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Japan is a one-of-a-kind place, with a one-of-a-kind culture. This culture extends all the way out to a very unique drinking and nightlife experience as well.

It is my goal here to share with you what a basic night out on the town with a buddy can look like here in the land of the rising sun! Let’s go!!!

Here are my 7 EASY STEPS FOR A NIGHT OUT DRINKING IN JAPAN!

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1. Find a buddy.

Keitarou and tanuki, both ready to go out drinking!

2. Go to lots of places, but first, an izakaya. Go early.

We chose Aka Tanuki (“Red Raccoon”) as our first stop. We headed out at 5:30 in order to drink a lot, and get home at an hour that wouldn’t make the next day miserable!

Make sure the staff is personable and fun!

3. Order the nomihōdai, (A time-limited all-you-can-drink session) and some food!

We had some delicious basashi (horse-meat sashimi, pictured above), fried veggies, chicken, and other such izakaya fare.

4. Hit stop #2. A quality yakitori joint!

Akiyoshi, an excellent yakitori restaurant here in Niigata, does away with the need for plates with a metal warming plate running the length of the counter. Customers eat their delicious food directly from this area. Notice the delicious skewered chicken (yakitori), veggies and meat in the lower right.

Check the short video I took here to see more!

5. Go to the “last place” for some serious, higher-shelf, non-food boozing.

The first time I’ve tried an age statement Hakushu single malt. Ordered 12-year-old whisky in a highball. Not sure that’s not sacrilege. Anyway. Did it.

Though this hurt the wallet, it was worth it. 23-year-old Bowmore matured in wine casks. Leathery, chocolatey, old book-binding-glue-tasting smoky magic.

6. Now that you are becoming incoherent and telling your buddy how much you love him every five seconds and water tastes better than anything else, GO GET RAAAMMEEEEENNNNN!!!

Any ramen will do, but GARLIC RAMEN that will make you smell awful for two days is best. (Image source, because I was too hungry/drunk to have the presence of mind to take a picture last night.)

7. (next day) Wake up, chug a Coca-Cola to restore some of your crashed sugar levels and caffeinate yourself. Hold your slightly pounding head. Check your wallet. Make vow to self not to get so fucked up next time! Be grateful for a great night out with a best bud!

That’s it!

Kanpaiiiiii!!!

~KafkA

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Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DTube and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)