Drinking plays an important role in Japanese society. Drinking parties, typically held at restaurants and izakaya, are a common activity that are used to strengthen both social and business ties. A large variety of alcoholic beverages can be found in Japan. Some of the most popular ones are:
Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan. Due to taxation issues, several types of beer-like beverages have emerged in recent years, including happoshu and new-genre beer. These beverages are taxed less because they contain less or no malt, and can therefore be sold at lower prices.
Commonly called sake outside of Japan, nihonshu or sake (note that "sake" is also the general Japanese term for alcohol) is brewed using rice, water and koji mold as the main ingredients. Besides major brands, there are countless local rice wines (ji*zake). The alcohol content of nihonshu is typically about 10-20 percent. It is drunk hot, at room temperature or cold, and it is usually filtered although unfiltered nihonshu is also available.
Shochu is a distilled spirit with an alcohol content of 20-40 percent. It is commonly made from rice, sweet potatoes, wheat and/or sugar cane. It is usually served mixed with water and ice, fruit juice and sparkling water, or oolong tea. Shochu is popular nationwide, but particularly so in Kyushu. Awamori is the Okinawan version of shochu. It differs in that it is made from long-grained Thai-style rice instead of short-grained Japanese-style rice and uses a black koji mold indigenous to Okinawa.
Despite their comparably short history, Japanese whiskies are now on par with some of the finest Scotch whiskies and have won top international awards. They are currently enjoying high popularity inside and outside of Japan.
Whisky highball, often simply called highball, is a carbonated drink made of whisky and soda water. Originally popularized in the 1950s, the drink has enjoyed a resurgence as it has been successfully promoted as an alternative to beer. Highball has an alcohol content of 5-10 percent and is widely available at restaurants and elsewhere.
Chuhai (shortened from "shochu highball") are fruit-flavored alcoholic drinks with an alcohol content of 3-8 percent. Common flavors include lemon, ume, peach, grapefruit and lime in addition to seasonal flavors. Chuhai are made of shochu and soda, and are available premixed in cans anywhere alcohol is sold.
Umeshu is made of Japanese plums (ume), sugar, and shochu or nihonshu. Its sweet, fruity, juice-like flavor and aroma can appeal to those who normally dislike alcohol. Umeshu is easily found anywhere alcohol is sold and is usually served on the rocks, mixed with soda, or as an umeshu sawa (umeshu sour).
Wine has gradually been gaining popularity in Japan over the decades. While imported red, white and sparkling wines from France, Italy, the United States, Chile and Australia are widely available, there also exists a sizable and increasing domestic wine industry. The most famous wine producing region within Japan is the Kofu basin in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Alcoholic beverages are sold in supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores, liquor stores (saka-ya) and a decreasing number of vending machines. The legal drinking age is 20 years old, the same as for purchasing tobacco products.
Drinking manners
When drinking alcoholic beverages, it is customary to serve one another rather than serving yourself. You should periodically check your friends' glasses and replenish them before they are empty. Likewise, if someone wants to serve you, you should drink to make room in your glass if it is full, hold it up for the person while they pour and then take one sip before putting the glass down.
At the beginning of a meal or drinking party you should not start drinking until everybody at the table is served and the glasses are raised for a toast, which is usually "kampai". Other toasts are acceptable, too, but note that "chin chin" refers to the male genitalia in Japanese and may not be the ideal word choice depending on the situation.
While it is considered bad manners to become obviously drunk in some formal restaurants, the same is not true for other types of restaurants, such as izakaya, as long as you do not bother other guests.
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