Japan is a one-of-a-kind place, with a one-of-a-kind culture. This culture extends all the way out to a very unique drinking and nightlife experience as well.
It is my goal here to share with you what a basic night out on the town with a buddy can look like here in the land of the rising sun! Let’s go!!!
Here are my 7 EASY STEPS FOR A NIGHT OUT DRINKING IN JAPAN!
1. Find a buddy.
Keitarou and tanuki, both ready to go out drinking!
2. Go to lots of places, but first, an izakaya. Go early.
We chose Aka Tanuki (“Red Raccoon”) as our first stop. We headed out at 5:30 in order to drink a lot, and get home at an hour that wouldn’t make the next day miserable!
Make sure the staff is personable and fun!
3. Order the nomihōdai, (A time-limited all-you-can-drink session) and some food!
We had some delicious basashi (horse-meat sashimi, pictured above), fried veggies, chicken, and other such izakaya fare.
4. Hit stop #2. A quality yakitori joint!
Akiyoshi, an excellent yakitori restaurant here in Niigata, does away with the need for plates with a metal warming plate running the length of the counter. Customers eat their delicious food directly from this area. Notice the delicious skewered chicken (yakitori), veggies and meat in the lower right.
Check the short video I took here to see more!
5. Go to the “last place” for some serious, higher-shelf, non-food boozing.
The first time I’ve tried an age statement Hakushu single malt. Ordered 12-year-old whisky in a highball. Not sure that’s not sacrilege. Anyway. Did it.
Though this hurt the wallet, it was worth it. 23-year-old Bowmore matured in wine casks. Leathery, chocolatey, old book-binding-glue-tasting smoky magic.
6. Now that you are becoming incoherent and telling your buddy how much you love him every five seconds and water tastes better than anything else, GO GET RAAAMMEEEEENNNNN!!!
Any ramen will do, but GARLIC RAMEN that will make you smell awful for two days is best. (Image source, because I was too hungry/drunk to have the presence of mind to take a picture last night.)
7. (next day) Wake up, chug a Coca-Cola to restore some of your crashed sugar levels and caffeinate yourself. Hold your slightly pounding head. Check your wallet. Make vow to self not to get so fucked up next time! Be grateful for a great night out with a best bud!
That’s it!
Kanpaiiiiii!!!
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DTube and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
Lololol. That is so Japan. If you happen to be in Osaka, the Okonomiyaki ;) I was more of an Ukon kinda guy after a night of drinking.
Yeah! Ukon is also good. And the one time I did make it to Osaka was a blast. Okonomiyaki and takoyaki every night. Cheers, @mikesthoughts!
Lol, awesome. :)
美味しそうですね😊
楽しかったです！二日酔いは楽しくなかったです！（笑）
The yakitori and ramen both look delicious @kafkanarchy84! It looks like a great time out and topping it off with that aged single malt would be perfect!
sound just like is has to be. Good to see you had some quality time, it's family and doctors for me this weekend. But sonehow I'm enjoying the winter cold now.
Was good man, but the next day is never easy. Glad to hear you are enjoying the solitude and reflection time the winter brings. Summer will be here before we know it!
We need to catch up again before I head to Germany. I guess I'm ok on February 10th too
@kafkanarchy
Very interesting, always been fascinated by Japan, hopefully visit soon and put your advise to the test :-) Not so sure about the horse meat though. :/
Yeah, it took me about 6 years to get around to trying the basashi. Mostly because I was worried about how sanitary it was, etc. I guess the meat is almost always pretty high-quality though. Have had it three times now. It's very tasty! Thanks for the comment, @michaeljn-san!
Ok, safe travels, and enjoy your journey
It's amazing blog dear and amazing way of its .
Thanks fir sharing.
Namaste
A great article and a good picture
You are a really wonderful person
I wish you always give me advice
Wow great, we should learn from you my friend how to enjoy life differently. Yes you are really a wonderful person always energetic, lively and graceful. Thanks for sharing a valuable lesson to leave a beautiful life, yes to live our lives some madness is very important friend. Stay healthy and happy forever.
@team-solutions has promoted this post. Thank you for the great content. Will have to remember this advice. If crypto makes me rich :) World tour, 1st stop, Japan.
Thanks, @team-solutions! Here waiting for ya!
I'm always amazed at all the awesome cullinary experiences that Japan has to offer and a little saddened that something like this isn't here in the states to enjoy.
Sashimi horse meat? Is that really raw horse meat up there? How does that taste (I'm assuming like horse, but wondering if there is anything unique about the way it tastes compared to other meats).
It's good man. There's no real game-y taste to it or anything like that. It's eaten with soy sauce and a pretty strong garlic-ginger paste and onions. Sort of like a really tender roast beef-type feel.
I'll have to try some out if I get the chance. It sounds/looks delicious.
Reading through the comments make me think that I am the only one who hasn't been to Japan! I am coming!!!
Excellent! Please do!
Vicariously enjoyed 😂😂😂
Add final step: take nux vomica 200c to cure your hangover and to recover your liver! 😜
Oooh. Yes!
I don't even drink,but what you wrote right now made me realise that I was a fool and wasting my time not drinking',your way shows up to be a great fun,even I am not from japan or going to visit it soon, I am gonna try your way my way the tunisian way thank you dear
Do write about it if you do! Thanks for commenting!
特にラーメンのところが印象に残りました。ラーメンは日本が得意とする文化かと。
コメントしてくれてありがとうございます、@yasusさん！らーめんはいいよね！
Awesome pictures dear thanks for sharing your experience ,
reading this gave me a headache 😂
:) Gotta have that dank shit to kill the hangover! ;)
haha thanks for the advice! looks like you had a great time :) next time I'm in Japan I will be sure to follow it ;)
Haha the perfect guide it sounds like 😂🙌🏼
Been a couple of years now since I've been in Japan, now looking at your guide I definitely missed a few key components to the perfect Japanese night out 😉
Luckily I'll visit again in 2019 where my friend will be an exchange student in Tokyo for year. Can't wait.
Otherwise, if you're into travelling, vlogs, fitness, self-development etc feel free to check out my channel, in any case keep up the good work and I'll see you around! 😁
Excellent! Sounds like you're gonna have a blast, man!
I'll be sure to check out your blog. Thanks for the comment!
Kanpaiii!!! Ani Kafkanarchy-san .
I just had a thought that you would mention ramen and you did!!
Sadly most of my knowledge of the Japanese culture comes from the few anime I watched a while back. Your post definitely made me smile. Thanks and Kanpaiii once more :-D
Cheers, @ubermensch! Animé is great! If you're ever here in Japan, do hit me up.
Kanpai!
I don’t think I’d trust my self drinking out in Japan even with these amazing tips, I’d still find my self lost and in a really awkward situation 😂
Ahh, you'd just be treated like a child and taken care of by some passerby or beat cop.
They'd ask you where you lived, and where your pants were, and then take you home. ;)
Thanks for rhe tips, wish someday#japan
8.Repeat daily/weekly/monthly dependant on tolerance levels.😜
Lol. Yep. Almost added something like this at the end.
Japan will be a fun place to be, I must say i will to pay a visit to this country one day, So talented set of people.
Basashi and ramen look delicious!!!
They were great!
I see that your buddy was drunk with a lot of whisky in his blood! LOl