Is it rude to point at someone in Japan?
At a person, yes. At an object on a menu or a shelf, no — pointing at what you mean is how a conversation works without a shared language. For a person or a direction, use an open hand with the palm up, and point at yourself by touching your own nose rather than your chest, which is what people here will do to mean "me".
Where this answer comes from
Say it in Japanese
Show the card to the staff. The Japanese, how to read it, and the recorded voice.