窪田 敏之 Ph.D.,D.D.S. (TOSHI)

I'll be honest with you, I love drinking. Living in Japan I have found that many Japanese love it too. they love it so much, in fact, that they have elevated the drinking experience to new levels. Now in America (where I'm originally from) there are a few choices for serious drinking. You can go to a bar, you can drink at home, or you can go to a nightclub. For me, those places just don't do it for me. Bars in America are often seedy dives, and I've outgrown my clubbing years. But let me tell you about drinking in Japan. In Japan of course you can drink at home, they do have bars, but even more popular are what are called "izakayas." These are establishments that serve mostly alcoholic beverages like draft beer, Japanese sake, shōchū (a kind of Japanese liquor), and highballs (mixed drinks using whisky), and a wide range of foods, usually eaten tapas style, small, shareable dishes. Typically izakayas will serve comfort foods like pieces of fried chicken (karaage), yakitori (skewered grilled chicken), sushi, lots of different kinds of fried foods, and countless other things depending on the place. What I really love is the atmosphere of izakayas. These are lively, sociable places, with people talking and laughing and often getting drunk. You can have a table full of jovial salarymen sitting next to a table of chatty housewives, all having fun eating and drinking and enjoying warm company. They're even great for families and people who don't like drinking. I love going to izakayas and just having a cold beer, some fried chicken, takowasabi (pieces of octopus in wasabi) and ehire (roasted ray fin), and soaking up the cheerful atmosphere. Another type of drinking establishment unique to Japan is what are called "tachinomiya." these are basically like bars, only here customers stand around high tables, there are no seats. Because they lack seats, they usually skip table charges (saving around 300 yen) and offer cheaper drinks and food than a standard izakaya. They tend to be small, cozy, informal, and easygoing, making it simple to strike up conversations with locals or the bartender. I don't know what it is, but to me the experience of standing around that table having a cold beer while striking up conversations with people usually stopping by for a drink on their way home from work is something special. It's an experience that you can't really get in America. So there you go, if you are visiting Japan and like drinking and an upbeat friendly atmosphere, you're sure to love going to an izakaya or tachinomiya with some friends or even alone. Cheers!