5 Things About Izakaya That Foreigners Find Surprising

1. You'll Get a Dish You Didn't Order

2. You'll Need to Call For Service

There is also a gesture that can get your point across if you're not confident in your pronunciation: catch your waiter's eye and make an X sign with your two index fingers. Just like using your finger and palm to gesture signing a bill, some may see this as a little old-fashioned, but it does have the advantage of breaking through language barriers!
If you're eating somewhere with an electronic call button or touch panel to order with at the table, you should use that to order and ask for a check instead. While not all places have this, and even fewer do in my home country, they are always great to see and the number of places that install them are slowly increasing.
Regardless of which method you pick, if you don't signal the waiter, you may be sitting unattended for a long time!
3. It's OK to Keep Ordering Throughout the Meal

4. There Can Be a Lot of Rules When It Comes to Work Gatherings

One important custom to keep in mind is "oshaku", which is the act of pouring alcohol for your companions. This is considered an important social skill with a number of elements to keep in mind, including the way you hold the bottle for different types of alcohol. As a rule of thumb, hold a bottle with both hands, one supporting the base, ensuring that you don't cover the label. Typically, less senior or younger members of the group will pour for the more senior members, but traditionally, women would also be expected to pour for the men in the group. Understandably, the implication that female employees should serve men drinks at a work event can meet some cultural resistance, so I would recommend simply being mindful of seniority in the group, regardless of gender. That said, since the work culture can vary from company to company, my advice is to be observant and follow the lead of the people around you.
5. You May Make New Friends!

Recommended Izakaya in Tokyo
Uosakaba Pin

Uosakaba Pin
Closed: Sunday, National Holidays
Average price: [Dinner] 3,000 JPY
Access: A two-minute walk from Jimbocho Station. Take Exit A4 onto Hakusan-dori Street toward Suido-bashi Bridge. Turn left at the third corner, and the restaurant will be at the end of the street.
Address: 1F Wakayagi Building, 2-20 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Map
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Torigen no Kamata

Torigen Kamata
Closed: Sundays
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY
Access: Three minute walk from the east exit of JR Kamata Station. Take the street to the left of Mitsubishi Tokyo UFJ Bank, cross Route 11 and head 30m for the bridge, left side.
Address: 5-3-3 Kamata , Ota-ku, Tokyo Map
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Uohide

Uohide
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY
Access: A three minute walk from JR Chuo Line and Keio Inokashira Line's "Kichijoji Station".
Address: 1-23-6 Kichijoji-Honcho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo Map
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Tenku no Tsuki

Tenku no Tsuki
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY
Access: A 7-minute walk from the JR Shibuya station or 2-minute walk from Shinsen station on the Inokashira line. The restaurant is on the 3rd floor of the Dougenzaka square building, near the Dougenzaka-jo police box.
Address: Dogenzaka SQUARE 3F , 5-18 Maruyama-cho , Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Map
More Details Reservation
Recommended Osaka Izakaya
Shubo Iori no Ume

Shubo Iori no Ume
Closed: Wednesdays
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY
Access: From Namba Station, head north along Midosuji, turn left at Dotonbori Arcade, and it will be on the first corner.
Address: ZELKOVATRE 1F, 2-1-8 Dotombori, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Map
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Kushi-no-Bo Sky Building Branch

Kushi-no-Bo Sky Bld. branch
Closed:
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
Access: 10 minutes walk from the Chaya-machi exit of Hankyu [Umeda Station] / 10 minutes walk from the exit No.5 of [Umeda Station] on the Subway Midosuji Line / 10 minutes walk from the central north exit of JR [Osaka Station]
Address: Takimi-koji, B1F, Umeda Sky Bldg., 1-1-90, Oyodonaka, Kita-ku, Osaka city, Osaka Map
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Jimpachi

Jimpachi
Closed: Sundays
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY / [Lunch] 800 JPY
Access: 2-minute walk from Osaka City Subway's Yodoyabashi station, Midosuji line. 5-minute walk from Osaka City Subway's Kitahama station, Sakaisuji line.
Address: Nippo Yodoyabashi Bldg. B1F, 3-1-11 Koraibashi , Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Map
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Yasaimaki Gyukushi Ushigoya

Yasaimaki Gyukushi Ushigoya
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 2,500 JPY
Access: 3 minutes on foot from Exit 2 of Nipponbashi station, Sakaisuji Line of Municipal subway.5 minutes on foot from Exit 15A of Namba station, Midosuji Line of Municipal subway.
Address: 2F, 1-1-14 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka , Osaka Map
More Details Reservation
Toriyakidaigakukamatako


Toriyakidaigakukamatako
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