Any other destination, a vending machine is just that, a vending machine. If you travel to a place like North America, a vending machine is just a large bulky box that sells a few name brand items. You’ll see the same drinks and snacks in every other vending machine no matter where you are. But Japan’s Vending Machines are a thing of the future. Want a hot coffee? Or how about an ice cold tea? Not in the mood for a beverage, then perhaps a bowl of ramen or full pizza would cure that craving? That’s right, many vending machines in Japan carry other unique items. Many times, I walk by vending machines here scratching my head wondering how it even works or what the food and drinks even taste like. Let’s talk about Japan’s vending machines and some of the more unique ones I’ve came across while traveling around Japan.  Japan’s Vending Machines Japan has over 5 million vending machines and they are everywhere. You can find vending machines at convenience stores, shopping areas, in front of restaurants, near attractions, basically everywhere. Vending machines are even found in the middle of nowhere whether it be along a road on a dense mountain forest or near an agricultural field on a tropical island. Because of the high density of vending machines in Japan you don’t have to worry to much about running low on water or other beverages, simply bring some extra change with and the chances of finding a vending machine are extremely high!  The majority of the vending machines in Japan will offer both hot and cold beverages. Usually this option is available for the coffee and tea, but I’ve also seen hot chocolate and even soup that comes out pipping hot.  Most drinks inside the vending machines are between ¥100 and ¥200. I am seeing more and more vending machines, especially in Okinawa selling all drinks for ¥100. Vending machines in Japan generally accept the small coins ¥10 to ¥500, they also accept bills and some newer ones even accept IC cards like Icoca mentioned in my   Japan Travel Recommendations post.  Food Vending Machines Vending machines selling food products are gaining in popularity throughout Japan. I read that restaurants are trying this because it limits the interaction with the customers. As a customer, it’s a nice option to be able to grab a great and unique meal any time.  Although not as popular as the drink vending machines, the food vending machines are making their way into the public eye. It’s not uncommon to find a vending machine selling food products in the middle of the city or outskirts of town. We’ve found ramen vending machines at truck stops and even found a pizza vending machine in the middle of   Hiroshima City. We’ve walked by vending machines selling meats and others in front of farms with fresh eggs for sale. Honestly, the eggs were some of the best I’ve ever had!  Unique Vending Machines We’ve Seen and Tried We know that Japan’s vending machines are found all throughout the country in almost any location. For the most part, the vending machines sell popular brands like Suntory or Asahi and you can grab a quick coffee or juice on the go. Vending machines here are very convenient, their products are delicious, and some vending machines are very unique. Here are some of the more unique vending machines along with their locations we’ve found all throughout Japan.  Pizza Vending Machine in Hiroshima City, (34.3912204,132.4602782) Pizza Vending Machine, Cheese Pizza Ramen Vending Machine in Iwakuni, (34.1531255,132.1732481) Egg Vending Machines in Okinawa, (26.4536939,127.9368284 and 26.3249655,127.7807745) Sriracha Vending Machine in Nagoya Crepes Vending Machine in Kagoshima, (31.590445,130.5540909) Dashi Vending Machine in Hiroshima City (Dashi is a stock used in various Japanese dishes) Cup Noodle Vending Machine, (Ferry to Matsuyama from Yanai) Salad Dressing Vending Machine in Nagoya Meat Vending Machine in Naha, (26.2130575,127.6902044) Dessert Vending Machine in Okinawa City, (26.3064684,127.813098,74) Traveling to Japan? Keep an Eye Out for Their Unique Vending Machines! With over 5 million vending machines, that is about 1 vending machine for every 23 people here in Japan. You are guaranteed to see them wherever you are. Keep an eye out for the unique ones, although to any traveler who’s never been to Japan, they are all unique. I am still amazed by the vending machines here and love that you can get hot and cold drink options. I can’t recall a time where I’ve bought something from a vending machine in any other country. But in Japan, it’s almost a daily occurrence for me. Whether I am on a long bike ride and need an extra water or I forgot my coffee for a morning ride to the beach, I know I can rely on Japan’s vending machines for my favorite drinks.  **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links throughout the page, whether it be TripAdvisor, Booking.com. Agoda.com, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store. 

If you are traveling to Japan and think the only beer options are Asahi and Sapporo, think again! Japan’s beer scene has exploded in recent years with local craft breweries, regional specialties, and limited-edition releases you won’t find anywhere else.  Whether you are grabbing a draft beer in a local Izakaya or looking for taprooms and breweries, I made this beer guide to Japan post  to share my love of beer and my journey of sampling craft beers and finding hidden gems throughout the country.  In this Beer Guide to Japan, I’ll cover some of the important phrases to learn, go over the basics, and share some of my favorite brews and breweries in Japan. Kanpai! ** This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or widgets throughout the page, whether it be Viator, Booking.com, Agoda, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! Words to Learn ビール (Biru) = BeerPronunciation: Bee-rooSimple and Easy. Works everywhere – restaurants, bars, and convenience stores.  生ビール (Nama Biru) = Draft BeerPronunciation: nah-mah bee-rooThis one is important! You’ll get a fresh beer on tap at an izakaya or restaurant.  かんぱい (Kanpai) = Cheers!Pronunciation: kahn-piBasically saying cheers, locals say it to before everyone takes their first sip. 杯 (Ippai) = One GlassPronunciation: e-pieNama biru ippai kudasai is a polite way to say One draft beer, please.  飲み放題 (Nomihodai) = All you can drinkPronunciation: no-mee-ho-dieCommon at izakaya’s. It’s usually 90 – 120 minutes with set menus. The Big Four Japanese Beers: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory, these beers are basically your Budweiser’s and Coor’s of Japan. These four beers are very popular all around Japan and one or two of them will be found in almost any izakaya, restaurant, bar, or even vending machines throughout Japan. Honestly, by itself, I am not a huge fan of these beers, but when you are drinking with friends at a local izakaya and they bring you ice cold glasses of beer, it doesn’t matter what brand, it’s delicious!  Asahi Asahi has been around since the 1890’s but didn’t begin mass production until the 1960’s. Asahi’s Super Dry is the most popular beer in Japan. Asahi Super Dry is your typical lager. Asahi is found in most restaurants on draught. You can also find the Super Dry in bottles and cans.  Kirin Kirin technically began around 1885 after a previous brewery, Spring Valley Brewery. It wasn’t until 1907 where Kirin got their true identity and began to expand. Kirin purchased ingredients from Germany and even hired German brewers to manage the process and production. Prost!  Kirin is considered one of the world’s largest and most successful multi businesses as they have expanded past just brewing beer. Kirin also owns restaurants, transportation services, sport complexes, etc.. Kirin Ichiban and the Kirin Lager are the most popular beers brewed by Kirin.  Sapporo If visiting Sapporo, I highly recommend visiting Sapporo Brewery. The brewery atmosphere is really cool, you get a tasting, and learn about the brewery. Not to mention they have an amazing yakinku restaurant.  Sapporo Brewery was founded in 1876 and is considered Japan’s oldest brewery. Sapporo’s most popular beers are the Sapporo Premium Beer, Sapporo Draft Black Label, and Yebisu. You can also fine Sapporo Classic when visiting Sapporo. Suntory Suntory started in 1899. Suntory has succeeded in brewing beer and they make Japanese Whiskey among other beverages. Suntory’s most popular beers include their Kinmugi Rich Malt and The Premium Malts. What is Happoshu? We are all familiar with typical beer styles like Lager, IPA, or Ales. If not, I got you covered! I wrote a post on  My Favorite and Most Surprising Beer Destinations that outlines some popular styles.  I use the Untappd app to check in and keep track of my beers. When logging in many cheap Japanese beers, I noticed the style was listed as Happoshu Happoshu is a beer-like beverage and has a low malt content, somewhere around 67% or less. Because of the low malt content, Happoshu is cheaper then regular beers due to Japanese tax laws on alcohol.  Craft Beer in Japan If you think beer in Japan begins and ends with Asahi and Sapporo, you are missing out on one of Japan’s most exciting food and drink trends. In recent years, craft beer in Japan has exploded with breweries popping up in in most towns and cities.  At first, when I moved to Japan, the craft beer scene was still pretty limited. Now you can find breweries everywhere. They are becoming experimental and you can find hoppy IPAs, stouts, and seasonal flavors.  Unlike the big commercial lagers like Asahi that Japan is known for, local breweries experiment with regional ingredients like yuzu, matcha, and even Sakura flavor. Devil Craft in Tokyo makes one of the best Yuzu beers I’ve ever had.  If you enjoy trying local craft beer like I do and finding taprooms and breweries, Japan is a great place for it. List of My Favorite Craft Beer Places and Breweries in Japan Isekado Brewery (Ise, Mie Prefecture) This is becoming one of my favorite breweries in Japan. Almost every beer I’ve had brewed by Isekado has been outstanding. They brew Neko Nihiki, which is one of my favorites and their Hazy IPA is definitely my favorite Hazy IPA in Japan. Their brewery is just as great as their beer. It’s in an old traditional house. The brewery is also known for their oysters. Of course, we couldn’t pass up a nice oyster set meal to go along with our flight of beer at Isekado Brewery.  Kumezakura Daisen Brewery (Maruyama, Tottori Prefecture) We had an incredible experience here. After hiking Mt. Daisen, we stopped by this brewery for a few drinks and lunch. This brewery had incredible beer at an even better price. Not sure if we came on a special day or if it is always like this, but the brewery had an All-You-Can-Drink special (Nomihodai) for ¥1000 which is less then $10. I was so surprised by this I asked the server multiple times if I heard that right. Aside from having great beer, they made food that was just as good.  Miyajima Brewery (Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture) I’ve been to Miyajima Brewery several times. The brewery is conveniently located in the heart of downtown. They have a booth on the first floor and a restaurant on the second floor. Miyajima Brewery had some pretty unique beers like an Oyster Stout or Yuzu Ale, both great beers!  Wolfbraü (Naha, Okinawa Prefecture) Across the street from Shuri Castle in Naha is Wolfbraü. Wolfbraü is a local brewery that is run by a German brewer. I managed to try a few of their beers and it brought me back home to Germany. I drank their hefeweizen and a Marzen beer, both very good, but the hefeweizen was my favorite. Since Jill was driving, the brewer gave her a glass of there non-alcoholic beer and we were both amazed by how good it was!  Y. Market Brewing  (Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture) Nagoya is known for Nagoya Castle, food, and Y. Market Brewing.  Their beers were heavy on the IPAs, which I am a fan of. Out of the 5 beers I had here, 3 of them were IPAs. I rated their Lupulin Nectar as their best beer on tap that night.  Yamato (Nara, Nara Prefecture)  Another one of my favorites in Japan is Yamato Brewery. Yamato Brewery was downtown Nara not far from the world famous  Nara Park and the Bowing Deer. We found this place on accident, we were just looking for a place to eat and escape the rainy weather. Glad we came here as the service was great, the food was incredible, and the beers were pretty good. I highly recommend their pizzas here and karaage (type of Japanese fried chicken).  Devil Craft (Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture) Devil Craft in Tokyo is quickly becoming one of my favorite hang out spots in Japan. I try to come here every time I visit Tokyo.  Devil Craft specializes in Chicago-style Pizza and craft beer. Both their pizzas and beers are out of this world. When it comes to beer, Devil Craft knows what they are doing. Their Hazy IPAs are amazing, their Imperial beers rival those of other breweries, and they have a Yuzu beer that is easily one of the best in Japan.  Mahowbrew (Naha, Okinawa Prefecture) In my opinion, the best brewery in Okinawa is Mahowbrew in Naha. Mahowbrew is fairly new but they’ve already won awards and my respect. My favorite beers from Mahowbrew are the Juliet, Entry of the Wizards into Valhalla, and Orodruin the Furious.  My Thoughts on Japanese Beer I’m not a fan of your typical lagers and unfortunately they are still very common and popular here. That being said, I’ll still drink an Asahi or Kirin at a local Izakaya and still enjoy the fresh and crisp taste. I just prefer my craft beer and would take a craft beer any day over your typical lagers.  I’ve tried over 800 different beers in Japan now and have found many great craft beers that I’ve fell in love with, some that could compete against stuff I’ve had in the United States. I’ll be honest, it can be a challenge to find craft beer here. Typical liquor stores sell your traditional Asahi in a can and that is about it. I’ve found that local grocery stores usually carry regional craft beer. Now every time I go to a new city I always pop into a grocery store and pick up a few bottles of local brews. So far I’ve had incredible luck doing this. So my recommendation, is, go to a local grocery store in Japan and  pick up a couple locals beers if available.  You can find taprooms in some of the larger cities. Generally they will have flights and pints of local beers around Japan. It can be quite expensive, but to me it is worth it. Overall, I see craft beer and the love of beer heading in the right direction in Japan. Almost every brewery I’ve been to is full and you can start to see that craft beer is becoming more popular. My Highest Ranked and Lowest Ranked Beers I use the  Untappd app religiously when it comes to checking in, rating, and discovering new beers. This app is a great way to find beers, breweries, and keep track of what you are drinking. On the app, you can set filters. I set my filters to show my highest rated beers to my lowest rated beers. The rating is a scale from  0 to 5. 0 being the beer was undrinkable and had to be poured down the drain and 5 being that the beer was outstanding and I definitely want to drink it again.  Below are a few of the Japanese beers that I have rated a 4 or higher.  Shiga Kogen The Far East Barrel Aged Imperial House IPA #6 by Tamamura Honten Co.  Neko Nihiki by Ise Kadoya Brewery Shiga Kogen Sono 10 No. 10 Anniversary IPA by Tamamura Honten Co.  W-IPA by Arch Brewery from Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture Cyonmage IPA by Yamaguchi Hagi Beer Ltd.  Kakuida Stout by Fukuyama Kurozu K.K. Afterdark Lager by Spring Valley Brewery Mango Ale by Helios Distillery Co.  Dosy Coyote by Cliff in Okinawa Doppo Peach Pils by Miyashita Sake Brewery Kokutou Sweet Stout by Sankt Gallen Brewery Lupulin Nectar by Y. Market Brewing Below are some of the beers that did not impress me and I ranked them as a .50 or below Gokujo and Red Eye by Asahi Fuyu Monogatari – Winter’s Tale and Mugi to Hop Single Malt by Sapporo Barreal Toshitsu by Aeon Topvalu Clear Free by Orion Tanrei Green Label by Kirin Godzilla IPA by Nanto Brewery Okinawa’s Orion Beer

This is going to be a long post, but there is a lot to cover when it comes to dining out, etiquette, and eating food in Japan both at home and local restaurants. Jill and I have been in Japan well over a year now, I have her beat by a few months. Nonetheless, we both love Japanese food and the whole eating culture here. We’ve learned so much about proper Japanese dining here and types of food. Believe it or not, the Japanese do eat a lot of other stuff that is not just Sushi. Sure, the sushi is amazing here, but there is so much more! Unfortunately, a lot of our favorite dishes are unheard of in the States, like Okonomiyaki. Surprisingly there are a ton of Indian and Italian restaurants in Japan. The Indian restaurants are some of our favorites as the Naan bread is delicious! You won’t find better Naan bread then in Japan. We live off-base and do about 95% of our grocery shopping at local grocery stores. We do a fair amount of cooking in our tiny apartment kitchen. In this post, I’ll outline some proper restaurant and eating etiquettes while dining in Japan, shopping at grocery stores, eating at home, and some of our favorite dishes. Restaurants and Dining in Japan For first time visitors in Japan, it can seem quite confusing to find a restaurant, order, sit down, pay, and leave. There are restaurants all over the place, but they are not as noticeable as they are in other parts of the world. I’ve walked by restaurants everyday that I had no idea even existed until someone pointed it out.  Restaurants here generally excel in one dish. You go to a ramen restaurant, or sushi restaurant. There are very few places like Chili’s where you can get a sandwich one day, a plate of nachos the next day, and a slab of ribs after that. You go to a ramen place here and that is what they serve. I mean they will have some sides like gyoza or fried rice, but the main dish will be ramen. Another difference is the size of the restaurants. For the most part they are on the smaller side. I’m talking like a couple tables in a restaurant and maybe some stools lined up in front of the kitchen. I’ve been to several places that have room for six people and the chef’s are literally right behind you cooking. For the most part, you will find small mom and pop restaurants and they are usually the best.  In Japan, you typically pay for your meal after you eat like most places. But here, once you finish your meal, you just get up and walk to the counter and pay, in cash usually. Credit Card is not widely used here. Another thing we love about dining in Japan, is that tables will have a pitcher of ice water and cups. You serve your own water. This eliminates the annoying waitress like in the States that comes to the table every 5 minutes asking how everything is. The best part of all is there is NO tipping here. Employees actually make a living wage in the restaurant industry, so your final bill is what you pay, there is no trying to figure out what 20% of the bill is to tip or anything. Some people might think I am rude for saying this, but I hate tipping in America. We are expected to tip 20%, to me that is another beer or appetizer. I always tip that amount, but if you don’t you get a rude stare from the waiter. Would be nice if restaurants paid for their employees so we wouldn’t have to, no wonder why restaurants are thriving. I agree with the reason why Japanese don’t tip, they feel you are judging them based on their performance, which is 100% true, rant over.  No forks and knives here. While dining in Japan, we eat with Hashi (chopsticks). Even ramen is eaten with chopsticks. Prior to moving to Japan, I used chopsticks at home on occasion. I enjoy eating with them as it is at a slower pace, makes you feel like your are working more for your food.  Some restaurants will have a meal ticket machine by the front, kind of like a vending machine. You put money in the machine, and select what you want. Usually there are pictures on the buttons for us foreigners. The machine will print out tickets which you then hand over to the chef.  Most restaurants have Western style tables and chairs to sit at, although there are many traditional restaurants that still have you sit on the floor, this is always a fun experience. These arrangements will have a short table on the floor with cushions for everybody to sit on. In most cases the floor will be a tatami mat which is a traditional rice straw floor material. There are even restaurants that have this style of traditional seating but have a hole in the floor for your legs. No matter what, always take off your shoes if you are sitting on the floor.  Types of Restaurants and Dishes Earlier, I mentioned that Japanese restaurants generally specialize in one dish or style of food. Most people are already familiar with sushi and ramen, but there are many other restaurants that can be found throughout Japan. Below are some restaurant styles that I have become familiar with while living in Japan.  Curry – I always thought curry was strictly an Indian dish, but it is extremely popular in Japan and they have their own variety. There are many restaurants like Coco’s and 100 Hour Curry that specialize in Japanese curry. Japanese curry is usually sweeter then Indian curry and not as spicy. It is usually eaten with traditional food items like tonkatsu, fried chicken, or mixed with noodles. Fried Chicken (Karaage) – I don’t know what they do with their chicken here but it is phenomenal. I never ate that much fried chicken, but it’s addicting here. I even love the fried chicken at the convenience stores here. You can find it everywhere, a lot of restaurants have it as a main course. The meat is always juicy and the breading is light but not as greasy. Izakaya – Izakaya is a Japanese version of a pub. These pubs usually serve small meals like tapas and offer beer on tap and mixed drinks. Okonomiyaki – My post on Hiroshima has an extensive section on okonomiyaki. I will keep this short, but okonomiyaki has become one of our favorite meals here in Japan. Prior to coming here, I’ve never even heard of this dish. They call it a Japanese pancake, but I feel it’s very misleading. In short, there are two styles of okonomiyaki, Hiroshima and Osaka style. The Hiroshima style takes the ingredients and layers it while the Osaka style mixes the ingredients together in a bowl before cooking it. I prefer the Hiroshima style by far although the Osaka style is very good. Okonomiyaki is cooked on a flat grill, for the Hiroshima style, a thin layer of a pancake like batter is spread thinly, then ingredients (noodles, lettuce, bean sprouts, bacon) are layered on top. The dish is flipped over on an egg and then served with other toppings of your choosing. I usually get mine with seafood (octopus, shrimp, and squid). Okonomiyaki is an experience in itself. Most places have chairs right at the grill, so the chef just slides the dish in front of you to begin eating! Okonomiyaki is our comfort food. Ramen – I could and I might write a post just on ramen. Ramen restaurants are abundant in Japan. There are probably a dozen at least in Iwakuni. Ramen is a regional dish and each region has a claim to fame. Personally, I like tonkotsu ramen the best. Tonkotsu ramen was first made in Fukuoka and it is a rich and creamy pork broth as a result of boiling pork bones in water for long periods of time. There are other styles of Ramen throughout Japan to include shio ramen which is salt based, shoyu (soy sause based), and miso (soybean paste). I’ve also had garlic ramen, spicy ramen, ramen in wild boar broth with yuzu, you name it. The ramen will generally come with green onions, chashu (slices of pork belly), bean sprouts, a seasoned egg, and seaweed.  Shabu-Shabu – A Japanese style hot pot. At restaurants, a large pot sits in the middle of the table and is filled with a broth. Most shabu-shabu places we go to have a divided pot so two types of broths can be used. The easy way to describe this is that you get thinly sliced meats and vegetables and drop them in the hot broth until cooked. The Shabu-Shabu restaurants we’ve been to are buffet style. You get a time limit generally 60 or 90 minutes, and they bring out as much meat as you order. There is a counter full of vegetables, salads, and dipping sauces that is all included with the meal. Shabu-Shabu is a great for large gatherings and is a very fun way to cook food. Soba – Soba is a buckwheat noodle. This is kind of like a pasta noodle we are all familiar with and looks similar to spaghetti. Soba is usually used in ramen and okonomiyaki. Sushi – Sushi is just as popular here in Japan as it is in the United States. Iwakuni alone has at least 3 conveyor belt sushi restaurants and there are probably over a dozen small sushi restaurants. Sushi is basically a small amount of rice prepared with vinegar accompanied by another ingredient such as seaweed or fish. There are several types of sushi. A few examples are Nigiri (rice balls with fish or other meats on top), Maki (Rice and other ingredients wrapped in seaweed), and uramaki (rice surrounds the seaweed and other ingredients). As much as a foodie as I am, I prefer Nigiri sushi and am not a huge fan of the other styles.  Here in Japan, there are traditional sushi restaurants, where the chef prepares fresh sushi in front of your eyes and serves it to you on a small plate. It is pretty common to find conveyor belt sushi restaurants. There are a few chains here that are popular because they sell 100 Yen or $1 sushi plates. The concept is easy, the chef’s are in the back preparing dishes and they set the plate on a conveyor belt which runs through the restaurant. Customers can simply grab the plate off the conveyer belt. Many restaurants will have color coded plates which determines the price of the sushi. At the end the waiter will come and count the number of plates to ring up the order.   [envira-gallery id=”3238″] Takoyaki – This dish is more of an appetizer or popular street food dish. Takoyaki is an octopus ball. The dish starts with a batter filled with minced octopus and is cooked in a special pan that gives it a ball shape. The octopus balls are then served with a takoyaki sauce, mayonaise, and a dried fish shaving.  Tempura – Basically just fried food. But the Japanese have mastered fried food. There are tempura restaurants and street vendors that deep fry seafood, meats, and vegetables here. Tempura can be served as a main dish, a side, or even in soup. Tonkatsu – Kind of like a German schnitzel, tonkatsu is a breaded deep fried pork cutlet. Tonkatsu is pretty popular here and there are restaurants that specialize in this dish. Udon – A very thick wheat flour noodle. I find Udon to be one of the more unique and tasty types of noodles here. Udon is usually eaten in a soup form. Yakiniku – Similar to a Korean BBQ, Yakiniku is a fun experience where customers cook their