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These are hard times for the average salaried worker, with no pay raise and reduced bonuses. But the happy news is the emergence of so-called “50-yen izakayas.”
According to gourmet writer Ryuji Tazawa, “In recent years company employees have no more than 20,000 yen to 30,000 yen a month as allowance money. After deducting lunch costs and others, you have at most 10,000 yen for after-work drinks. If you spend 5,000 yen a night, you can only go out twice a month. That’s the situation. So this year, I expect an increase in low-budget izakayas to meet the demand of such people. A number of places already serve 50-yen appetizers, so a customer can eat and drink plenty for 1,000 yen. The 50-yen izakayas will probably become very popular this year.”
Shukan Post visited one such izakaya in Shibuya. At 7 p.m., the restaurant was packed with working men, women, and college students. The menu did indeed offer a variety of dishes including oden, yakitori, and sashimi for anywhere between 50 yen and 100 yen. The price for a medium size mug of beer was a very affordable 290 yen.
How do these stores manage? The chain stores keep their costs low through bulk purchases and obtain vegetables produced by the company on leased farmland not currently in use. Fresh fish and meat are purchased directly from the region where the company headquarters are located.
The price cuts are not limited to izakayas but also extending to other Japanese fast food eateries that serve beef bowls and noodles. The competitive low-budget service in the restaurant industry is expected to continue for some time.
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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bcbrownboy
Now, send them over here to the countryside. I've always had a ￥3万 budget!
gaijintraveller
"Fresh fish and meat are purchased directly from the region where the company headquarters are located."
So where are the company headquarters? Thailand, Australia, China? Fish and meat produced in Japan are expensive.
dolphingirl
Gee, I'd love to work for a company that gave me 30,000yen for lunches & after-work drinks!! I didn't know that some employees even got an allowance from their companies. I find that kind of funny! If people went home after work, instead of going to an izakaya for drinks, they could save a lot more money!
some14some
To tell you the truth (99.99%) it is Y3,000 not Y30,000 those getting the latter will be visiting 500-yen Izakayas.
minello7
This allowance money,is the writer refering to single or married salary workers.The allowance usually refers to married salary men,and that allowance is what is given to them by their wives,not by their companies. The wife controls all finances in the houshold,as the men can't be trusted to look after the money,please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong,but thats what I'm lead to believe.
nath
I love the izakayas so this is good news.
Sarge
"after deducting lunch costs and others, you have at most 10,000 yen for after-work drinks"
If you quit smoking, you'd have maybe another 10,000 yen.
bdiego
Um dolphin you misread the article in a pretty funny way. The 20,000 yen to 30,000 yen allowance comes from their wives, not their company. It's not free.
30,000's not a lot considering it's all personal expenses including clothes. Among my wife's friends, they feel sorry when they hear a husband is getting 40,000 but they're middle upper class. There are plenty of families with almost nothing to spare.
bisoy
C'mon! Everything during the bubble economy was overpriced. This is the real price. The biggest challenge is for the landlords to lower the rent so these Izakayas can still make money but that's another story.
noborito
50 yen for 1 little sardine or 50 yen for 5 or 6 edamame's is crazy! Repackaged smaller and prices raised. Just like KFC did with their WRAPS. 1/2 the size and 30 yen cheaper. For a while people thing they are cheap, but in fact it is a marketing way to raise prices. 100 yen Lawson is the same. If you shop at discounted grocery store you can get things for 20 or 30 yen cheaper. But seeing most stores close at 9pm workers who finish up after 11pm can't go.
BurakuminDes
If you have to stoop so low as to go to a 50-yen Izakaya - a place even the homeless alcoholics here would shun - then you really shouldn't be going out drinking. Stay home.
I guess I am pretty well off by the standards of Japanese Sararymen - I regularly splash out for 1500 yen nomi-hodais. It doesn't break the bank if you don't do it every night!
ケー ちゃん
wow! what the name of the place in Shibuya? I'd love to there
goddog
joke?
goddog
ok, sorry. NOt a joke, but men here need to hold their own purse strings, just like the little ones they carry around like ladies do. Advice: Do not take one of those purse things to any other part of the world. You would be an easy mark to get ripped off. So feminine and so like okamapoi
dolphingirl
bdiego: Thanks for clearing that up for me! It just said 'company employees' when it probably should have read 'married salary men'.
Anyway, if the wives are doling out the cash then aren't they probably also making their hubbies bento lunches? In that case, the man doesn't really need pocket money for anything else so that's about 6,000 yen a week to spend on after work drinks. Save it all up for your Friday night out and no problem! The problem is these salary men are out drinking every night of the week. Ridiculous! Go home to your family!
bdaniel08
Home is usually so far from their cie that they prefer, almost an obligation, to eat out...poor salary men !
WilliB
I don´t believe for a moment the story about growing vegetables in empty lots and fish near the headquarters.
Smaller portions, food near expiry date, and cheap part-time workers are more likely.
sirgamble
"Gee, I'd love to work for a company that gave me 30,000yen for lunches & after-work drinks!! I didn't know that some employees even got an allowance from their companies."
haha... no... that's their salary! After they've paid rent + rates...etc they have 30 000 yen left in their pockets to feed themselves... Given I spend about 20 000 yen a week on food, I don't think I want to be in this position.
yourock
I've yet to see such low cost menus in Kitakyushu. However, clearly this is a good idea to retain some customers during harder economic times. I bet the food is crap though! Me, a food lover, pay what I like depending on my mood. Nomihodais cost between 2000-3000 yen where I live, and in the old days was 2 hours, but sadly now 90 minutes! A Tabe-nomi deal usually comes to 4000yen+ , not like the golden days. Lastly, never give your wife financial control. WTF.