The perfect place to pass time with friends in Tokyo
One of things you definitely have to do when you’re traveling in Japan is go to an Izakaya (居酒屋), it’s a place where Japanese people hang out with friends or coworkers after work. In this post, we’ll introduce some izakaya chains in Tokyo with cheap prices for a university budget, so you can enjoy drinking and having izakaya foods with your friends while traveling there.
The difference between izakaya and bars
The difference between izakaya and a bar is that izakaya offers a variety of foods compared to bars. Therefore, you can have some tasty Japanese food while you are drinking and also if you don’t feel like drinking, you can just go to have dinner. Izakaya foods are so good! If you want to know about 10 classic izakaya foods and drinks, please check this out.
What is Nomihoudai（飲み放題）?
The reason why Japanese people love going to izakaya is not only for the food and drink but also the specials. Many people order nomihoudai (all you can drink for 2~3 hours), which is about ¥2,000-3,000 ($20-30.) It is not expensive considering you can drink anything you want such as sake, cocktails, beers, wines, whiskey, vodka, and even juice. One drink is usually around ¥500 or more, so you can get your money back if you drink 4-6 glasses of alcohol. It’s such a fun way to get drunk with your buds and university students love it. (If you want to know Japanese drinking games, please check this out.)
Legal drinking age in Japan
The legal drinking age in Japan is 20 years old and some izakaya check your ID before entering, however, they usually don’t check your ID if you’re a foreigner. Yuki went to a bunch of izakaya with exchange students or foreign residents in Tokyo, but they never checked their IDs. Japan is not as strict as the US for sure! (Japanese clubs are strict though.)
There are so many izakaya if you’re in Tokyo. If you live close to a station, you will see tons of izakaya in between the station and your house. Here are some izakaya chains perfect for a university budget. Read, find one that sounds good, and try it out with your friends or co-workers.
1) Torikizoku（鳥貴族）
Torikizoku is one of the most popular izakayas among university students because all food and drink are ¥298 each without tax (about $3.). It’s surprisingly affordable and the food is amazing! Tori means birds in Japanese and this izakaya features chicken dishes. You have to try the yakitori (焼き鳥) which is grilled chicken skewers with special Japanese soy sauce or salt. The combination of yakitori and Japanese beer is awesome. You will definitely love this izakaya and won’t be able to stop craving yakitori! Here are other recommended foods by university students on the menu at Torikizoku.
- Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)
- Tsukune (Chicken meatballs)
- Chicken Tempura
- Chicken Nanban (Fried chicken with vinegar and tartar sauce)
2) Hanbee（半兵ヱ）
Hanbee is absolutely one of my favorite izakaya because the atmosphere is wonderful. After you get into this izakaya, you’ll be amazed at traditional Japanese style decorations, and feel like you slipped to the Showa period for the night. There are a variety of affordable foods you can try.
- Yakitori (Grilled chicken skewers)
- Okonomiyaki (Cabbage pancake with Japanese brown sauce and mayo)
- Hamukatsu (Fried ham cutlet)
- Age pan (Deep-fried bread with roasted soybean flour and sugar)
3) Isomaru Suisan（磯丸水産）
Do you want to have fresh seafood with beer? Isomaru Suisan is the perfect place to go if so! You can have a lot of fresh seafood such as squid, shellfish, sashimi (fresh raw fish), and shrimp. Then you can grill them on a shichirin (portable clay cooking stove) at the table. You can have a small BBQ with your friends at this izakaya. It’s pretty cool, isn’t it? These are popular foods at Isomaru Suisan!
- Tuna and salmon bowl
- Grilled eel bowl
- Scattered sushi
- Salmon and salmon egg bowl
4) Akakara（赤から）
Akakara is one of the most famous hot pot izakayas in Japan. This place looks more like a restaurant than an izakaya. So, even if you don’t like drinking, you should check this out because the hot pot is amazing. You can choose the spiciness level of your hot pot with a range between 0 and 10. (I tried level 3, which is the standard level, and I think more than 3 is a bit too spicy for me.) Spicy food lovers, you should definitely try 10 and tell us how spicy it is! After you finish your hot pot, don’t forget to have shime which means closure in Japanese. In this context, shime means the final course of the meal. You can order rice and cheese, then mix them with leftover soup in the pot and make cheese risotto. Or you can put noodles inside, and then make spicy ramen!
5) Wan（わん）
Wan provides affordable and high quality izakaya food. The great thing about Wan is that there are so many private rooms for a group as well as individuals. Especially, during the Covid-19 it’s important to have a separate room with other customers. You can relax and have tasty izakaya food in private. When Yuki went to this izakaya for the first time, they served the beer in a ceramic mug. Yuki prefers beer served this way and has been a fan ever since.
- Cheese Tsukune (Chicken meatballs stuffed with cheese)
- Sashimi (Raw fresh seafood)
- Beer
- Diced steak
6) Miraizaka（ミライザカ）
Miraizaka is famous for its affordable highballs and quality fried chicken made with local chicken. The meat is marinated in a secret sauce and fried in a secret way to make the coating crispy and the inside moist and juicy. Not only does the fried chicken taste great, but it also looks impressive. After you order fried chicken, they cut it with scissors and serve it in front of you at a table. This fried chicken combined with highballs is unstoppable. Here are some of the other foods at Miraizaka.
- Takikomi Gohan (Japanese mixed rice with burdock root, shiitake mushrooms and chicken)
- Yakisoba (Fried noodles)
- Tori Nankotsu (Fried chicken cartilage)
7) Sekai no Yama chan（世界の山ちゃん）
Sekai no Yama chan is famous for Nagoya foods (Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan and it’s located between Tokyo and Osaka.) Nagoya style chicken wings with a spicy peppery flavor are loved all over Japan. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside these chicken wings can be ordered online and easily cooked at home. You should check this link to look at the menu. In addition, there are other Nagoya foods you can try at Sekai no Yama chan.
- Miso Kushikatsu (Deep-fried skewers with miso paste)
- Nagoya Miso Tonkatsu (Miso pork cutlet)
- Nagoya curry
- Motsu Nikomi (Innards Stew)
Thank you for reading this post. If you have a favorite izakaya in Tokyo, please shoot us a message. We’d love to try it. If you’re traveling in Tokyo, Izakaya are the perfect place to have fun chatting, eat tasty foods, and play Japanese drinking games with friends, so you should definitely visit one during your trip!