It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere: Cheers and Beer in Japanese

How to Say Cheers in Japanese: A Guide to Toasting Phrases and Beer Brands

Deepening friendships through drinking is a very effective way to build relationships in any culture!

In Japan, toasting is an important part of social gatherings, whether you’re sharing drinks with friends, celebrating a special occasion, or enjoying a meal with colleagues.

🍻 Saying “cheers” in Japanese goes beyond just raising your glass—it’s a way to show respect and connect with those around you.

In this article, we’ll teach you exactly how to say cheers in Japanese, introduce you to Japanese drinking culture and teach you how to say various beer brands in Japanese.

Cheers and Beers in Japanese || About The Culture

Cheers and Beers in Japanese || Kan-pai and Nomikai

Cheers and Beers in Japanese || Japanese Beer Brands and Markets

Cheers and Beers in Japanese || How Nomikai Proceeds

Cheers and Beers in Japanese || FAQs

Cheers and Beers in Japanese || About The Culture

In Japan, there is a general perception that the drinking scene is a scene that deviates slightly from everyday life.

In Japan, there is a word 無礼講 Play ぶれいこう (bureikou). The word 無礼 Play ぶれい (burei) means disrespectful, and such disrespect is sometimes tolerated at a drinking party.

The word “bureikou” has its earliest usage in the 1320s during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), suggesting that the above notion has existed in Japan for 700 years.

Therefore, it is highly likely that Japanese people open up and speak their true feelings when drinking. Therefore, learning conversational expressions when drinking can be very helpful in building stronger relationships with the Japanese!

 In recent years, the term Play 飲みニケーション nominication – has been used by combining the word 飲み Play のみ nomi (meaning “drinking”) and communication. This term implies that communication involving drinking is a unique kind of occasion.

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Cheers and Beers in Japanese || Kan-pai and Nomikai

In Japanese, “cheers” is 乾杯 Play かんぱい kan-pai.

This means “to dry a cup” and is a standard expression before starting to eat or drink. It can be said at the beginning of a party, or again when starting another kind of sake.

There is no problem in saying just “kan-pai” when interacting with superiors, as well as with colleagues and friends.

 In Japan, drinking parties among coworkers after work are frequent, much to the surprise of foreigners. For Japanese people, the workplace is considered a community rather than just a place of work, and socializing outside of work is important.

While there are exceptions in newer companies or those with a large number of non-Japanese employees, this is still the norm in large companies that have been around for a long time.

When a party involves alcohol, it is commonly referred to as a 飲み会 Play のみかい nomikai – a drinking party in Japan.

At a nomikai, people are encouraged to pour sake into each other’s glasses. At a nomikai in the workplace, the subordinate generally pours sake into his/her superior’s glass first, followed by the superior pouring into the subordinate’s glass.

🍻 After that, the words “kan-pai” are exchanged and drinking begins.

Got any interesting alcohol-related experiences in Japan? Drop them here!

Cheers and Beers in Japanese || Japanese Beer Brands and Markets

Beer consumption in Japan is estimated to be about 1.8 million kiloliters in 2020. Although it is on a declining trend compared to the past, beer is still popular in Japanese society, and there is an expression Play とりあえずビール toriaezu bi-ru.

“Toriaezu” means “firstly; first in first.”

This expression reflects the common Japanese notion that beer is the first drink at a nomikai. Of course, in recent years, such a common belief has faded, and there is no particular problem if you order another type of drink first.

👉 Famous Japanese beer brands include Asahi, Kirin, Suntory, and Sapporo.

Asahi Play アサヒ , which means “morning sun” in Japanese, was founded in 1889 as the Osaka Beer Company, the first company to sell beer in bottles in Japan.

The company merged with another company to form Dainippon Beer, which was dismantled in 1949 after the war and became Asahi Beer. The company is best known for its” Asahi Super Dry Play アサヒスーパードライ , the best-selling beer in Japan.

Kirin Play キリン , the second largest brewery by sales, originated from a brewery founded by an American, William Copeland, in 1870 and was incorporated as Kirin Brewery in 1907. It is also known as a member of the Mitsubishi Group.

Its most famous product is “Kirin Ichiban Shiboriキリン一番搾り Play キリンいちばんしぼり , and although it lags behind Asahi in sales, it is known for its strong fan base.

Suntory Play サントリー , the third largest company in terms of sales, was originally Torii Shoten, a Western liquor sales company founded in 1899, and entered the beer business in 1963. It is best known for its high-priced brand, “The Premium Malts Play プレミアムモルツ .

Fourth-ranked Sapporo Beer Play サッポロビール was established in 1949 when Dainippon Beer, the predecessor of Asahi Beer, was dismantled. It is known for its brand “Sapporo Black Label – サッポロ黒ラベル Play サッポくろラベル .

Cheers and Beers in Japanese || How Nomikai Proceeds

A nomikai in Japan begins as follows.

First, wait for the glasses filled with drinks to be distributed to all participants. After everyone has been served, a representative greets everyone.

At the end of the greeting, when “kan-pai” is called for, everyone says “kan-pai” and clinks their glasses together. Then everyone takes a sip and claps hands together. After that, you may talk freely.

Restaurants for the purpose of drinking in Japan are generally called 居酒屋 Play いざかや izakaya. 居 [い means “sitting, 酒 Play さけ means sake or alcoholic drinks, and 屋 Play や means shop, store or restaurants.

Even in Japanese, the term “bar” refers to counter-only, high-priced places attached to hotels, etc., while “izakaya” refers to a wider range of drinking establishments, from popular to relatively high-priced ones. So-called “nomikai” is usually held at izakayas.

As mentioned above, it is common for the subordinate to pour drinks for the boss first.

This is called お酌 Play おしゃく oshaku in Japanese. Even among colleagues and friends, it is considered good manners to pour a drink when the other person’s glass is empty.

Finally, you pay the bill. In Japan, it is common to split the bill, but at workplace drinking parties, the boss may pay more.

After the main drinking party is over, people often start drinking again at another location. These are called after-parties 二次会 Play にじかい nijikai.

At after-parties, it is common to go to a different type of place than the first drinking party, such as a karaoke or a bar.

 That’s all for this article. Make sure to drink responsibly and enjoy your beer!

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Cheers and Beers in Japanese || FAQs

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