Anizakaya (居酒屋) (Japanese:[izakaja]) is a type of informal Japanesebar that servesalcoholic drinks andsnacks.Izakaya are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to apub, a Spanishtapas bar, or an American saloon ortavern.[1]
The wordizakaya entered theEnglish language by 1987.[2] It is a compound word consisting ofiru ("to stay") andsakaya ("sake shop"), indicating thatizakaya originated from sake shops that allowed customers to sit on the premises to drink.[3]Izakaya are sometimes calledakachōchin ('redlantern') in daily conversation, as suchpaper lanterns are traditionally found in front of them.
Anecdotes and songs that appear in theKojiki show thatizakaya-style establishments existed in Japan at the early 700s.[citation needed] There is a record dating to 733 when rice was collected as a brewing fee tax under the jurisdiction of the government office calledMiki no Tsukasa. In theShoku Nihongi, written in 797, there is a record ofKing Ashihara who got drunk and was murdered in a tavern in 761.[citation needed]
The full-scale development ofizakaya began around theEdo period (1603–1867). At liquor stores that used to sell alcohol by weight, people began to drink alcohol while standing. Gradually, someizakaya began using sake barrels as stools for their customers,[4] and gradually began to offer simple snacks calledsakana.[5] Historian Penelope Francks points to the development of theizakaya in Japan, especially inEdo and along main roads throughout the country, as one indicator of the growing popularity of sake as a consumer good by the late 1700s.[6]
Anizakaya in Tokyo made international news in 1962 whenRobert F. Kennedy ate there during a meeting with Japanese labor leaders.[7]
Izakaya and other small pubs or establishments are exempted from an indoor smoking ban that was passed by theNational Diet in July 2018 and fully enforced since April 2020.[8]
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Izakaya are often likened totaverns orpubs, but there are a number of differences.[9][10][11]
Depending on theizakaya, customers either sit ontatami mats and dine from low tables, as in the traditional Japanese style, or sit on chairs and dine from tables. Manyizakaya offer a choice of both as well as seating by the bar. Someizakaya restaurants are alsotachi-nomi style, literally translated as "drinking while standing".[12]
Usually, customers are given anoshibori (wet towel) to clean their hands; the towels are cold in summer and hot in winter. Next, a tiny appetizer, called anotōshi in theTokyo area ortsukidashi in theOsaka-Kobe area, is served.[13] It is local custom and usually charged onto the bill in lieu of anentry fee.
The menu may be on the table, displayed on walls, or both. Picture menus are common in largerizakaya. Food and drink are ordered throughout the course of the session as desired. They are brought to the table, and the bill is added up at the end of the session. Unlike other Japanese styles of eating, food items are usually shared by everyone at the table, similar to Spanishtapas.
Common styles ofizakaya dining in Japan arenomi-hōdai ("all you can drink") andtabe-hōdai ("all you can eat"). For a set price per person, customers can continue ordering as much food and/or drink as they wish, usually with a time limit of two or three hours.
Izakaya dining can be intimidating to non-Japanese because of the wide variety of menu items and the slow pace. Food is normally ordered slowly over several courses rather than all at once. The kitchen will serve the food when it is ready, rather than in the formal courses of Western restaurants. Typically, a beer is ordered when one is sitting down before perusing the menu. Quickly prepared dishes such ashiyayakko oredamame are ordered first, followed with progressively more robust flavors such asyakitori orkaraage, finishing the meal with a rice or noodle dish to fill up.[14]
Izakaya offer a wide variety of dishes. Items typically available are:[15][16]
Some establishments offer abottle-keep service, allowing a patron to purchase an entire bottle of liquor (usuallyshōchū or whisky) and store the unfinished portion for a future visit.[18]
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Izakaya food is usually more substantial than tapas ormezze. Many items are designed to be shared. Menu items may include:
Rice dishes such asochazuke and noodle dishes such asyakisoba are sometimes eaten to conclude a drinking session. For the most part, Japaneseizakaya customers do not eat rice or noodles (shushoku – "staple food") at the same time as they drink alcohol, since sake, brewed from rice, traditionally takes the place of rice in a meal.[citation needed]
Izakaya were traditionally down-to-earth places where men drank sake and beer after work.[20] However, modernizakaya customers are more likely to include independent women and students. Manyizakaya today cater to a more diverse clientele by offering cocktails and wines and a sophisticated interior. Chainizakaya are often large and offer an extensive selection of food and drink, allowing them to host big, sometimes rowdy, parties. Watami, Shoya, Shirokiya, Tsubohachi, and Murasaki are some of the well known chains in Japan.[21]
Izakaya are often calledakachōchin ("red lantern"), after the redpaper lanterns traditionally displayed outside.[22] Today, the term usually refers to small, non-chainizakaya.[citation needed] Some unrelated businesses that are notizakaya also sometimes display red lanterns.[22]
Cosplayizakaya became popular in the 2000s. The staff wear costumes and wait on customers. In some establishments, shows are performed. Costumes include those for butlers andmaids.[23][24]
Establishments specialising inoden are calledoden-ya. They usually take the form ofstreet stalls with seating and are popular in winter.
Robatayaki are places in which customers sit around an open hearth on which chefs grill seafood and vegetables. Fresh ingredients are displayed for customers to point at whenever they want to order.
Yakitori-ya specialise inyakitori, grilled chicken skewers.[25] The chicken skewers are often grilled in front of customers.
Some examples that the Oxford English Dictionary suggests entered English during the past 30 years include ... izakaya, a type of Japanese bar serving food (1987)
Literally translated, the word izakaya means a 'sit-down sake shop.'
botoru kiipu ボトルキープ [Japanese Usage: bottle keep] a system in which one buys a bottle of liquor to be kept at bar
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