Kampai: Drinks in Japan

Last time i wrote about Food in Japan , but we can't have a good meal without something decent to drink, especially here in Japan. So this time it's all about Drinks.

Like many Places in the World so also Japan has a huge Tea Culture. You switch on the TV and it doesn't matter what time, you will find more than one Tea Commercial on Air. Praising these healthy, refreshing, some with supposedly nearly magical Abilities, the super non-alcoholic Drink of Japan, Tea in all it's Variations. For Tea Lovers Japan is a heaven to enjoy. Very well known for it's traditional Tea Ceremony ("Sado"), Japan has a lot of Flavors to offer.

From classic Green Tea , to Buckwheat Tea, Barley Tea, Brown Rice Tea, Powdered Plum Tea, as well as many western Teas, there are so many flavors, that it would take years to try all.

Another thing you will notice as soon as you arrive here in Japan, there are lots and lots and so many more Vending Machines, these will sell anything from Beer to Tea to standard Soft Drinks and many local Juices. There are also Vending Machines with other goods, but that would be another blog for another Time.

Contrary to eating on the go being frowned upon in Japan, drinks are no problem and you can find Vending Machines at nearly every Corner.

Now let's talk about the Alcoholic Drinks,

It doesn't matter where you are in Japan, as soon as you enter a Restaurant or Bar or any other Place with Food and Drinks, you will hear the word "Kampai" over and over and over again. Japanese love their Rituals and Drinking is no different. "Kampai" or Cheers in Japanese, will be repeated times again and again throughout the whole Dinner. Here you don't go just drinking, here it's Custom to have either some Snacks ("Tsumami") or a whole Dinner.

Another Drinking Ritual in Japan you should look out for, is to never pour your own Drink. If you are drinking with a Japanese, they will start refilling your Glass as soon as it gets below half and you should follow their lead. Never let someone suffer an empty Glass and you will make Friends fast.

"Sake" and "Shochu", the Japanese Spirits, difference being "Sake" is fermented and "Shochu" is distilled, are very popular. ( Also "Sake" is Rice base only, while "Shochu" can be a combination of several different raw Materials) You can drink these Hot or Cold, Straight or Mixed with Water or Oolong Tea. "Shochu Mizuwari" ( mixed with Water usually 6 to 4) seems to be the most Popular in Restaurants, if you are not enjoying a good and expensive one, then i recommend straight and chilled.

Whiskey, there are a few very good Japanese Whiskey, Yamazaki or Hibiki, just to name 2 popular ones, but the Cocktails in Japan i feel are somewhat lacking.

What do i mean with lacking? Most Cocktails i had in Japan had been quite nice in Flavor, but the Looks are closer to something you get in a standard Dance Club abroad, than what should be the Standard in a decent Bar or Restaurant. Cocktails here mostly seem kinda lonely, missing a lot of their Decoration. Fresh Fruits and such are not cheap in Japan, but in my Opinion a good Cocktail always needs the Looks to go with it, or else i could just have another Beer.

But like elsewhere, nothing beats Beer.

There are quite a few very good Japanese Beers like Asahi or Sapporo and Kirin, but be careful if you stumble across something called "Happoshu". It's not really a Beer, tastes similar, like a very cheap Beer, but it's made with very low Malt Content to circumvent the Beer Taxes in Japan.

Yeah.....Beer Tax....Horror for me as a German, but thanks to that a 0,3L Glass of Beer will average about 5 Dollar. Anything cheaper than that and there is a good chance it's the mentioned "Happoshu" and i don't recommend it. I can drink quite a few Beers before getting tipsy or drunk normally (thanks to extensive training in the German Armed Forces...hehe), but "Happoshu" gets me every time after just a few, with a terrible Hangover the next day.

Now let's talk about the Magic Word in Japan: "Nomihodai"

"Nomihodai" is the so called All-You-Can-Drink in Japan, averaging about 2000 Yen or roughly 20 Dollars, You can literally drink all you want. Nearly all Restaurants, "Izakaya"s and Bars or Clubs have a"Nomihodai" Menu, if you can't see it, just ask for it. This is what makes live a little easier, but watch out, as some Places use "Happoshu" instead of real Beer for "Nomihodai", so better asks before you Order.

In many Places there will be a Time Limit on the "Nomihodai" Plan, 90 Minutes to 2H is the Standard. Yeah, I love "Nomihodai" ,but i don't think many Places are too happy with me drinking there in fast forward for that Price.

Hope you enjoyed this week's Blog, if you have any Questions or Comments, feel free to contact me or use the Comment Section below.

#Drink #Kampai #Japan #Nomihodai #Sake #Shochu #Tea #OolongTea