All You Can Drink in Japan!

When having a party at any izakaya (Japanese pub), a common option to choose is the nomihoudai (all you can drink) option. I never thought this was unique to Japan until my foreigner friends told me they had never had an all you can drink option. If you choose to do nomihoudai, you will be able to drink as much alcohol and soft drinks as you want for as low as 1000 yen for two hours. The price depends on the place you go. Sometimes options will have a 3 hour limit or even all night. Also, the more expensive options have better drinks. The cheapest option will usually only have bottled beer and no draft beer. Many of the cocktails will also be quite diluted. There will definitely be drinks that suit your taste so keep trying though! If you want better quality and more choices, look for more expensive plans. These plans sometimes include great cocktails like pina coladas and Long Island Iced Teas. A common rule, though, is the one glass for one drink rule. You must give the waiter an empty glass to order a new drink. Also, everyone in the group must have the same all you can drink plan to prevent people in different plans from sharing. Don't forget too that just because it is all you can drink, it doesn't mean you are free to get yourself totally wasted. Please be mindful of the people working there and don't go too crazy with the drinks.
I hope you enjoy your time at a Japanese izakaya!