Top 5 Things You Should Know Before Drinking in Japan

1. Sake in Japanese means “alcohol”

The word “sake” literally means alcohol in Japanese. So if you’re traveling to Japan and ask for sake, you might get the beer or wine menu. To avoid this confusion, you should specify what type of alcohol you’re looking for. Take a look at the table below that shows the different types of “sake” you can get and how to pronounce them:

2. The Drinking Age in Japan is 20

A person who is younger than 20 years old is called “未成年者” (Miseinensha) in Japanese, which is a word referring to a minor. However, that doesn’t mean that the minor will get in trouble for getting alcohol. More often than not, the person who will get in trouble will be the adult who enabled the drinking to occur in the first place. In addition, the person who sold the alcohol to the minor can get in trouble too. Therefore, if you are younger than 20 or is travelling with someone who is younger than 20, it would be a good idea to make sure that you or that person stays away from alcoholic beverages while traveling to Japan.

3. Drinking in Public is Legal

Unlike in the US, it is legal to drink in public in Japan. This is why you can drink while riding a bullet train or even while you’re in a in public park. However, it is frowned upon to drink or eat while walking, so if you’re going to drink, just stay put in a single location and finish your drink or meal first before going somewhere.

4. You Can Get Alcohol at Most Convenience Stores

Most convenience stores have a section for alcoholic beverages. Most places don’t check for your ID, but it would be a good idea to have proper identification in case they do.

5. You Can Get Alcohol in Some Vending Machines

You can find alcohol in some of vending machines. For those, you might need to present your ID to be scanned before you can complete your purchase to make sure that you’re not a minor.

I hope this list was helpful! Leave a comment below if you had any experience with drinking in Japan!