Nomikai: Japan's After-Work Drinking Explained

For Japanese office workers, the workday does not end at six o’clock. The nomikai — the after-work drinking gathering — plays a role in Japanese business culture that goes far beyond simple socializing.

What is a nomikai? Nomikai literally means “drinking gathering”: colleagues, supervisors, or business partners get together at an izakaya or similar venue to share food and drinks after work. It is where relationships are built, and a second party (nijikai) is usually optional.

Nomikai are not just entertainment. They are where relationships are built, where honest conversations happen, and where team bonds are forged. In Japan, the drinking party is an extension of a workplace culture that often runs well past official hours, and understanding it is essential to understanding how Japanese professional life actually functions.

What Is a Nomikai?

Nomikai literally means “drinking gathering.” It typically involves colleagues, supervisors, or business partners coming together at an izakaya or similar venue to share food and alcohol after work.

In Japan, nomikai occupy a significant place in workplace relationships. The portmanteau “nominication” — nomi (drinking) plus communication — captures the idea precisely: drinking together is understood as a legitimate and important form of communication.

Types of Nomikai

Japanese drinking culture has developed distinct gatherings for different occasions.

Kangeikai — the welcome party Held to welcome new members to a team or organization. New employees and transferred staff are typically honored with one shortly after joining.

Soubetsukai — the farewell party Held to send off departing members. Retirement, resignation, and inter-department transfers all call for one.

Bounenkai — the year-end party One of the most significant nomikai of the year, held in December. The name translates roughly as “forget-the-year party” — a collective release of the stress and difficulties of the year just ending.

Shinnenkai — the new year party The counterpart to the bounenkai, held in January to celebrate the start of the new year as a team.

Uchinage — the wrap party Held when a project or major piece of work is completed. A shared celebration of achievement and mutual appreciation for the effort involved.

What Nomikai Actually Do

A space for honne Japanese workplace culture makes direct expression of true feelings difficult. The nomikai loosens that constraint. Grievances about work, concerns about the team, personal ambitions — things that would never be said in a meeting often surface over drinks. This is understood and accepted as part of how the culture functions.

Breaking down hierarchy The clear seniority structure of the Japanese workplace softens — slightly — at a nomikai. The distance between a manager and their team tends to shrink over shared food and drink in ways that formal work settings do not allow.

Building team cohesion Sharing a meal and drinks creates a sense of togetherness. The wrap party after a difficult project is particularly powerful in this regard — a shared acknowledgment of what the team went through together.

Strengthening business relationships Nomikai with clients and business partners serve a similar function. Trust that cannot be built in a conference room sometimes develops naturally over the course of an evening at an izakaya.

The Unwritten Rules

Attendance is effectively expected For significant gatherings — welcome parties, year-end parties, team events — absence is often read as a lack of commitment to the group. Not every nomikai requires attendance, but repeatedly declining important ones can affect how a person is perceived within the team.

Don’t leave before your superior Leaving a nomikai before the most senior person present is generally considered impolite. When a second venue is suggested, declining the invitation can feel socially awkward.

Don’t pressure others to drink Awareness of workplace harassment has grown significantly in Japan in recent years, and pressuring colleagues to drink is now widely recognized as inappropriate. Consideration for those who don’t drink is increasingly expected.

A Culture in Transition

Among younger generations in Japan, enthusiasm for nomikai has been declining. Valuing personal time, not drinking alcohol, and the financial cost of frequent after-work gatherings are all cited as reasons for wanting to opt out more often.

The pandemic also prompted a significant rethinking of drinking culture. While online nomikai emerged as one alternative during this period, they did not take hold as a permanent fixture — they represented an expansion of options rather than a fundamental shift in how people gather.

Nomikai and Foreign Workers

For foreigners working in Japanese companies, nomikai participation matters.

Joining in — even occasionally, even without drinking alcohol — signals genuine interest in being part of the team. The language barrier that exists in professional settings often dissolves naturally over food and drink. Showing up communicates something that no amount of competent work alone can fully convey.

Soft drinks are entirely acceptable. “I don’t drink, but I’d love to join” is received as exactly the kind of team-oriented attitude that nomikai are designed to cultivate.

A Typical Nomikai Evening, Step by Step

Nomikai follow a pattern that most Japanese office workers know by heart. Knowing it makes the evening much less stressful.

Planning. An organizer (kanji) books the izakaya, counts attendance, and often chooses a set course with all-you-can-drink (nomihodai), usually for about two hours.
Seating. Seniors sit in the best seats, farthest from the door, while younger staff sit near the entrance to order and pass dishes. Our guide to kamiza and shimoza explains why.
The first drink. Everyone orders a first drink quickly, often a beer (“toriaezu nama”), so the whole group can start at the same moment.
The toast. A senior or the organizer says a few words, and everyone says “kanpai” together. Wait until everyone has a glass before you drink.
Pouring and sharing. People pour drinks for others, holding the bottle with both hands, and the receiver holds the glass with both hands. Younger staff often keep an eye on glasses and serve food.
The close. The organizer ends the evening, often with a clap and a word of thanks such as “otsukaresama deshita” (see why Japanese people say otsukaresama).
The bill. Costs are often split, with seniors paying more, or the boss may pay. A standard izakaya course often costs around 3,000 to 6,000 yen per person, but it varies by venue and group.
The second party. A nijikai (second party), often at another bar or a karaoke room, is usually optional, and people may leave after the first.

Useful Phrases for a Nomikai

乾杯 (kanpai): cheers
お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu): thanks for your hard work, the all-purpose greeting among colleagues
お酒は飲めないので、ウーロン茶をお願いします (osake wa nomenai node, uron-cha o onegaishimasu): I can’t drink alcohol, so I’ll have oolong tea, please
今日はお先に失礼します (kyo wa osaki ni shitsurei shimasu): excuse me, I’ll leave first today
ごちそうさまでした (gochisosama deshita): thank you for the meal, said at the end

How to Decline or Leave Politely

You can say no to a nomikai, and doing it well matters. Tell the organizer as early as possible rather than on the day, and give a short, polite reason, for example 「申し訳ありません、今日は先約があって参加できません」 (I’m sorry, I have a prior engagement and can’t join today). If the gathering is important, such as a welcome or year-end party, consider joining for the first hour and leaving after the toast and a word with your seniors.

If you leave early, say goodbye to the most senior person present, and pay your share even if you did not stay for the whole evening. Declining the second party is normal, and a short thank-you is enough. Because honest talk tends to appear at nomikai, it also helps to understand the Japanese split between public stance and private feeling in tatemae and honne.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is nomikai in Japan?

Nomikai is an after-work drinking gathering with colleagues, supervisors, or business partners, usually held at an izakaya. It functions as an informal extension of the workplace where relationships are built and honest conversation happens more freely than in the office.

Do you have to attend nomikai in Japan?

Not always, but attendance is often expected for major gatherings like welcome parties, year-end parties (bounenkai), and team celebrations. Repeatedly skipping important ones can be read as a lack of commitment to the team.

Do you have to drink alcohol at a nomikai?

No. Ordering a soft drink is entirely acceptable, and pressuring colleagues to drink is now widely recognized in Japan as inappropriate workplace behavior. Showing up and participating matters more than what you drink.

Is it rude to leave a nomikai early?

Leaving before the most senior person present is generally considered impolite, especially at formal gatherings. It’s common to at least stay through the main part of the event before excusing yourself.

How much does a nomikai cost?

A standard izakaya course with all-you-can-drink often costs around 3,000 to 6,000 yen per person, although prices vary by area, venue, and group. Company events sometimes have different cost-sharing arrangements, so ask the organizer.

Who pays at a nomikai?

It depends. Costs are often split among everyone, with seniors contributing more, and sometimes a boss or the company pays. The organizer normally collects the money, so ask them before the event.

What is nijikai?

Nijikai is the second party after the first venue, usually at another bar or a karaoke room. It is generally optional, and leaving after the first party is common.

What should I say at the start of a nomikai?

Wait until everyone has a drink, listen to the toast, and say “kanpai” together with everyone. You can add “otsukaresama desu” when clinking glasses with colleagues.

What Nomikai Reveal About Japan

Japan’s drinking culture reflects a conviction that relationships require investment — time, presence, and a willingness to be somewhere other than behind a desk.

The trust and connection that formal work settings cannot generate are built, slowly and genuinely, over shared evenings at the izakaya. From a pure efficiency standpoint, it might seem irrational. But in Japan, relationships are understood as the foundation of business — not a supplement to it.

Understanding nomikai, and participating in them on their own terms, is one of the most direct routes into the human side of Japanese professional life.

Nomikai: The After-Work Drinking Culture That Powers Japanese Relationships