Izakaya in Japan 2026: Etiquette, How to Order, and Not Stand Out

Push open a smoke-scented curtain, duck under a row of paper lanterns, and suddenly you’re in it: skewers hissing on the grill, someone slamming a glass down mid-laugh, a chorus of “kanpai!” erupting from the table behind you. This is peak Japan after dark, and for a few confusing minutes, you have absolutely no idea […]