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Eat, drink, travel Japan.

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Drinking Culture

Field guides · 16 from the ground

Drinking Culture

Etiquette, traditions, festivals, and the culture around drinking in Japan.

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
Categories Drinking Culture, Whisky

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
Categories Cities, Drinking Culture

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
Categories Drinking Culture, Izakaya & Bars

The Izakaya Mistake I Wish I Hadn’t Made

May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan
Drinking CultureThe Izakaya Mistake I Wish I Hadn’t MadeI poured my own beer first, knocked back a long swallow before anyone else had a glass in hand, and…22 min read
Categories Drinking Culture, Izakaya & Bars

Tours & tastings we’ve reviewed

See the ranked list →
★ 5.0Tokyo Bar Hopping Tour in Shinjuku (All-You-Can-Drink + Dinner)From $106
★ 5.0Best of Shinjuku: Izakaya Food Tour (4 Stops, 14+ Tastings)From $92
★ 4.9Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking TourFrom $343 hours
★ 5.0Shibuya Meltdown Nightlife Tour: All-You-Can-Drink Bar HoppingFrom $106
★ 5.01-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in NaganoFrom $151
★ 5.0Osaka Bar Hopping Night Walking Tour in Namba (3 bars, 6 tastes)From $98
★ 4.5Tokyo: Pub Crawl and Bar TourFrom $275 hours
★ 5.03-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Tastings & PairingsFrom $84

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Drinking Japan

Sake from Fushimi and Nada, whisky from Yoichi, Sapporo beer at the source, and izakaya nights everywhere in between. Japan drinks regionally; this site follows the map.

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