally used to visitors doing exactly that. A short list of useful words — biiru (beer), toriaezu ("to start with"), okawari ("another one") — covers a surprising amount of a typical order.
Pacing a meal
Unlike a Western restaurant meal, izakaya dishes are ordered gradually through the evening in small batches rather than all at once at the start — order two or three things, see how the group is doing, then order more. It's a slower, more social format than it might first look like from the menu alone.