The Tachinomiya: standing bar 立ち飲み屋

A concept similar to tapas bars

Having become popular again following the boom in tapas bars in Japan, tachinomiya are the result of a long Japanese tradition: having a drink standing up after work while eating small local appetizers.

Indeed, unlike the Spanish bars they seem close to, these establishments are, above all, famous for their alcohol. And from traditional sake to Scotch whiskey, wine and beer, you'll find absolutely everything in tachinomiya!

See also : Drink beer in Tokyo in summer.

Mainly located in the "festive" districts of major cities, tachinomiya are now part of the essentials to do during an evening in Tokyo or Osaka. And their low prices attract both salarymen to relax after a hard day's work!

A cheap alternative to the izakaya

The desirable prices of this type of bar are generally the main reason that pushes more and more Japanese people to pass through the doors of the tachinomiya.

Indeed, although the izakaya still stands out today as the leader in after-work drinks, the tachinomiya have a considerable advantage over the latter: they do not charge table fees!

As the clientele remains to stand, the tachinomiya are freed from the average charge of 300 yen ($3.50/3.25€) that the izakaya usually imposes on their customers. This is a very appreciable saving for those who would like to consume smart, which continues on the menu offered by these establishments.

With an average of 300 yen for drinks, tachinomiya charges prices slightly below those of izakaya. And although each bar has its merits, it is even quite common to find dishes there for less than 150 yen ($1.70/1.50€) per person!

See also: Izakaya, the Japanese bar.

Economical, the tachinomiy a are also appreciated for the speed of their service.

Where izakaya chairs would encourage customers to drink until they were thirsty, bars without seats would deter heavy drinkers from lingering and thus make it easier to avoid excesses.

Knowing that these establishments generally close at 10 pm, they are ideal for those who are afraid of missing the last train (and incidentally of being unable to get up the following day due to excessive alcohol consumption).

The recipe for success is that we are now seeing more and more restaurants without headquarters appear in the country's major cities, like the ramen restaurants, already very popular with small budgets, which offer even more reasonable prices than the traditional ramen-ya.

See also : Ramen

Some good addresses in Tokyo

Boiling all night long, Tokyo is teeming with tachinomiya. And especially in places where bars are already well established in the capital: Shinjuku and it's famous Golden Gai filled with small counters, Shibuya, Ebisu, Ikebukuro, or even Nippori and Ueno, you will easily find them in the liveliest in the city.

See also: Golden Gay.

Among these, we have selected three:

• Marutoku (Shinjuku)

Appreciated for both its appetizers and its drinks, Marutoku is a very popular tachinomiya in Shinjuku.

Address : Dai-ichi Otoku Building 1F, 1-4-17 Nishi Shinjuku, (03) 5325-2139.

Hours: 4 pm -10 pm.

Directions: A few minutes' walk from the West Exit of Shinjuku Station (Yamanote, Chuo lines)

This list being far from exhaustive, we strongly advise you not to hesitate to survey the small streets in izakaya of the capital. You will surely make significant discoveries in terms of tachinomiya!