Japanese Ceramic - Sake

One of the most popular items we sell at Oomomo are our sake jugs and cups. In this article we’d like to introduce you to Japanese sake culture, and ‘izakaya’. What’s izakaya, you ask? There’s no direct translation, but can be described as a Japanese-style bar or pub.

Generally they are comfortable, casual places for after-work drinking, and the food is merely an accompaniment to this. Some of the more popular drinks are beer, whisky highballs, and of course sake.

Some classic snacks that are served in izakaya as an accompaniment to sake are salted edamame, nuts, or ‘karaage’ (Japanese fried chicken). Did you know – in Japan, when you need to call the server you simply call ‘Sumimasen!’ which means ‘Excuse me!’ and is not seen as rude at all. There are even some izakaya that have a button on your table – you simply press it and the server hurries over.

We hope you have enjoyed our introduction to sake and izakaya culture. Sake sets make a great gift and now you know a little more about them if the recipient asks. 😉 If we’ve inspired you to try sake, we at Oomomo would like to remind all our readers to drink responsibly and in moderation.