If you are interested in Japanese culture or food, you should have heard of one word: izakaya.

An izakaya is a casual drinking place. Some people associate it with a "bar." In an izakaya, you can not only drink alcohol, but also taste various Japanese snacks, so it is more like a Spanish tapas bar.

Izakaya is one of the most common types of restaurants in Japan and is a great place for friends or colleagues to gather for drinks or to relax after get off work.

Many tourists also choose to dine in izakayas. It is easy to find various izakayas near train stations and entertainment areas. They can also experience Japanese local culture while being full.

Izakayas are always very lively with constant chatter, singing, and dancing, so if you want a quiet meal or a romantic date, this might not be the place for you.

The seating designs of izakayas usually come in both Western and Japanese styles, and some izakayas also have semi-private booths or private rooms.

Traditional izakayas usually only offer text-only Japanese menus, which can be a big challenge for people who don’t understand Japanese (perhaps you can understand some of them).

There are also many modern izakayas, especially chain restaurants, which often offer menus with brightly colored patterns that are easy to understand for those who don't understand Japanese.

Some izakayas frequented by foreign tourists also offer English menus.

There are also some larger izakayas where you can order via tablet.

Smoking has always been allowed in almost all bars and izakayas in Japan, but new regulations have been introduced in April 2020. Almost all bars and izakayas only allow smoking in designated smoking areas (however, this regulation may be somewhat difficult to implement)

Difficult because the demarcation of smoking and non-smoking areas in many restaurants is not that strict).

So, if you are a non-smoker and hate the smell of smoke, you can ask for a consultation before visiting an izakaya.

Some izakayas will set a time limit for staying. For example, when there are many guests on weekends, they will ask you to stay for a maximum of two hours.

Izakaya food tends to be smaller in portions and less complex.

You can find yakitori and other grilled items, as well as fish, fried chicken, edamame, pickles, and some casual Western snacks like French fries, potato salad, and pizza.

Other Japanese classics can also be found in large izakayas, such as sushi and ramen (which are less common in some smaller izakayas).

Of course, an izakaya is mainly a place for drinking, so there will be a variety of local alcoholic beverages, and sometimes some imported alcoholic beverages.

Common ones include beer, sake, shochu, whiskey and wine.

Popular mixed drinks include whiskey and soda (called a highball in Japan) as well as shochu and soda with some kind of fruit flavor.

Many izakayas have all-you-can-drink promotions in the evening. You can drink as much as you want by paying a certain amount within a certain period of time (usually 1-2 hours).

If you don't drink alcohol, you can also choose tea, juice and other soft drinks.

Shoe lockers In some izakayas, diners are required to take off their shoes at the entrance or at the table.

If there is a shoe locker at the entrance, take off your shoes and place them in the locker, then take the wooden "key" to this storage bin with you.

If you take off your shoes at the table, you usually need to put them under the rails near your seat or in a nearby shoe cabinet.

After sitting down, the waiter will provide a wet towel and an appetizer called "otoshi". This appetizer is included in the seat fee and costs a few hundred yen per person.

Next, the waiter will ask you if you want to start ordering.

You can order some alcohol, such as beer, before ordering food.

Call Bell Some izakaya tables have a call bell that you can ring when you need service.

However, some more traditional izakayas do not have call bells.

Ordering a la carte You don’t need to order everything at once, you can usually order in batches.

Usually food is cooked to order, some food is cooked more slowly.

There are no rules when it comes to ordering, but traditionally many diners end their meal with rice or noodles.

Restrooms: Restrooms in izakayas are usually labeled "powder room", "hand wash" or "トイレ".