Japanese Izakaya Phrases and Drinking Etiquette

The shape of an izakaya evening

An izakaya is a pub that serves food in small shared plates, and the evening there has a recognisable order. You are seated, a starter arrives, drinks come first and fast, the toast happens, and then food and further drinks are ordered in rounds over an hour or two. Later there is a bill, usually shared, and a question about whether to go somewhere else. Each stage has one or two lines you say and one or two you need to recognise.

The etiquette around drinking is real but not rigid. Younger colleagues pouring for seniors, waiting for the toast before drinking, and keeping an eye on other people's glasses are all commonly done, especially at work gatherings. Among friends it is looser, and in most places nobody expects a visitor to know every custom. What they do appreciate is the attempt, and a few lines said at the right moment carry you a long way.

At the door: stating your party size

The first question is always how many. Staff use the counter mei with the honorific sama, and you answer with a plain number and person counter: hitori, futari, san-nin, yo-nin. If you booked, give the time and name. Busy izakaya may offer only the counter or a shared table, and they will ask if that is acceptable. Some have a raised tatami area where shoes come off at the step, and staff will say so as you approach; a short hai is all they need.

The otōshi starter and how to ask about it

Soon after you sit down, a small dish arrives for each person. This is the otōshi, sometimes called tsukidashi in western Japan, and it is charged per head whether or not you eat it. First-time visitors sometimes think it is a free sample or a mistake and query the bill later, which is awkward for everyone. Asking what it is and how much at the moment it arrives is completely normal. If you have an allergy, this is also the moment to say so, since the starter is not chosen by you.

The first round and the toast

Drinks are ordered before anyone looks at the food menu, because the group wants to toast together and the toast waits until everyone has a glass. This is why toriaezu bīru, beer for now, is so common: it is the fastest way to get the first round on the table. You do not have to join in with beer. Say what you want in the same short form and the round still arrives together. Then someone, usually the most senior person or the host, raises a glass, says a few words, and everyone answers kanpai.

The mistake is starting your drink before the toast. Hold the glass, wait, clink lightly with the people near you, and drink after the word. At a work gathering the words before kanpai are often otsukaresama desu, thanking everyone for the day, so listen for that and repeat it back.

Ordering in rounds with the call button

Food comes in rounds rather than courses. Order three or four dishes to share, eat, then order again as glasses empty. Many tables have a call button; press it once, and a server arrives saying hai or o-ukagai shimasu. Without a button, a clear sumimasen across the room is expected and not rude. State dishes with the item plus onegai shimasu, use futatsu or mittsu for quantities, and close the order with ijō de so the server knows to stop writing. Near closing time you will hear rasuto ōdā, which is the moment to order anything else you want.

The general guide to ordering food covers menus and dietary requests in more depth; here the point is the rhythm. Keep orders short, keep them coming, and do not try to order the whole evening at once, because the table fills up and the food goes cold.

Pouring for others and being poured for

When beer or sake comes in a shared bottle, people pour for each other rather than for themselves. Hold the bottle with both hands, or one hand with the other supporting it, and pour for the person beside you when their glass drops below half. When someone pours for you, lift your glass slightly with both hands, say a short thank you, and take a sip before setting it down. Pouring your own drink, tejaku, is fine among friends and increasingly common, but at a formal gathering let others do it and return the favour.

You can slow the refills without refusing anything. Leaving your glass full is the quiet signal that you are done, because nobody pours into a full glass. If someone insists anyway, a small sip and a smile keeps the peace without a word.

Declining more alcohol or saying you do not drink

Nobody sensible wants you to drink more than you want to, and Japanese gives you several soft ways to stop. The most useful pattern is a reason followed by node, which trails off politely and lets the other person fill in the rest: I am driving, I have an early start, I am not strong with alcohol. Non-drinkers are common and a plain o-sake wa nomenai n desu is accepted without fuss in most settings. Keep a soft drink in front of you so there is something to toast with, and pace yourself with water between rounds. A good evening ends with you able to find the station.

All-you-can-drink plans and their time limits

Many izakaya offer nomihōdai, a fixed-price drinks plan for a set time, often paired with a food course for group bookings. The catch is the clock. The plan usually runs for a stated number of hours, with last orders called some minutes before the end, and staff will remind you as time runs down. Drinks come from a shorter dedicated menu, and everyone at the table normally has to join the same plan. Ask about the time limit and last orders when you sit down so the end of the plan does not arrive mid-round.

Asking for the bill and splitting it

Ask for the bill with o-kaikei onegai shimasu, or catch a server's eye and cross your index fingers in a small x, a gesture many people use in izakaya. Payment is often at the register near the door rather than at the table, and staff will say reji de onegai shimasu if so. Splitting varies: friends usually go warikan, evenly, with one person paying and everyone handing over their share; at work the senior person may pay, and the right reply is gochisōsama deshita rather than an argument over money. Ask about paying separately if you need to, and be ready for a polite no at busy places.

The second venue and getting home

As the bill is settled, someone asks about nijikai, the second venue, which might be another bar, karaoke, or ramen. Going is not compulsory. The graceful exit is a reason plus a thank you: the last train, an early morning, or simply that you will call it a night here, followed by a request to be invited again. If you do go on, know your last train time before you leave the first place. Taxis are safe and easy to ask for, and staff at the venue will usually call one if you ask.

The evening in order

Read the table aloud from top to bottom as one continuous evening, then again with the replies you expect at each step. The order is what makes the phrases stick, because each line cues the next one and the room supplies the rest.