When in Japan, you don't really need to find a ‘bar’ to get a drink. Some of the best places to drink in Japan are usually when you are running an errand, picking up dinner or simply travelling from Kyoto to Tokyo. Of course, izakayas top the list when wanting to catch up with friends over cheap food and booze but there are other creative ways to grab a drink. Here's where you should drink in Japan - from convenience stores and vending machines to onsen and more.
‘Nomimasu’ literally means “to drink” in Japanese. The convenience store, unlike any other you might have seen in India, stocks a variety of beers, sake, some really interesting cocktails and our favourite - the buzzball.
It’s unpretentious, cheap and one of the most literally convenient things to do with your friends - drink it on the curb or take the drink back to your Airbnb or Hotel. Family Mart and 7-Eleven both stock surprisingly serious craft beer and regional sake selections - worth reading the shelf labels instead of grabbing the first can. unsobered team would recommend that you go beyond the usual Asahi beer selections and see if you can find the lesser stocked Ebisu beers.
Japan's vending machines are everywhere. But those selling alcohol instead of canned coffee and Pocari sweat are rare. You might find them in pockets of the countryside like Shizuoka's tea country, parts of rural Hokkaido - still find machines dispensing beer, chuhai, or even sake by the cup. They're getting rarer as regulations tighten, which makes stumbling on one feel like a small victory.
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It's a well known fact that you can eat and drink in a Shinkansen (the bullet train in Japan). Some of the convenience stores at train stations go beyond stocking what off station konbinis stock.
In some routes like the Yufuin no Mori connecting Hakata to Yufu, the drinks counter is a small exhibition. The train is a slower rural line where there are hostesses to encourage you to buy sake and snacks on board, some other routes even have sake tasting carriages on scenic routes through wine and rice country, built specifically around the idea that the view and the glass should arrive together.
The depachika or the basement food hall of any major department store is where you can find Japan’s edible treasures, and drinking here is no exception. Isetan, Takashimaya, and Mitsukoshi all run sake and shochu counters with staff who'll pour tastings if you show real interest - so you shop and drink feeling happy. The tastings at a depato is a good way to sample regional sake from breweries you'd never find by name.
An onsen dip can be the most spiritual experience usually clubbed with a spirited ending. Coffee milk is a traditional post sento drink but plenty of bathhouses and onsens sell local beer or sake in their lounge area. This is meant to be drunk in your yukata with your hair still damp. However, consuming alcohol or any other beverage while you’re inside the onsen is strictly prohibited and looked down upon.
Come cherry blossom season, entire parks turn into open-air drinking rooms. Groups stake out blue tarps under the trees from early morning - relaxing under cherry blossoms showers. Convenience stores and local vendors nearby do brisk business in canned drinks and paper cups. No reservation, no bar, just a patch of ground and perfect timing.
What are some of the unusual places you have had a drink in your country?
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Japan's drinking culture goes far beyond traditional bars, pubs, and cocktail lounges. Whether you're picking up a can of craft beer from a convenience store, sipping sake on a scenic train, sampling regional brews at a department store basement, or celebrating cherry blossom season with friends in a park, the country offers countless ways to enjoy a drink in everyday settings. These experiences aren't just about alcohol – they're about slowing down, embracing local traditions, and discovering how seamlessly drinking fits into Japanese daily life. So on your next trip, don't limit yourself to the nearest izakaya. Some of Japan's most memorable drinks can be found where you least expect them.
Yes. Convenience stores such as FamilyMart, 7-Eleven, and Lawson sell a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, including beer, sake, chuhai, whisky highballs, wine, and ready-to-drink cocktails.
In general, yes. Drinking alcohol in public spaces such as parks is legal in Japan, although visitors should drink responsibly.
Some of the most popular drinks include beer, sake, shochu, whisky highballs, chuhai (shochu mixed with soda and fruit flavours), Japanese whisky, and plum wine (umeshu). Each region also has its own local specialties worth trying.
A few basic customs go a long way. It's polite to wait until everyone has a drink before saying “Kanpai!” (cheers), avoid becoming overly loud in public, and never drink inside an onsen or public bath. If you're sharing drinks, it's also customary to pour for others rather than refilling your own glass first.
