Slowly but surely word is getting out to the rest of the world: Japanese restaurants don't have to be formal, exquisite and jaw-droppingly pricey. Quite the opposite, in fact: Eating out in Tokyo can be casual, friendly, affordable and fun.
At least it certainly is once you discover the plebeian pleasures of the neighborhood izakaya. Literally "a place to linger with sake," the word izakaya is a catchall term that can cover a multitude of styles, from brash and boisterous taverns to simple single-counter holes-in-the-wall.
The common denominator is that they're all places where you go to relax. The food and the drink serve as lubricants, whether for booze-fueled socializing or just a quiet winding-down at the end of the day.