角打ち — Drinking at the Liquor Store

 

In Japan, there is an old drinking tradition called kakuuchi (角打ち). It means buying sake at a liquor store and drinking it right there, often while standing.

 

The culture became especially popular in Kitakyushu, a major industrial city. In the early 1900s, workers at the Yahata Steel Works worked different shifts. Some finished early in the morning, when ordinary drinking establishments were still closed. Liquor stores, however, were open.

 

So workers bought sake and drank it at the shop before going home.

 

There were no fancy tables, waiters, or elaborate menus. It was inexpensive, casual, and convenient. More importantly, it became a place where workers could talk and relax together.

 

The exact origin of the word 角打ち is uncertain. One explanation says it came from drinking sake directly from the corner (角) of a square wooden masu.

 

What began as convenience eventually became culture.

 

This happens often in Japan. Traditions are not always deliberately created. Sometimes people simply find a practical way of doing something, repeat it for generations, and one day discover that they have created a tradition.

 

That is 角打ち.