Bars and Brewery

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.