Learn Japanese with JapanesePod101.com! Your friend tells you in Japanese, “Okay, we’re here. Take off your shoes and let’s go in.” You respond in Japanese, “You want me to take off my shoes to go into this Japanese bar? Back home, all the bars are so dirty. Are you sure this is a good idea?” Your friend replies in Japanese, “Yes, I’m sure. This is not like any place you’ve ever been before. Stop whining and let’s get you a drink so you can relax.” Once you’re seated at the table, the waiter comes over to take your order, and you tell him in Japanese, “I’d like a sake.” He responds in Japanese, “Great. What kind of drink do you want?” You respond in Japanese, “Is there more than one kind of sake?” Your friend intervenes and adds in Japanese, “My friend will have a Midori sour, and I’ll have the same, thanks.” You tell your friend in Japanese, “That’s not a sake…” Your friend replies in Japanese, “Trust me, the drinks are great here. And by the way, the Japanese use the word sake in more ways than you think.”
Learning Japanese with JapanesePod101.com is the most fun and effective way to learn Japanese! This Japanese Culture Class lesson (part one of a two-part series) will tell you about izakaya, the Japanese version of what we might call a bar or a pub…but this Japanese version puts a whole new spin on what you might expect. You’ll find tons of Japanese dishes to choose from, a fun and raucous atmosphere, and all kinds of Japanese sake. Visit us at JapanesePod101.com where you will find many more fantastic Japanese lessons and learning resources! Leave us a message while you are there!












This entry was posted on Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at 6:30 pm and is filed under Japanese Culture Classes . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
9 Responses to “Japanese Culture Class #63 - Izakaya Part 1: What is an izakaya?”
Sunday at 6:30 pm
みなさん、
Have you ever been to an izakaya before? How did you like it? Did anything surprise you? Let us know by leaving a comment!
Sunday at 10:01 pm
The first time I went to an izakaya, my friend ordered yakitori, and I was surprised when it had cartilage (軟骨) in it. Ugh!
Monday at 12:52 am
Question! You said the cost is usually 3000 to 5000 for an izakaya experience. Did you mean per person or per group? Either way, doesn’t sound too bad for a full evening of delicious food and drinks.
Monday at 11:11 am
I have been to いざかや several times during my trips to Japan. やきとり は だいすきですよ。 I understand that in addition to saying “とりあえず ビール” you can also simply say “びんで” and they will bring you a bottle of the “house” beer. (is that correct?).
Tuesday at 10:32 am
Danielさん,
I know the feeling..!!
Steffieさん,
It also assumes everyone had their share fair of drinks
That price is per person
テッドさん,
Yes, that’s right! You can order a bottle of beer using びん, and as I understand it, you can get almost any beer they serve in a bottle.
Tuesday at 11:20 pm
Hi!
Thanks for the great podcasts! They really helped my Japanese to improve.
However, did anybody consider the possibility of adding tiny hiragana characters on top of the kanji in the pdf for easier reading?
That way you can have both the hiragana version and kanji version in one.
Wednesday at 9:22 am
Xiao Yunさん,
Thanks for the suggestion! We are looking into the possibility of adding furigana in the PDFs - I think it is also a great idea! We’ll continue to work on it
Tuesday at 4:17 pm
We were in Japan recently and were taken to an izakaya for dinner. Only I didn’t know it was an izakaya!! It was only by your description that I realised that we’d experienced it!! Shoes in a locker, hole in the floor under the table, electronic ordering, heaps of different dishes, etc etc. Only no-one (i.e. my son) mentioned sharing the cost! I picked up the whole tab ….
Wednesday at 7:49 am
In the lesson notes: 伺い is “ukakai” うかがい not “ukaigai”
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