Drinking Japan. Chris Bunting

      The Watami chain has more than 600 outlets across Japan.

      Chain pubs

      There are a growing number of chain izakaya in Japan. Independent bar owners complain such chains are squeezing out the little men. Few of them offer the range of alcohols offered by the best independent establishments, and the quality of the service is often noticeably worse. If you are near an independent izakaya, I would recommend giving it a try before trooping into the chain. However, it has to be admitted that the ubiquity of the chains can offer reassurance in an unfamiliar location. Some relatively small chains like Kaasan, Himonoya and Komahachi have found their way into this guide on their own merits, but the most successful izakaya chain in Japan is Watami, with more than 600 outlets. It is not at all bad and is definitely worth considering as a back-up. The drink list is not particularly extensive, but there is always some high-quality sake and shōchū available. I have noticed some good Japanese whisky creeping onto the menu in the last couple of years. Watami styles itself as a “family friendly” izakaya and my wife says she often opts for Watami over the more atmospheric independent bars if she is having a drink on her own out of town. The interiors are usually open and well lit, and there is a slightly more anonymous feel to these places, which she says lends itself to having a quiet drink and bite to eat as a solitary woman. The group uses various logos for different parts of its chain, but look out for its name: Watami (わたみ or 和民).

      Read more

      The more I have studied Japanese alcohol, the more I have realized that it is not possible to do justice to the topic in a single volume. There are dozens of bars and many topics that I would have liked to have covered here but which had to be chopped out in the final edit. The following English language sources will take you further:

      Books

      The Sake Handbook by John Gauntner (Tuttle, 2002). An interesting, authoritative and comprehensive guide to sake.

      Sake’s Hidden Stories by John Gauntner (ebook, 2009). Reaches beyond technical explanations, uncovering the human stories behind sake. Available only as an ebook: www.sake-world.com/html/sakeshiddenstories.html.

      The Insider’s Guide to Sake by Philip Harper (Kodansha, 1998). Slightly older than Gauntner’s handbook but offers an extremely informative survey of the topic. The writing is lyrical in places.

      Sake: A Modern Guide by Beau Timken and Sara Deseran (Chronicle Books, 2006). Much less detailed than Gauntner’s and Harper’s books but has an appealing introduction that communicates the essential information in a clear and entertaining way.

      Japanese Whisky: Facts, Figures and Taste by Ulf Buxrud (DataAnalys, 2008). A comprehensive and detailed guide to the Japanese distilleries.

      Other media

      Anything by Nicholas Coldicott, the drinks writer of The Japan Times, is essential reading.

      Metropolis Magazine. Good features and bar reviews.

      Websites

      Sake world (www.sake-world.com). Another mention for John Gauntner. His website is full of information about sake, as well as details of his seminars and professional courses, which have trained many of the leading figures in the international sake scene. Gauntner’s email newsletter is also packed with information.

      Bento.com (www.bento.com). The leading English-language guide to eating and drinking in Tōkyō, Yokohama, Ōsaka, Kyōto and Kōbe. Its regularly updated restaurant and bar reviews are informative and reliable.

      Brews News (www.bento.com/brews.html). Brews News is hosted on the www.bento.com servers but offers such a good coverage of the Japanese craft beer scene that it deserves separate mention. Maintained by Bryan Harrell, the leading expert on Japanese beer.

      Boozelist (www.boozelist.blogspot.com). A constantly updated list of craft beers on tap in the Tōkyō and Yokohama area, plus beer and bar reviews on linked websites. Maintained by Chris “Chuwy” Philips, who taught me most of what I know about Japanese beer.

      Beer in Japan (www.beerinjapan.com). Very good coverage of the Japanese craft beer scene.

      Tokyo Foodcast (tokyofoodcast.com). A consistently interesting blog about Tōkyō food and sake by “Et-chan and Te-chan.”

      Tokyo Through the Drinking Glass (www.tokyo-drinkingglass.blogspot.com/). “Life, wine, and the pursuit of sake” by Melinda Joe, who writes for Bento.com and The Japan Times.

      Urban sake (www.urbansake.com). A great resource for US-based sake fans. Includes guides to drinking and buying sake in several major American cities.

      Nihonshudō NYC (www.nihonshudo-nyc.blogspot.com/). A blog about New York’s flourishing sake scene.

      Drinking Japan (www.drinkingjapan.com). My own website. It offers news and updates relating to this guide, and detailed referencing to the sources used in its preparation. The website also carries links to www.nonjatta.blogspot.com, a website I edit about Japanese whisky.

      A warning and an appeal

      Everything changes and few things are in such a constant state of flux as the Japanese drinking scene. I visited every one of the bars in this guide-at some time between the end of 2008 and August 2010. By the end of my research, I discovered that some of the bars in this book that I had visited at the start of my travels had closed or changed radically. I was able to remove these from my recommendations, but I am sure others listed here will close, raise their prices, drop their standards, change their opening hours, move or employ spectacularly obnoxious bar staff by the time you visit. If you do find things significantly changed, I would first like to apologize and would also appeal to you to contact me at www.drinkingjapan.com, where I will try to post details of important changes. If you find an excellent bar not included here, please send details! Any information given will help improve the next edition of this guide.