What to Drink at an Onsen Ryokan, and When May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureWhat to Drink at an Onsen Ryokan, and WhenThe first sound is the knock of the wooden bath bucket against the stone rim, and then the slow tip…32 min read
Is Drinking Alone in Japan Awkward as a Woman? May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureIs Drinking Alone in Japan Awkward as a Woman?Is drinking alone in Japan awkward as a woman? I asked myself that on the bullet train to Tokyo with…24 min read
Yakitori, and What to Pour Beside It May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan FoodYakitori, and What to Pour Beside ItA lemon sour at an Omoide Yokocho stall costs about ¥500. Six counter seats away from the cook, no English…22 min read
Otoso, Bonenkai, and the Hush of Shogatsu May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureOtoso, Bonenkai, and the Hush of ShogatsuThe first person to write the recipe for otoso was a third-century Chinese physician named Hua Tuo, and he wrote…30 min read
Kakuuchi Is Not an Izakaya May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureKakuuchi Is Not an IzakayaI walked into a kakuuchi in Kokura with the wrong instincts. I tried to take a stool I'd seen empty,…26 min read
What to Eat and Drink in Nagoya May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesWhat to Eat and Drink in NagoyaI came into Nagoya planning one meal between Tokyo and Kyoto. I left three days later, full of red miso,…26 min read
Drinking Umeshu in Japan: A Traveller’s Guide May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureDrinking Umeshu in Japan: A Traveller’s GuideIs umeshu actually wine? Short answer: no, despite the bottle saying so. Long answer is the entire reason this drink…24 min read
Hot Sake in Japan: A Field Guide to Atsukan May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureHot Sake in Japan: A Field Guide to AtsukanThe first time hot sake actually surprised me, the steam came up off the cup before I tilted it, and…20 min read
How to Drink Well on the Shinkansen May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesHow to Drink Well on the ShinkansenThe hiss when a tallboy opens at 14:33 on the platform of Tokyo Station, two minutes before the Hayabusa pulls…27 min read
How to Eat and Drink Your Way Through Kanazawa May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesHow to Eat and Drink Your Way Through KanazawaThe bowl came down on the counter at Amatsubo just before nine on a wet March evening, kaisendon piled until…25 min read
Niigata Brews More Sake Than Any Other Prefecture May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesNiigata Brews More Sake Than Any Other PrefectureNiigata Prefecture has 91 active sake breweries, more than any other prefecture in Japan. The next-densest, Hyogo and Kyoto, are…26 min read
Hiroshima for Drinkers: Sake Town to Oyster Bay May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesHiroshima for Drinkers: Sake Town to Oyster BayHiroshima Station to Saijo by local train: 31 minutes, ¥420. From the platform, you walk five minutes to a thousand-year-old…24 min read
How Cheap Drinking Gets in Japan, and Stays Good May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureHow Cheap Drinking Gets in Japan, and Stays GoodA tall chu-hi can at any 7-Eleven, 9% alcohol, lemon, ice-cold, costs ¥180. The same volume of beer at a…27 min read
Tokyo Craft Cocktail Bars: A Drinker’s Guide May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesTokyo Craft Cocktail Bars: A Drinker’s GuideHiroyasu Kayama brews bitters from wormwood he grew in Saitama. He stands in a white lab coat behind an L-shaped…26 min read
Cold Sake and a Tarp at Cherry Blossom Time May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureCold Sake and a Tarp at Cherry Blossom TimeThe first thing you notice is the smoke. Charcoal smoke, the lighter-fluid kind nobody admits to using, drifting between the…25 min read
