You wake up after a night of drinking, trying to piece together the few snapshot memories you have to figure out where it all went wrong. What was maybe just meant to be “one drink” turned to two..then maybe a couple shots and ending up in a club in Shibuya. Then suddenly the dehydration kicks in and as you get up for a glass of that sweet H20, boom, the hangover takes over your life.
This is the state I was in as I lay in bed, dying a little bit inside, and wondering how the salary-men all do it. They get hammered and walk into work, maybe a meeting or an important negotiation as if hangovers are just a myth. Maybe it’s something to do with DNA, their diet, or maybe they’re just more responsible drinkers. Nonetheless, I did a little bit of research.
Here are a few lifesavers that you might want to know about.
1. Ukon no Chikara
Have you ever wondered what all those mini drinks they sell at the konbini are? Always lined up in a special fridge, these cute yet intimidating drinks are all for promoting your health.
From meal replacement drinks to beauty drinks, there are a lot of interesting finds here and amongst them are the anti-hangover drinks. It is strongly believed that the power of ukon, aka turmeric, helps the body detox faster and Japanese drinkers will drink these ukon drinks before a heavy night out. They say these drinks are most effective when you drink one before and after your session.
Get one of these drinks to prevent any hangovers, Futsukayoi, of your lives!
2. Pocari Sweat
Another drink that’s has been said to help with a hangover or Futsukayoi, is Pocari Sweat, the Japanese equivalent to Powerade or Gatorade. As unfortunate as the name is, Pocari Sweat is a favorite amongst athletes as it helps replenish the body with electrolytes and hydration. And if you can’t get over the name, try Aquarius which is pretty much the same thing.
If you’re the type that is after food a big night out, why not try some native Japanese food to get rid of that hangover headache. It’s been said that pickled plum, or umeboshi, helps in a similar way that jumping into an ice bath helps to wake you up. Another known remedy is Shijimi miso soup. Shijimi is tiny clams full of amino-acid, and it teams up with the miracle power of fermented soy to help your body recover. This is probably why you can find these sold in cans in some konbini and even vending machines.
3. Ramen
But to be honest, one of the best hangover/ futsukayoi prevention and cure whether you’re in Japan or not is a beautiful bowl of noodle soup. There are so many different varieties of ramen out there that you’ll know which one you’re craving when the hangover kicks in. It’s also a good idea to finish the night off with ramen, and a great time to kill time until the trains start moving.
There are endless numbers of restaurants that are open until the wee hours of the morning, if not 24 hours! So make sure to grab your soupy, fatty ramen to make sure you settle your hangover!
4. Soba
Soba is made with buckwheat, one of the most healthiest noodle options you will encounter. Soba noodles are usually quite cheap and simple. A simple bowl of soba can be as cheap as 350yen (USD 3 dollars). You can usually get soba with seaweed, Kakiage (friends vegetables), tempura…
5. More soup noodles
And if you’re like me and not the biggest fan of ramen or udon, why not opt for some Southeast Asian noodles like pho or tom yam noodle to cure your hangover, futsukayoi pains?
There are countless options of delicious restaurants around town for you to visit. Once you sit down at a place, there is unlimited free water that you should definitely take advantage of!
If you are curious to try out different restaurants and potential places to cure your pain, check out some of our many places!
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Do you like these places? Got more interesting places to recommend to us? Leave a comment below and let us know!
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