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Izakaya & Bars

Field guides · 9 from the ground

Izakaya & Bars

Where to drink in Japan — izakayas, neighbourhood bars, themed bars.

Shinjuku After Dark: Where to Eat and Drink

May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan

CitiesShinjuku After Dark: Where to Eat and DrinkSmoke first, then sound. Charcoal smoke pushing out from under a corrugated awning, mixing with cooking-fat steam and someone’s cigarette.…23 min read

Categories Cities, Izakaya & Bars

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

Categories Food, Izakaya & Bars

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

Categories Cities, Izakaya & Bars

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

Categories Cities, Izakaya & Bars, Sake

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

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

Categories Cities, Izakaya & Bars

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

Categories Cities, Izakaya & Bars, Whisky

Drinking Tokyo: Where to Drink Across the City

May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan

CitiesDrinking Tokyo: Where to Drink Across the CityThe bartender at Bar Lupin in Ginza doesn't speak. He carves a cube of ice into a sphere, sets it…24 min read

Categories Cities, 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

★ 5.0Shibuya Meltdown Nightlife Tour: All-You-Can-Drink Bar HoppingFrom $106

★ 5.0Osaka Bar Hopping Night Walking Tour in Namba (3 bars, 6 tastes)From $98

★ 5.0Kyoto Bar Hopping Night TourFrom $105

★ 4.9Tokyo: Shinjuku Bar Hopping with All-You-Can-Drink & DinnerFrom $1083 hours

★ 4.9Osaka: Namba Pub Bar Crawl with a Local GuideFrom $303h 30m

★ 5.0Kyoto Local Bar Crawl in Kawaramachi AreaFrom $28

★ 5.0Sapporo Bar Hopping Food TourFrom $108

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Sake Tasting130 Bar Hopping Tours59 Breweries38 Izakaya Food Tours41 Tokyo119 Kyoto43

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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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