How to Read a Japanese Sake Label May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureHow to Read a Japanese Sake LabelYou're standing in the basement of a department store in Shinjuku, holding a bottle of sake by the neck, and…25 min read
Three Drinking Itineraries for Your Japan Trip May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesThree Drinking Itineraries for Your Japan TripIt was the second pour of Yoichi single malt at a Hokkaido bar called Crossroad that justified the whole trip.…24 min read
What to Eat With Sake on a Trip to Japan May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan FoodWhat to Eat With Sake on a Trip to JapanThe first time I really understood sake pairing, I was sitting at the counter of a tiny seven-seat kappo in…23 min read
Tokyo Sake Bars: Where to Drink, Block by Block May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesTokyo Sake Bars: Where to Drink, Block by BlockIt's a Wednesday at 19:30 on the tenth floor of a Shinjuku building I would never have walked into without…27 min read
Drinking Highballs in Japan, From Chain to Craft May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureDrinking Highballs in Japan, From Chain to CraftIn late 2008, a struggling whisky brand started a campaign that would, within 12 months, see the number of Japanese…24 min read
A Night Out in Tokyo’s Standing Bars May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesA Night Out in Tokyo’s Standing BarsThe smell hits before the sign does. Charcoal smoke and frying oil, soy and beer foam, the faint reek of…27 min read
How to Walk Into an Izakaya and Order in Japanese May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureHow to Walk Into an Izakaya and Order in JapaneseI ordered otōshi three times. I didn't realise I'd ordered it once. The first time I sat down at an…27 min read
Yamazaki vs Yoichi: Which Distillery Tour to Pick May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesYamazaki vs Yoichi: Which Distillery Tour to PickYamazaki sells out the moment its booking lottery opens, and you need to apply months ahead. Yoichi runs free tours…25 min read
Japan’s Craft Beer Scene, From 11 Breweries to 700+ May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan BeerJapan’s Craft Beer Scene, From 11 Breweries to 700+In 1994 there were 11 breweries in Japan. By 2024 the country had crossed 700, more than England, more than…22 min read
Can You Day-Trip a Sake Brewery from Tokyo? May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesCan You Day-Trip a Sake Brewery from Tokyo?Can you day-trip a sake brewery from Tokyo and actually be back in Shinjuku for dinner? Yes, and you do…26 min read
How to Drink Awamori on a Trip to Okinawa May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesHow to Drink Awamori on a Trip to OkinawaThe first time I met someone who really knew awamori, his name was Tanaka and he was the kind of…23 min read
Sapporo Eat and Drink Guide: Beer, Seafood, Cold Nights May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan BeerSapporo Eat and Drink Guide: Beer, Seafood, Cold NightsWalk into the Sapporo Beer Garden's Genghis Khan Hall on a Tuesday and a 100-minute all-you-can-drink-and-grill plate runs about ¥5,200,…23 min read
Drinking Whisky in Tokyo, Bar by Bar May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesDrinking Whisky in Tokyo, Bar by BarIt's 21:30 on a Wednesday inside Bar Benfiddich, four floors up a Nishi-Shinjuku building with no English sign. Hiroyasu Kayama,…27 min read
A Drinker’s Guide to Kyoto’s Bars and Breweries May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesA Drinker’s Guide to Kyoto’s Bars and BreweriesThe brewer at Matsumoto Shuzo poured the first cup, watched my face, and said: “Kyoto sake is not Niigata sake.…29 min read
Where Should You Actually Eat and Drink in Fukuoka? May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesWhere Should You Actually Eat and Drink in Fukuoka?How does a city smaller than Yokohama end up with the loudest, most stubborn street-food culture left in Japan? Fukuoka…26 min read
