As tsuyu, Japan’s rainy season, sets in, the streets become slick with rain and umbrellas bloom like sudden flowers. It’s a time of damp shoes and foggy glasses—but also a perfect season for slipping into a dimly lit snack bar, where the rituals of drinking take on a uniquely seasonal flavor. In this cozy world of casual elegance, sipping whiskey on the rocks or sharing a bottle of shochu with the bar’s mama becomes a form of quiet resistance to the gloom outside. The sound of rain only heightens the intimacy inside, making every pour, toast, and karaoke song feel just a little deeper. When the world outside is soaked and slow, the pace inside a snack feels just right.

The Rainy Ritual: Sharing Bottles, Sharing Stories

Unlike bars where drinks are ordered one at a time, snack bars often work on a bottle-keep system. During tsuyu, there’s something soothing about watching your favorite bottle—perhaps a mellow Nikka or a bold Kurokirishima—slowly emptied over shared conversations. The rain outside becomes a kind of curtain, sealing off the outside world and encouraging open-hearted dialogue. Guests pour drinks for each other, a quiet nod to hospitality and connection. It’s not just about the alcohol—it’s about the small, deliberate gestures that warm the soul, even on the wettest nights.

Rain-Enhanced Repertoire: The Mood of Tsuyu Drinking

Rain affects not only mood, but rhythm. During tsuyu, drinking slows down. Ice melts more thoughtfully. Songs on the karaoke machine lean nostalgic—Showa ballads and love songs that match the drizzle. The clinking of glasses, the hum of conversation, and the occasional slurred laugh form the soundtrack of the season. The alcohol itself often shifts too: refreshing umeshu on the rocks, citrusy sudachi highballs, or lighter sake varieties offer balance to the humidity. The rainy season isn’t about drinking more—it’s about drinking with feeling.

Pairing Plates with Precipitation

Good drinking in Japan always comes with otsumami—small, thoughtful dishes designed to accompany alcohol. During tsuyu, seasonal offerings take center stage: pickled plums, fresh ayu (sweetfish), steamed egg custard (chawanmushi), or even a simple bowl of salted edamame. The flavors are light, clean, and often refreshing—perfect contrasts to the heavy air. Many mamas pride themselves on their home-cooked touches, sometimes offering rainy-day specialties like simmered vegetables or miso-stewed tofu. These are not fancy meals, but they’re served with a generosity that feels as restorative as a warm towel after the rain.

Shelter from the Storm: The Social Function of the Snack

In a country where social roles are often tightly scripted, snacks offer rare spaces of emotional freedom. During the rainy season, when people feel more introspective or isolated, these places become informal salons of the heart. Salarymen loosen their ties and talk freely. Older regulars offer life advice between sips. Newcomers are welcomed with smiles and gentle teasing. There’s comfort in this casual intimacy—part therapy, part entertainment. The mama becomes not just a bartender, but a host, a performer, and sometimes even a counselor. In the steady rhythm of rainfall, the warmth of human connection inside a snack becomes a kind of quiet rebellion against seasonal blues.

A Seasoned Toast

Tsuyu might not be anyone’s favorite season, but for those who know where to look, it holds its own kind of magic. In the world of snack bars, the rain is not an inconvenience but a mood, a setting, even a flavor. It’s a time for slowing down, for savoring stories with each sip, and for discovering that even the dampest days can be made warm with the right company—and the right drink. So next time the sky opens up, don’t just reach for your umbrella. Step into a snack, raise your glass, and toast to the beauty of drinking through the storm.

Let’s go to Izakaya and a Japanese Snack-bar with a fun guide!!

You can enjoy many kinds of drink at Izakaya and drinking culture Snack Bars, beloved by many　but you can’t enter without a guide. You can enjoy communication with the owner and other customers, as well as singing karaoke, allowing for a relaxing time.

Most snack bars have a policy of refusing entry to foreigners. However, with a tour, you’ll have a guide, so you can enter with peace of mind.

When visiting Japan, don’t just check off the tourist spots –
dive into local experiences for an unforgettable journey!

Once you experience it, you’ll be captivated too! The charm of snack bars.

New encounters with people! The camaraderie of singing at a snack bar! Conversations with the mama-san!