Izakaya
Izakaya (Japanese pubs)
These can probably be called Japanese-style pubs. The liquor is mainly sake, low-class distilled spirits, and of course beer, and the food is mostly grilled chicken and different kinds of fish, like sashimi; generally in winter, cookpot dishes and warm ones like Japanese hotchpotch are added. Red lanterns often hang at the entrance, so izakaya are also known by another name--"red lantern." In cities, white-collar workers on their way home from work often stop there to drink with colleagues and friends, and recently working women, too, have been stopping in more and more.
Kagami-biraki is a ceremony performed at celebratory events in which the lid of the sake barrel is broken open by a wooden mallet and the sake is served to everyone present. Kagami refers to the lid of the sake barrel and biraki means “to open” so kagami-biraki literally means “opening the lid.” Because of the lid's round shape, the kagami is a symbol of harmony. The kagami-biraki, therefore, represents an opening to harmony and good fortune.
In the modern sense of the term, "ochoko" is largely interchangeable with the term "guinomi." In the strictest sense, however, ochoko are generally smaller than guinomi and are often in a thimble-like shape.
Sake producers use a special large ochoko called "janome choko" (also known as kikichoko which has a concentric blue and white design on the bottom of the inside of the cup. The color pattern facilitates the examination of the sake's color and clearness and the cup's wide mouth allows for the sake's fragrance to be evaluated.
With the exception of the special janome ochoko used in professional sake evaluations, the traditional etiquette for the ochoko, like the sakazuki, is to pour for others and to accept reciprocal offers of sake. In many situations today, however, it has become more acceptable to pour for oneself in order to make a party or group gathering less formal and to allow people to enjoy sake at their own pace.
The origins of the masu go back centuries. The masu, however, was not originally used as a drinking cup but rather as a tool for measurement. In the Edo Period (1603-1868), the square box-like masu were used by merchants to measure for sale such important commodities as rice and other grains as well as soy sauce, vinegar and sake. Difficult to break and able to hold a large amount, the masu later became a popular cup for enjoying sake at festivals, cherry blossom viewing "hanami" and other outdoor events. The masu also became popular for serving at drinking establishments since the pronunciation of "masu" is the same as the word for "increase." This play on words showed not only the proprietor's generosity but also a sense of fairness since the masu itself was typically a tool for proper measurement.
Today, masu are often used for serving sake at sake barrel ceremonies "kagami biraki" and at traditional Japanese pubs "izakaya" that appeal to the customer's sense of nostalgia or "Japanese-ness." Arguably the best masu for enjoying the combination of the flavor of sake with the aroma of the wood are those made from Japanese cypress "hinoki" (Chamaecyparis obtusa). Pleasant in color, texture and fragrance, hinoki masu can give sake an uncomparablely fresh and unique quality.
Masu vary in size but the two most common sizes used for enjoying sake are the 144ml "hasshaku" masu and the 180ml "ichigo" masu.
My link Japanisches Bier