Japanese Drinking Culture: Standing Bars, Kampai Etiquette, & Retro Drinks in Tokyo

Go bar-hopping with local guides in Japan: Shizuka and Max chat about Japanese drinking culture while eating and drinking at izakayas (Japanese gastropubs) in Ueno and Asakusa. First up is a “tachinomiya” (standing bar) in Ueno called Motsuyaki Otonba, which specializes in “horumon” (offal) dishes. Tachinomiya bars are great to stop by for a quick bite and a drink or two. Here, they try heart, beef tongue, liver, and “motsu nikomi” (stewed innards) and introduce “torizara” (personal plates used when sharing food among groups) and toasting etiquette. Next, they visit Hoppy Dori (Hoppy Street) in Asakusa, Tokyo, and try the local beverage the area is named after. Hoppy is a beer substitute made from hops, with very low alcohol content (around 0.8%) and is often mixed with shochu (a Japanese distilled alcohol) to make it stronger. It was popularized after WWII at a time when beer was not affordable and Hoppy was more accessible. Today it’s still enjoyed a