Izakaya

Izakaya are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to a pub, a Spanish tapas bar, or an American saloon or tavern.

[citation needed] There is a record dating to 733 when rice was collected as a brewing fee tax under the jurisdiction of the government office called Miki no Tsukasa.

[6] Historian Penelope Francks points to the development of the izakaya in Japan, especially in Edo and along main roads throughout the country, as one indicator of the growing popularity of sake as a consumer good by the late 1700s.

[7] An izakaya in Tokyo made international news in 1962 when Robert F. Kennedy ate there during a meeting with Japanese labor leaders.

[8] Izakaya and other small pubs or establishments are exempted from an indoor smoking ban that was passed by the National Diet in July 2018 and fully enforced since April 2020.

Unlike other Japanese styles of eating, food items are usually shared by everyone at the table, similar to Spanish tapas.

For a set price per person, customers can continue ordering as much food and/or drink as they wish, usually with a time limit of two or three hours.

Izakaya dining can be intimidating to non-Japanese because of the wide variety of menu items and the slow pace.

Items typically available are:[16][17] Some establishments offer a bottle-keep service, allowing a patron to purchase an entire bottle of liquor (usually shōchū or whisky) and store the unfinished portion for a future visit.

[citation needed] Izakaya were traditionally down-to-earth places where men drank sake and beer after work.

Chain izakaya are often large and offer an extensive selection of food and drink, allowing them to host big, sometimes rowdy, parties.