Japanese-style pubs (known as “izakaya” in Japanese) are a place to unwind over beverages and meals in an informal setting, similar to bars and pubs worldwide. However, izakaya has a lot of unique practices that may be surprising to newcomers. In this essay, I’ll expose you to a few things that amaze you about Japanese Izakaya if you’re new to Japan!
You’ll Need to Contact Service:
In certain nations, yelling out for a waiter’s attention is considered a bad habit or, at the very least last resort. However, at a Japanese Izakaya, you will want to use your “sumimasen” because you will most likely be left alone! If you come from a country where it is common for staff to check in at some time of your dinner, it may look like izakaya staff are inattentive, but it is simply a way to let tourists enjoy themselves at their speed.
They serve something you didn’t order:
You may be served a small food such as salad, pickles, or edamame alongside your first round of beverages when you visit an izakaya. This dish, known as otoshi or otsukidashi, is intended to provide guests with a nibble while they wait for relaxation in their meals. It is undoubtedly challenging for international visitors to Japan because otoshi, foods that are visible as freebies such as breadsticks in the United States or banchan in Korea, will appear on your bill.
Continue to order while eating:
Another thing that astonished you at the izakaya was that you could summon the waitress. In other nations, ordering everything at once was more typical, and frequent requests for extras rapidly led to disgruntled service employees.
For business meetings, there might be numerous rules:
Although izakaya may appear casual, they are a usual venue for business meetings. “Nomikai,” or drinking parties, are an unavoidable aspect of Japanese work and social culture, so if you work in Japan, you’ll almost certainly attend one at some point.
You will be happy to pay your bill:
To fetch the bill, yell “Sumimasen!” and press your index fingers together, or gently rise and walk to the door where the check is waiting. While most Japanese restaurants are excellent at dividing the betsu-betsu bill individually per person, this is not doable at an izakaya when everyone has shared numerous rounds of dishes. You share the amount evenly among the members of your organization.