Online bar guides for Japan often lead you to popular spots like Golden Gai or Kabukicho, claiming to be the 'ultimate guide.' However, they rarely offer insight into embracing the true drinking culture of Japan. This experience can only be discovered by visiting lesser-known bars, speakeasies, and izakayas that have their own unique charm.
Real education in drinking happens in quiet moments, where the bartender silently takes your order. Here are some valuable lessons Japan teaches you about drinking, even if they are not explicitly stated.
Tourists who choose to push their limits in Japan risk finding themselves in jail or facing deportation, with no possibility of returning. The last thing you want to experience in Japan is a visit to a police station where English may not be spoken. Generally, it is legal to drink in public in Japan; however, public drinking is prohibited in Shibuya and Shinjuku, Tokyo, from 6 PM to 5 AM due to recent disruptive incidents.
After-work parties, or nomikai, are common in business districts in Tokyo and Hakata. These gatherings allow workers to interact more informally with their peers and superiors. You’ll often find many co-workers enjoying drinks together at izakayas after work.
Have you ever come across a four-seat counter bar in Japan with no signage, run by a master who has been crafting the same cocktails for thirty years? This master may not want to accommodate your request for your favorite drink.
It’s important to understand that this indifference isn’t born out of hostility; rather, it reflects a different approach to hospitality. Unlike in many Western settings, where customer preferences are prioritized, in some Japanese bars, the emphasis is on the craft itself. As a guest, you become more of a spectator to the artistry rather than an active participant. You eventually learn to stop expecting the establishment to cater to your desires and instead embrace being part of the culture rather than just visiting it.
Yuzu is one of the most used ingredient in Japanese drinking, but do you know the answer to "what is yuzu?"
During my time in Japan, I was pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of alcoholic beverages available in the country. While sake and whisky are the most talked-about drinks, there are many lesser-known options that tourists often overlook.
For those with a lower alcohol tolerance, plum wine and sour mixed drinks can be great choices. A popular drink that has gained international recognition is the highball, which is made with whiskey, carbonated water, and a splash of lime. Japanese beers like Kirin, Asahi, and Sapporo are well-known globally and are often priced lower than in one's home country.
Additionally, Japan boasts an impressive selection of cocktails in its high-end bars and speakeasies. An average izakaya or bar in Shinjuku can offer as many as 30 different drink options, showcasing the diverse drinking culture in the country, not including the range of cocktails available.
Here's a guide on how to taste sake like a pro! You may thank us later!
In any place we might have visited in India or even around the world, everyone equates a quiet bartender to bad service. In Japan though, the attention quietly shifts to the drink. You will realize there is intentional quiet in the service - no over narration of the cocktail you are drinking, or chatty bartenders to keep you company. The drink usually does the talking for them - no small talk at all.
In upscale bars, there is no ‘onegaishimasu’ shouted from across the counter or ‘arigatoro gozaimasita’ shouted when you leave. But you will observe the precision with which a jigger is angled, the glass that is chosen for your specific drink…and sometimes even the way the coaster is placed on the counter. It takes even a seasoned bar hopper in Japan, from the unsobered team to admit that this is what warmth in Japan looks like. Once you can read it, you stop mistaking friendliness for respect.
Here's where to get drinks in Japan beyond bars and pubs!
Finding yourself at bars often in Japan teaches you the unspoken order of drinking. You start with something clean and cold, move through complexity, and close with something that resets you before you leave. You learn it by watching what regulars order and when, by noticing what the bartender pours without being asked once they've observed your pace.
Japanese consider it impolite to pour a drink for yourself. When someone fills your glass, you should offer to pour it for them in return. If you want another drink, pour a glass for someone else! People in Japan will encourage you to drink more and offer to refill your glass but it is socially acceptable to say no. If you are awkward about declining a refill, leave some in the glass to prevent people from offering you more. Don’t begin drinking till everyone has a drink in their hand - clink glasses saying kanpai - when everyone is ready.
Edamame is the most popularly consumed bar snack in Japan, unlike nuts in average Westernized bars. They are high in protein, increase liver metabolism and help break down alcohol. Most izakayas also serve high protein food like tamago, omurice, beef bowls and sushi.
Westernized bars encourage you to loosen up and let go. The best Japanese bars do something closer to the reverse: the room gets more precise the more you drink, not less. The bartender's movements stay exact. The conversation continues to be measured. You savor each moment with your drink so your evening isn’t blurred but sharpened!
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