I once commented to my host father that Asahi Superdry is the king of Japanese beers in my mind. Last Monday marked an adventure in alcoholism one month in the making since that very comment. My host dad Kazuhiko and I hopped a bus and headed downtown to the Asahi Beer Restaurant to drink like there was no tomorrow. My host dad was dressed in a really interesting brownish-yellow suit that made him look like Colonel Mustard from Clue. In the sea of black suits I would soon be swimming in, my jeans and pink polo shirt had gaijin written all over them.

The Asahi building houses a regular brewery style restaurant on the bottom floor and a larger banquet room for special events on the second floor. Since the doorman knew my host dad by name, I figured correctly that we... Read More

Hostess and Host bars/clubs etc...

Really, what is more symbolic of Japan's world renowned strangeness than the MIZUSHOUBAI culture?

MIZUSHOUBAI as a term covers quite a few bases in that it is a blanket expression under which you will find your Hostess and Host clubs, ringky dink "snacks" and even the acclaimed and often glorified (nonsensically) Geisha "houses" or clubs or whatever. Essentially it's any place that one can go and drink and the girls (or boys) that you are flirting with are paid to do just that, flirt with you.

In addition to flirting with you they are generally trying to get you and your party to buy more drinks both for yourselves and for THEM and to buy more expensive drinks as you become progressively more drunk! S... Read More