 | | |  | | | | | what to drink?
| | | All Japanese restaurants have traditional/popular Japanese beverages: Sake, Green Tea, and other beverages. Japanese Restaurant Guides introduces you some brief history of those beverages and how to taste them. | | | | | | | | | |  Green Tea
Green Tea was originally discovered in China; it was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks more than a few thousand years ago. Since then, Green Tea has been consumed as the most popular and healthy beverage among Japanese people. Green Tea is very healthy drink; it contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. (+ less caffeine, comparing to coffee or tea.) In addition, some researchers report that green tea lowers the blood sugar level (more information: Sushi & Tofu " Green Tea Lowers the Blood Sugar Level "), prevents cancer, high cholesterol, and other disease. It is also true that the aroma of green tea relaxes you a lot.
Japanese Restaurant Guides recommends:
| | | | | Beer
Japanese people love beer, too; they enjoy "Beer-Bubble" passing thru throat. Oppose to traditional sake, beer is considered more likely "typical & daily life" beverage. Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin are some of the most popular brands that are found in the US, too.
| | | | | Shochu
Shochu is a Japanese traditional distilled spirit: distilled version of Sake. Shochu recipe was brought to Okinawa, and it has been produced mostly the Southern area of Japan. Shochu is made of rice and some regional ingredients (mainly local crops).
| | | | | Japanese Plum Wine (Ume-Shu)
Japanese plum wine is made of plums; it is sweet alcoholic drink.
| | | | | Wine
Recently wine becomes more popular in Japan. Since the origin of wine is Western countries, Japanese people normally drink imported wines even though there are a few Japanese ones.
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Sake has been making in Japan since wet rice cultivation was introduced in the third century BC. Sake is made of rice and water, combining with sake yeast (Koji). There are various regional kinds of sake in Japan; also, sake can be consumed either cold or hot. So, sake could be enjoyed in any seasons and with any food! In fact, sake could work well to dissolve the smell of seafood or meat. Most sake has 15-20% alcohol; thus, it is one of the strongest alcohol, comparing to other alcohol (Beer: 5%, Wine: 12-13%) 
