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Japan’s drinking culture has been prominent since the country’s ancient days. From beer to sake, drinking parties are a popular activity for Japanese co-workers to get together after hours. Listed below are common places to drink alcohol in Ja…… more
Japan’s drinking culture has been prominent since the
country’s ancient days. From beer to sake, drinking
parties are a popular activity for Japanese co-workers to
get together after hours. Listed below are common
places to drink alcohol in Japan and the country’s most
popular alcoholic beverages.
Izakaya are the most popular drinking locations in Japan,
a happy medium between restaurant and bar. These
casual places offer various food items along with a wide
variety of alcohol. They are a frequent establishment for
friends and co-workers to meet up for a drinking party,
and are great for tourists to grab a delicious, yet
inexpensive meal. Izakaya are located everywhere in
Japan, but you can find clusters of them near subway
stations and entertainment districts. Many other
restaurants serve alcohol as well, but izakaya are by far
the most popular.
Beer is the king of alcoholic drinks in Japan. From
regional craft beers to big breweries, beer in Japan is
widely enjoyed at home, restaurants, and bars. Both men
and women in Japan enjoy a round of draft beer before
moving on to rice wine, also known as “sake”. Sake
typically refers to all alcoholic beverages in Japan, but in
this case its name is equivalent to nihonshu (rice wine).
The next popular alcoholic beverage would probably be
shochu or chuhai, a distilled spirit that is usually mixed
with fruit juice and sparkling water. Chuhai specifically is
short for “shochu highball”, which are canned alcoholic
drinks that have fruity, soda-like qualities. Another
alcoholic drink worth mentioning is Japanese whiskey,
which is surprisingly on par with fine Scotch whiskies and
has gained increasing popularity in Japan and overseas.
Alcohols fans, travelers and locals alike, enjoy visiting
breweries to learn how the brewing process works. A few
samples also don’t hurt. One of the most popular brewery
tours is held at the Nikka Whiskey Distillery, which is
located in Hokkaido and offers both English and
Japanese translations. The most exciting part of the tour
is tasting various Nikka whiskies. Beer enthusiasts
should head to the Asahi Beer Factory, home to one of
the most famous beers in Japan. After an ingredient and
production process tour, visitors are granted with 20
minutes of fresh flowing beer tasting.