15 - How to work automatic beer-dispensing machines in Japan

My all-time favorite yakitori joint is in Shibuya.

It's called 〇金 (maru kin).

This symbol, 〇, is pronounced maru, and it means "round." This explains the logic behind Marukin's logo:


(Here's their website.)

There are precisely 3 awesome things about this 居酒屋 (izakaya, "Japanese drinking establishment"):

1. The location is awesome.
2. The chicken is 美味しい (oishii, "tasty").
3. They have a 30-minute (interval), self-serve, all-you-can-drink service.

Details, please.

1. The location is awesome.

This izakaya is located in Senta-gai, which is one of the most awesome (and famous) streets in Shibuya:

You can actually see 渋谷センター街 (shibuya sentaa gai) written on these guys' little portable shrine:

Here are directions from Hachiko Statue at Shibuya station:

I know what you're thinking: I don't care about maps, dude. Explain to me why there is a glowing samurai in those first pictures.

The answer is--I don't know. It's Shibuya. ^_^

They probably had a little festival or something. (Those portable shrines are called 神輿 (mikoshi), by the way. Here's a Wikipedia article about them.)

You might be slightly comforted to see this equally confused Japanese couple:

Has anyone ever looked so confused before?

Doubtful.

Anyways...

2. The chicken is 美味しい (oishii, "tasty").

Or maybe I just love skewered chicken with beer.

If you're gonna go, maybe you should Rikaisama their menu page to prepare yourself.

3. They have a 30-minute (interval), self-serve, all-you-can-drink service.

So if you pay 299 yen (which is less than $3), you get all you can drink at a do-it-yourself bar:

Here's a blurred out (T_T) pic of the menu stating such:

Uber-quick breakdown:

お得
otoku
good deal

70種
nana ju sshu
70 types!

飲み放題
nomihoudai
all-you-can-drink

30分
sanjuppun
30 minutes
(Note that 30 is sanjuu, but the juu gets shorten when it attaches to pun, giving us sanjuppun / さんじゅっぷん).

1時間~
ichi ji kan ~
(minimum) one hour

299円
ni hyaku kyuu juu kyuu en
299 yen

+税
purasu zei
plus tax

単品
tanpin
individual items
(So next to this is the price for each individual item if you don't take them up on their awesome deal.)

My favorite is this automatic beer-dispensing machine:

That sign above the beer says:

① ジョッキをのせて
jokki wo nosete
Place your mug here.
(Note: I have no idea why they use this word jokki for beer mugs. It's in katakana, ジョッキ, so maybe it's a foreign loan word?)
(Double Note: 乗せる [noseru], "to place on" is a transitive verb, while 乗る [noru], the intransitive version, means "to get on; to ride.")

② ここを押すだけ!
koko wo osu dake!
Then just press this button!
(Literally: "Here + を + push + only!")

(Note: There is no word "then" in this Japanese, but I wrote "then" because in the previous sentence the verb 乗せる (noseru) is written in the te-form, 乗せて (nosete), meaning that it's the first half of a sentence not yet completed. In other words, a direct translation is something like "Place your mug here, and then just press this button.")

All the ingredients for a lovely Shibuya adventure.


Bonus Phrases:

居酒屋でいっか。
いざかや で いっか。
I guess going to an izakaya works, too. // Yeah, let's just go to an izakaya.
Literally: izakaya + de + good + ka

このお肉美味しい。
この おにく おいしい。
This meat is good.
Literally: this + meat + delicious

今渋谷センター街。
いま しぶやセンターがい。
I'm at Shibuya Senta-gai right now.
Literally: now + Shibuya + Senta-gai

お神輿かつごうよ。
おみこし かつごう よ。
Let's carry the portable shrine.
Literally: omikoshi (portable shrine) + let's carry/haul
Note: This is talking about one of those mini shrines people carry around at festivals.

これお得だね。
おとく だ ね。
This is a good deal.
Literally: this + beneficial + is + ne

70種の花育ててるんだ。
ななじゅうしゅ の はな そだててる んだ。
I grow over 70 types of flowers.
Literally: 70 types + no + flower + am raising + nda

飲み放題にしよう。
のみほうだい に しよう。
Let's get all-you-can-drink.
Literally: all-you-can-drink + ni + let's do

あと30分。
あと さんじゅっぷん。
It's in 30 minutes. // We still have 30 minutes.
Literally: after + 30 minutes

1時間だけ貸して。
いちじかん だけ かして。
Let me borrow it for an hour. // Lend me your car for an hour.
Literally: one hour + only + lend me
Note: I guessed "car" for the second translation... but really this depends on context.

1杯299円だって。
いっぱい にひゃくきゅうじゅうきゅう えん だって。
It says one drink is 299 yen.
Literally: one drink + 299 yen + is + tte

この値段税込みですか?
この ねだん ぜいこみ です か?
Is tax included in this price?
Literally: this + price + tax-included + is + ka?

単品でビール1つください。
たんぴん で ビール ひとつ ください。
One beer, please.
Literally: individual item + de + beer + one + please
Note: Saying 単品で just means that it's not part of a set or package of any kind. Just a separate item.

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