Whenever I picture Japanese, I see a glass wearing guy taking pictures of stuff. Well I have never been to Japan and I don’t know their culture, but I have a friend who has been to Japan many times regarding his job. So when he and I got talking, he told me many things that were different in Japan, including a brief discussion on beer.

Drinking beer in Japan is allowed by the state, and there are certain days of celebration when 95% of the population drinks (some moderately, some heavily, but they all drink). But from where can we buy beer, and how do we order it?

There are basically 3 types of places in Japan from where you can buy beer. You can find an English style pub, but only in big cities like Tokyo. The second type of beer place is snack, that is run by middle aged women, and is mainly for people who want to drink and let out their anguish. Then there is izakaya, which is the most famous.

Ok so here is how you can use numbers to order beer in a beer bar in Japan:

Japanese                             English                                 Pronounced as

Ichi                                         One                                       Itchy

Ni                                            Two                                       Knee

San                                         Three                                    Sun

Shi/Yon                                Four                                       She/Yon

Go                                          Five                                        Go

Roku                                      Six                                          Rock

Shichi/Nana                        Seven                                   S-each-ee/Nanna

Hachi                                     Eight                                      hatch-y

Kyu                                        Nine                                      queue

Ju                                            Ten                                        Jew

Ok so how to order 1 beer, 2 beers etc…

1. Hitotsu (1 beer)
2. Futatsu (2 beers)
3. Mittsu…
4. Yottsu
5. Itsutsu
6. Muttsu
7. Nanatsu
8. Vatsu

In Japan, there are drinking places, where people are allowed to sit and drink. But since most of these places are packed with people, it is not advisable to use them. There can be many pickpockets, and you must be safe from them.

Pubs are also present in Japan, but they are mostly very expensive, so it’s best to buy beer and bring it home to drink, unless of course, you don’t mind spending a few extra Yens.

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