Originally Posted by
nishimark
Since you'll be working, hopefully you'll get a chance to go out with your Japanese co-workers. There are thousands of places to go for food and entertainment, you're better off going with a local who has local knowledge.
Definitely! If you have never been to Japan before, you have no idea how many places there are to eat and drink in the average city. When I first arrived as a student many years ago, I wondered if anyone ever ate at home-- that's how many restaurants there are.
The locals know where the best places are and often take you to wonderful establishments that aren't in the guidebooks and don't look very promising from the outside. Great food and atmosphere may lie behind a boring concrete facade.
If you're in Japan on business, your Japanese counterparts will almost certainly take you out for dinner and drinks at least once, if not several times.