Japan’s izakayas feel cost-of-living pinch

Japan's iconic izakayas—casual pubs beloved for cheap drinks and small bites—are facing a cost squeeze, Semafor is reporting. A record one hundred eighteen izakaya operators filed for bankruptcy in the first six months of twenty twenty-six. Owners now face an agonizing choice: raise prices and risk losing customers to a shifting drinking culture, or absorb the higher costs and watch profits shrink. As one owner told Nikkei, if they raise prices much further, people simply stop ordering.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton