Izakaya, a mix of old and modern style bar in Japan.

This weekend, as usual, I went to an izakaya during the night. This is how we call the japanese bars which can be very different of any other bar you've seen before.

In some Western countries people go to the bar in groups or even alone and get along with other people in there. But, the same doesn't happen in Japan. You need to go with a friend or a group of friends to talk while you drink and eat. If you go with many friends, you will have a lot of fun.
After entering an izakaya, the waiter takes you and your friends to the table where no one else will sit, expect your group. To start ordering things, you can use an eletronic menu next to the table, only need to touch the screen to select and confirm the orders. That's why the izakaya can be considered a mix of old and modern style: the atmosphere, the walls, the table, the chairs...all the ambient looks old, but the service is very modern (at least in my home country we still need to scream out loud to call the waiter and order something).

But, before it, the waiter will certainly come to your table and leave a plate of edamame (immature soybeans in the pod) for you and your friends to snack while wait for the orders. This is something very typical in asian countries, very different of mine where people have peanuts to snack.

Another different thing is: in some cases you can prepare your meal on the table. If you order meat like shabu-shabu, for example, the waiter brings a portable oven and the raw meat for you and your friends to boil it. "OMG! What if someone gets burned??" - was the first thing that I thought after seeing it for the first time. But, luckily nothing happened up till now.

If you've been in an izakaya or some typical bar of your country, share your story with us! And if you took pictures, upload them in Taptrip and share with people and bar lovers from the whole world.
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