The magic of Tachinomi

What is Izakaya… The closest Western equivalent to a traditional izakaya experience may be that of going to a British pub. In the North America, the equivalent would be a neighborhood pub, but instead of wings and nachos, choices yakitori (skewed BBQ chicken), oden (Japanese hotpot), tempura, along with many other Japanese ala carte. Food is something that average Japanese will not drink without and chips and peanuts just won't do.

The izakaya is the Japanese answer to this drinking and eating activity and, just like anywhere, there's a pub for all tastes. From mom and pap style, chain izakaya, trendy up scale izakaya, to small dirty izakaya in the backstreets in the business districts. But in all of them, the first thing you'll hear is an enthusiastic " irrashaimase!" (welcome) from the staff.

Despite some differences among izakaya of different style, one thing that all izakaya share is the multi-facet food menu. You can expect to find anything of traditional Japanese food, from sashimi, tempura and oden, various deep-fried meet, grilled fish, skewered foods and of course, edamame. You will also find food that you have probably never heard of like sunakimo (chicken gizzards), natto (fermented soy beans), ikanuta (squid stuffing), that have been enjoyed by Japanese as drinking food. But don’t be afraid to go in and try. With any luck your helplessness with the menu will bring out the okami-san (the lady owner of the store) and she'll look after you from there. You will also get a sense of having experienced a little Japanese hospitality too.

A common format for izakaya dining in Japan is known as nomihodai/tabehodai (drink all you can, eat all you can). This is more popular in larger izakaya, especially those which are part of a chain. Since a typical Japanese cannot hold too much alcohol, izakaya can still find profit from nomihodai of 2 or 3 hours.
In more traditional, smaller izakaya the dishes and drinks will be priced individually, generally around 300 to 600 yen, with the bill being added up and paid at the end or at times takes form of “pay as you order.”

Izakaya serve a mixed crowd of youngsters, college students, regular locals, and professionals in their 30s to 60s. But traditionally, an izakaya is a place between home and office, where a 'salaryman' can loosen his tie and his tongue escaping from harsh and rigid business world. Now more and more women and students are entering the scene, giving Izakaya more cosmopolitan feeling.

Another trend in Izakaya these days is the emerging popularity of Tachinomi, or standing bar. Tachinomi has long been a part of salaryman culture yet it is only recent it has become trendy and sometimes even fashionable. The casulaity and the easiness of getting a drink and some food has gained much popularity among the younger generation, resulting in birth of trendy Tachinomiya like Buchi (in Shibuya) or Buri (in Ebisu) But the custom of drinking while standing is now no longer limited to disgruntled businessmen. More and more trendy bars and restaurants have been setting up their own standing counters, which have proven particularly popular among young women.

At a typical Tachinomiya, you will see the customers packed shoulder to shoulder along a long, narrow counter after work hours to even 4am. A big attraction here is the prices of the food and drinks. Typically a small bottle of Japanese sake, a mug of beer, and a glass of shochu (distilled spirits) are priced somewhere below ¥500. A daily selection of appetizers is priced anywhere from ¥200 to ¥600 per dish. So for just around ¥1,000 or ¥2,000 a customer can have two or three drinks and some food on the way home from work.

The trend of Tachinomiya has even caught on in some of Tokyo's most upscale districts, such as Ginza, Nishi-Azabu, and Marunouchi, where drinking is traditionally a formal and expensive affair. Other cousins are also involved in the trend; Spanish, Italian restaurants and Latin music bars are also part of the stand-and-drink trend. Asked why so many tachinomi counters have sprung up recently, a bar owner says, "The prices are attractive, so it's not a financial burden for salarymen or young people who may have limited pocket money to spend on going out."

What was once the territory of tired salarymen, a respite from the stresses of the working day has now opened itself to young women and others and became a popular hangout spot for many, and this will likely ensure that the tachinomi revival is more than just a passing fad.