With real wages falling as prices rise, drinkers of alcohol are turning increasingly to restaurant chains for imbibe at lower prices than in traditional izakaya (pubs).
"I often come here because I can enjoy sufficient amounts of drinks and snacks at prices more friendly to my purse," said 59-year-old Tokyo salaryman Koichi Taniguchi during a recent visit to a Bamiyan near Shinagawa Station with colleagues after work.
Bamiyan, a chain of Chinese family-style restaurants owned by Skylark Co., expanded its lineup of alcoholic beverages and accompanying snacks at all its outlets last spring, allowing it to attract more workers as they make their way home.