How to drink at a tachinomi: a first-timer's guide

If there's visible space at the counter, it's yours — claim it with a nod to the staff. If the shop looks packed, a quick "hitori?" (just one?) with one finger raised does the job. Bags go on the shelf under the counter or between your feet; space is the scarcest resource in a tachinomi and using it well is the core courtesy.

The one real rule: your first drink order comes fast, before you study the food menu. It signals you're a customer, not a browser. Beer (biru), a highball (haibōru), or a lemon sour (remon sawā) are safe openers everywhere. Pointing at your neighbor's glass with a smile is universally understood and usually starts a conversation.

Some shops serve a small unordered starter called otoshi — a little plate of simmered vegetables, tofu, or whatever the kitchen made that day. It isn't a mistake and it isn't free: it's a small seat charge (typically ¥200–400) that comes with food. Many tachinomi skip it entirely; if one appears, just enjoy it.

Menus are often paper strips taped to the wall, priced per item. Small plates are the point — order two or three things at a time, not a spread. Pointing works; so does asking "osusume wa?" (what do you recommend?), which staff genuinely enjoy answering. Prices are usually ¥100–500 per item, so experimenting is cheap.

Two systems exist. Cash-on-delivery (genkin bakarai): you pay per order, often putting coins on the counter — common at the most old-school spots. Tab style: they track your orders and you pay when leaving ("okaikei" or crossed index fingers signals the check). Either way, assume cash. Some shops now take cards or QR payments, but a tachinomi crawl runs on ¥1,000 notes and coins.

Keep your footprint small when it's crowded. Match the room's volume. Don't camp for hours during the evening rush — tachinomi economics run on turnover, and the graceful move at a packed shop is one or two rounds, then on to the next. Talking to strangers is normal and often the best part; a raised glass and "kanpai" needs no translation. Photos of your food and drink are fine at almost every shop — photos of other customers are not.