Yes, you should tip your bartender in Japan with a drink

Tipping seems to be a hot topic at the moment, at least in the US. Reddit’s r/EndTipping has 49,000 members and John Oliver did a great segment on the subject a few months back on Last Week Tonight. So this seems like a good time to dispel a myth amongst tourists and many residents alike: yes you can, and should tip your bartender in Japan. But not with money.

And one for yourself

These days, most anyone visiting a standard cocktail bar in Japan has come to expect a seating charge of probably 500-1000 yen per person. Word has gotten out. For more on what a bar’s seating charge is, and how it differs from a service charge at a club or otoshi you might see at an izakaya, see this FAQ.

But to really set yourself apart from some random passerby (ichigensan or 一見さん in Japanese) and appear more open/friendly to the staff, it’s a good idea to buy your bartender(s) a drink when you order your first round.

There are a few canned phrases you can use that will be understood anywhere in the country:

• ごよければ一緒に (goyokkereba isshoni) means “together, if you like”
• よかったら一緒に (yokattara isshoni) is a slightly less formal version of the above
• 一杯どうぞ (ippai douzo) means “and one for yourself,” as any UK pubgoer has probably heard

Don’t be afraid here. The bartenders won’t pour themselves some expensive cocktail, overpriced Japanese whisky, or start popping bottles (unless you want them to). Chances are they have a “house drink” for staff, likely a simple highball or shochu ochawari. You’ll pay the same price for that drink as if you had ordered it for yourself.

In my experience, almost no bartender will turn down the offer — Japanese bars generally don’t have rules against drinking on the job. In fact, the only time I’ve really seen bartenders decline this is when they’re literally already drinking on their own accord.

Whether it’s back-alley yakitori, a local cocktail bar, or even Tokyo’s swankiest hotel bars, buying a drink for your bartender/staff is simply the best and quickest way to kick off a conversation, meet new people, get local recommendations, and ultimately make your night more memorable. (On that note, almost any bartender also knows a bar that’s open later than their own. But that’s a slippery slope.)

Does this mean Japanese bars do, in fact, have a tipping culture? I won’t open that can of worms, but I will say that Japanese bartenders do indeed appreciate gestures of kindness and appreciation — just like service industry folks anywhere else in the world.