The Drinker’s Guide to Japan: An Essential Handbook to Japanese Drinks and Drinking Culture

Japanese alcohol remains one of the world’s great drinking enigmas – always alluring, sometimes intimidating and often misunderstood. The Drinker’s Guide to Japan cuts through the hyperbole and mystique with a bold, pretension-free approach that’s about real drinking and not theory: what to order, where to drink it, and how to do so with confidence, whether you’re in a neon-lit alleyway in Osaka or browsing exotic bottles back home.

Written by Tokyo-based restaurateur and Japanese alcohol expert Wayne Shennen and internationally bestselling author Jesse Fink, this book distils years of on-the-ground research and knowledge into clear, practical guidance. You won’t become an expert, but you will drink better – freed from guesswork, clumsy translations and the lingering sense that Japanese alcohol is just too complicated to even try.

Lavishly illustrated with stunning location photography from across the country, The Drinker’s Guide to Japan is both a visual journey and an indispensable companion. Like travel itself, it will open new doors – transforming Japanese drinks and drinking culture from something inscrutable, privileged and confounding into something thrilling, accessible and deeply rewarding.

• Publication date: 1 October 2026
• Page count: 256
• Dimensions: Height 290 mm; Width 224 mm; Thickness 29 mm
• Publisher: Quadrille Publishing Ltd
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9781837836031