Quick Reference

Meaning & Definition

Nomimono (飲み物) means drink or beverage — a fundamental vocabulary word that pairs naturally with tabemono (食べ物, food). Learn this word and you’ll navigate menus, vending machines, and convenience store drink aisles with ease.

Nomimono (飲み物) is formed from nomu (飲む, to drink) + mono (物, thing) — literally ‘a thing for drinking.’ It refers to any beverage: water, juice, coffee, tea, alcohol, or soft drinks. On menus, you’ll often see a nomimono section separate from tabemono (food). The nomihoudai (飲み放題) system — ‘all-you-can-drink’ — is a popular option at Japanese izakayas, typically priced per person per 90-minute time slot. Related vocabulary: o-nomimono wa? (お飲み物は？, ‘What would you like to drink?’) is the standard server’s question, and nomimono wo chuumon shimasu (飲み物を注文します, ‘I’ll order a drink’) is useful at cafés.

How to Use It

Japan’s vending machine (jihanki) culture means nomimono are available on almost every street corner — hot and cold options in the same machine. When ordering at a café or restaurant, the phrase o-nomimono wa ikaga desu ka? (お飲み物はいかがですか？) means ‘Would you like something to drink?’ — the polite version servers use. If you want water specifically and it’s not brought automatically (it usually is in Japan), o-mizu wo kudasai (お水をください) gets you tap water, which is safe to drink everywhere in Japan.

Kanji Breakdown

飲み物 uses 飲 (in/no — to drink, drinking) and 物 (mono — thing). The kanji 飲 contains 食 (food/eat) on the left and 欠 (lacking, yawning/opening mouth) on the right — depicting a person opening their mouth to consume liquid. Together with 物, the compound clearly means ‘drinkable thing.’

Example Sentences

Cultural Context

Japan’s nomimono culture is defined by its extraordinary vending machine (jihanki) ecosystem. Japan has approximately one vending machine for every 23 people — the highest density in the world. These machines dispense not just canned drinks but hot canned coffee, hot corn soup, cold green tea, sports drinks, and seasonal limited-edition beverages. The jihanki stands as a symbol of Japan’s convenience culture, operating 24 hours in locations from ski slopes to mountain hiking trails.

Green tea (o-cha) occupies a special place in Japan’s nomimono landscape. Bottled green tea — sold unsweetened, unlike most Western canned teas — is the best-selling category in Japanese vending machines. The tradition of omoiyari (thoughtfulness for others) means that bringing nomimono for everyone when you return to the office after running errands is a standard social expectation. The arrival of someone carrying a tray of convenience store drinks for colleagues is a small but meaningful social ritual.

📚 Learn More