Izakaya Food & Drink Guide: Japan's Beloved Pub Culture
For many tourists visiting Japan, izakayas are one of the most attractive places to experience Japanese food culture and social culture.
An izakaya is a representative Japanese dining establishment where you can enjoy delicious food and drinks at reasonable prices. They are used for various occasions, from a quick drink after work to fun gatherings with friends or colleagues. For me, izakayas are the standard place to enjoy conversations with friends on weekends.
For Japanese people, izakayas are also places to deepen connections between people. Conversations with friends, family, and colleagues flow over delicious food and drinks. Sometimes, you might even hit it off with strangers in the heat of the moment.
In this article, I'll introduce you to the charms of izakayas without leaving anything out. It's packed with information to help you enjoy izakayas more, from standard menu items to types of alcohol and establishments!
What is an Izakaya?
An izakaya is one of Japan's representative dining establishments, a popular place where you can enjoy various dishes along with alcohol. The big attraction of izakayas is their reasonable pricing. They are loved by a wide range of customers, from office workers on their way home from work to students and tourists.
When travelers visit an izakaya, they can experience Japan's everyday food culture and social culture firsthand. If you sit at the counter, you can enjoy conversations with the master. You can spend an enjoyable time unique to izakayas while sharing drinks.
When I meet up with friends after a long time, I often use izakayas. Izakayas are special places for me where I can get excited talking about work and love while enjoying delicious food and drinks.
Why Japanese People Love Izakayas
There are several reasons why izakayas are loved by Japanese people. First is the casual atmosphere that makes it easy to drop in. They're perfect places to casually have a drink after work. Another attraction is being able to enjoy delicious food and drinks at affordable prices.
Izakayas are also places where you can deepen relationships with colleagues and friends. You can relieve work stress or chat about private matters. Conversations at izakayas deepen bonds between people.
Furthermore, izakayas are places where you can feel the seasons. Seasonal limited menus using seasonal ingredients are one of the pleasures of izakayas. You can enjoy seasonal tastes like bamboo shoots in spring, pike conger in summer, matsutake mushrooms in autumn, and oysters in winter.
At the local izakaya in my hometown, I can taste local dishes and local sake unique to that area. It's also fun to experience the rich regional food culture at izakayas you find while traveling.
Representative Izakaya Food Menu Items That Japanese People Like
Japanese izakayas have many unique menu items. Here, I'll introduce food menu items that many Japanese people (including myself) particularly like. When you go to an izakaya, please try ordering these menu items first.
Yakitori
When it comes to standard izakaya menu items, it's yakitori. It's a dish where chicken is skewered and grilled over charcoal. The seasonings vary, including tare (sauce) and salt. My favorite is liver with a slight bitterness. It goes perfectly with beer.
Yakiniku
"Yakiniku" is a BBQ-style dish where you grill various parts like loin, ribs, and tongue yourself. Not all izakayas serve this, so if you want to try it, go to a "yakiniku specialty izakaya."
Edamame
Many Japanese people think, "When it comes to accompaniments for beer, it's definitely edamame." The deep green boiled soybeans go well with the bitterness of beer. In izakayas, when chilled edamame is brought to the table, the party mode suddenly starts, conversations flow, and throats are moistened.
Hiyayakko
This is an irresistible menu item for me, a tofu lover. Cold and smooth silken tofu is topped with chopped green onions, grated ginger, and dried bonito flakes, then drizzled with soy sauce. It also pairs well with sake, and its refreshing taste is perfect for a break during the meal.
Karaage
Crispy fried chicken karaage is a popular izakaya menu item. The coating is crispy, the inside is juicy, and depending on the shop, the seasoning with garlic and ginger stimulates the appetite. The perfect karaage with a crispy outside and moist inside is unique to izakayas. It also goes great with highballs.
Sashimi
Sashimi, thinly sliced fresh seafood, is also an indispensable popular menu item at izakayas. There are various types including tuna, salmon, yellowtail, squid, and octopus, eaten with soy sauce and wasabi. Wasabi has a strong flavor, so foreigners should start with a small amount.
Japanese people like to pair sashimi with sake. The umami of the fish and the aroma of the sake harmonize beautifully in your mouth.
Simmered Dishes
On cold days or when you're tired, you crave warm simmered dishes. Particularly standard in izakayas is oden. It's a common dish where ingredients like daikon radish, eggs, konjac, and processed fish products are simmered in dashi broth. The warm soup permeates to the core of your body.
There are many other delicious simmered dishes in izakayas, such as motsu nikomi (simmered offal) and nikujaga (simmered meat and potatoes), all with gentle flavors that go well with sake.
Standard Izakaya Drinks That Many Japanese People Order
Unlike "bars" which often have a high degree of specialization in whiskey and such, izakayas have many easy-to-drink alcoholic beverages.
Here, I'll introduce drinks loved by many Japanese people, including myself, at izakayas.
Draft Beer
It's no exaggeration to say that it's now common sense in Japanese izakayas to start with a beer toast when you enter. The real pleasure is drinking chilled draft beer from a mug. The fine foam and refreshing throat feel are the best.
Sake
This is Japan's traditional alcohol. Alcohol made by fermenting rice is indispensable to Japanese food culture. From smooth ginjo sake to full-bodied honjozo sake. Of course, it's delicious to drink chilled, but it's also delicious warm or hot.
I've recently become hooked on hot sake. The unique toasty aroma of warm sake is irresistible.
Shochu
Shochu is a type of distilled spirit. The main ingredients vary, including sweet potato, barley, and rice. It has a high alcohol content and a somewhat unique taste.
Drinking it on the rocks brings out the taste and aroma of the ingredients. With hot water, it becomes mellow. Please enjoy it in your preferred way.
Highball
A highball is whiskey mixed with soda water. Despite its simple composition, it's popular for its refreshing taste. It's especially popular among young people, and I also toast with the standard highball when I come to an izakaya.
Its refreshing throat feel also goes great with fried foods. I love the combination of karaage and highball.
Whiskey once lost popularity in Japan, but it's said that whiskey popularity revived around 2000 with the trend of highballs, to the extent that it's now a standard izakaya drink.
Lemon Sour
Lemon sour is a cocktail made by adding lemon juice and soda water to shochu or vodka. Its refreshing taste is especially popular among women.
Recently, various flavored lemon sours have also appeared. Enjoy conversations with family and friends while drinking sweet and fruity sours like pink grapefruit sour, kiwi sour, and white peach sour.
Types of Izakaya Establishments in Japan
Although we say "izakaya" in one word, there are actually various types in Japan.
In this section, I'll explain the types of izakayas and their characteristics. For those going to an izakaya for the first time in Japan, I recommend starting with the chain izakayas that I'll introduce first.
Large Chain Izakayas
For your first izakaya experience, choose a large chain store. The interior is spacious and bustling with a wide range of customers from families to students and office workers.
The diverse menu and reasonable prices are also attractive. They often have all-you-can-drink and all-you-can-eat plans, allowing you to enjoy economically. It's also convenient that each table is equipped with a call button, making it easy to call the staff.
Individually Owned Izakayas
When it comes to izakayas loved by locals, it's individually owned stores. Their charm lies in the menus and services filled with the master's particular preferences.
I always find it enjoyable just watching the interactions between regular customers and the master. You can enjoy delicious food and drinks in a homey atmosphere.
I frequent my favorite izakaya not just for the food and drinks, but also because I love the master's personality.
Specialty Izakayas
Among izakayas, there are also specialty stores focused on specific genres. For example, yakitori, seafood, vegetables, or sake. The array of specialized dishes using particular ingredients offers tastes that go beyond the framework of izakayas.
My favorite is sake specialty izakayas. You can compare and taste famous sake from all over Japan. There's also the joy of finding your favorite sake.
Standing Izakayas
Standing izakayas are an izakaya style where you eat and drink standing up, without chairs or tables. For Japanese people, they're loved as perfect izakayas for having a drink on the way home from work.
The charm lies in the casualness and sense of freedom of standing at the counter, nibbling on small dishes while having a drink. Standing izakayas are also recommended for casually dropping in alone. You might even toast with a stranger sitting next to you.
Representative Izakaya Chains in Japan
Here, I'll introduce Japanese izakaya chains recommended for travelers.
Depending on the store, many chain stores have English menus prepared and accept credit cards, so you can casually drop in even while traveling.
Torikizoku
Source: Wikipedia
Torikizoku is a major izakaya chain specializing in yakitori, with stores all over Japan. Amazingly, their selling point is that all items are 370 yen.
The juicy yakitori on skewers is so delicious you'll want to eat several. Side menus and drinks are also plentiful, so you can enjoy not just yakitori but a full range of izakaya menus. It's also attractive that they have counter seats that are easy to enter even for solo diners.
Website: https://torikizoku.co.jp/
Yakiniku Watami
Source: Tabelog by Toraja.
"Watami" is a major yakiniku izakaya chain. It's reputed for offering delicious yakiniku at reasonable prices. Not only do they have à la carte menus, but they also have plentiful all-you-can-eat courses.
I often choose this place when I want to enjoy a lively yakiniku party with friends. The quality of the meat is quite high and the cost-performance is excellent.
Website: https://yakiniku-watami.com/
Uotami
Source: Tabelog by himico1st
Uotami is an izakaya chain that prides itself on seafood dishes using fresh seafood. You can fully enjoy the bounty of the sea including sashimi, grilled fish, and seafood salads.
It's an izakaya that's also used for casual business entertainment or family meals. They also have plentiful course menus with all-you-can-drink options, so it's also recommended for enjoying various izakaya drinks.
Website: https://www.monteroza.co.jp/brand/tami/
How to Enjoy and Points to Note at Japanese Izakayas
Here, I'll introduce not only uniquely Japanese ways to enjoy izakayas but also points to note when visiting for the first time.
How to Enjoy Izakayas
To fully enjoy Izakayas, please remember the following 4 points.
Visit Izakayas with Friends
While you can enjoy izakayas alone, they have a livelier atmosphere compared to bars, so the key to enjoying them more is to go with companions. You can enjoy izakayas like a local by having conversations while surrounding delicious food and drinks with important friends, colleagues, or family. Sharing and eating various dishes is also one of the pleasures.
Try Drinks You Don't Usually Have
Since there's a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, I recommend trying drinks you don't usually have. If you use the all-you-can-drink plan, you can drink many types of alcohol economically.
Order Seasonal Menus
Izakayas are also places where you can feel the seasons. Tasting seasonal ingredients and limited-time menus is one of the real pleasures of izakayas, so if there are seasonal limited menus, please try ordering them.
Enjoy the "Shime"
Also, Japanese people enjoy ramen or ochazuke as a "shime" (closing dish). "Shime" refers to the dish eaten at the end of drinking time. If you can enjoy a "shime dish," you've mastered izakaya culture!
Points to Note When Visiting Izakayas
For an enjoyable izakaya time, there are a few points to note.
Don't Drink Too Much
First, be careful not to drink too much. Especially sake and shochu have high alcohol content, so drink slowly with food.
Don't Be Too Noisy
While izakayas are lively places, you need to be careful not to be too noisy. Be careful not to disturb other customers by talking loudly or getting too excited.
Pay Attention to Smoking Manners
Also, pay attention to smoking manners. Many izakaya tables are non-smoking. Smoking areas are often designated, so please be aware of this.
Don't Leave Food Uneaten
Finally, while there are many menu items at izakayas and you might want to order a lot, try to be careful not to leave food or drinks uneaten as much as possible. Remember this as part of Japanese manners.
Points About Payment Methods
Also, while cash payment is common in many izakayas, recently more shops, especially chain stores, are accepting credit cards. In the case of cash, it's common for one representative to pay for the whole group, so I recommend deciding in advance who will pay.
Frequently Asked Questions About Izakayas
Lastly, I'll answer from a local perspective some common questions that foreigners often have about Japanese izakayas.
Can You Smoke in Izakayas?
Many izakayas have separated smoking areas or are entirely non-smoking. While fully smoking-allowed shops are decreasing, some shops have designated smoking rooms.
Is It Possible to Go to an Izakaya Alone?
Izakayas welcome solo visitors. Many shops have counter seats, making it easy for solo diners to enter. There are also many Japanese locals who enjoy their favorite food and drinks alone as much as they like.
Is There a Dress Code for Izakayas?
Izakayas are basically casual places, so except for some high-end establishments, there's no dress code. Suits on the way back from work, casual clothes, and even sandals are OK. The izakaya style is to enjoy food and drinks in relaxed attire without being too formal.
Are There English Menus in Izakayas?
Many major chain izakayas and shops in areas popular with foreign tourists have English menus prepared. However, not all izakayas have them, so be careful. When going to a locally-oriented izakaya, I recommend using a translation app.
In this article, I've introduced you to "izakayas," attractive places where you can experience Japanese food culture and social culture. The real pleasure of izakayas is spending an enjoyable time chatting with companions while savoring delicious food and drinks.
Of course, I also recommend visiting izakayas during solo trips to enjoy alcohol and izakaya food at your own pace.
When traveling in Japan, please make sure to visit an izakaya. Drop in casually for a quick drink between sightseeing!
