Nijikai (二次会) literally means “second party”. It is the next place a group goes after the first gathering ends, usually a dinner. If someone in Japan says “shall we go to the nijikai?”, they are inviting you to keep the evening going somewhere else.

Where the word comes from

Ni means two, ji means order or round, and kai means meeting or party. The first gathering is sometimes called the ichijikai (first party), and if the night continues again, the third stop is the sanjikai. Many groups end with a bowl of ramen or a quick drink, called the shime (the closer).

The kinds of nijikai you will meet

• After a company dinner. Office parties, welcome and farewell parties and the year-end bōnenkai often move on to a bar or karaoke. Fewer people come than to the dinner, and the mood is more relaxed.
• After a wedding reception. A wedding nijikai is a separate party, usually organised by the couple’s friends, with its own venue, games and a fixed entry fee collected at the door. Many friends are invited only to the nijikai.
• After business entertaining. When a company hosts clients (settai), the second stop may be a bar, a club or a lounge. Our guide to settai and nijikai explains what is expected of the guest and the host.
• Among friends. Simply moving from an izakaya to a bar or karaoke.

How paying usually works

There is no single rule, so ask whoever is organising.

• Splitting the bill (warikan) is common among friends and colleagues.
• A fixed fee per person (kaihi) is normal for wedding nijikai and some larger parties.
• The senior person or the host pays in some company and business settings.

If the second stop is a bar or a hostess club, the price structure is different from a restaurant: there may be a set charge per person, a time limit and a service charge. Read how the bill works before you go, and confirm the price before you sit down.

Joining or leaving politely

• You do not have to go. Saying you have an early start tomorrow is a normal and accepted way to leave after dinner.
• If you go, thank the organiser at the end, and again the next day if it was a work event.
• Do not follow a stranger from the street to a “second place”. Choose the venue as a group, or ask the organiser where you are going.

In short

A nijikai is the second stop of a night out. It is more relaxed than the first, optional, and paid in whatever way the group agrees. Knowing where you are going and how it is priced keeps it easy.

Also written as: nijikai / 二次会 / 2次会 / 二次會 / 니지카이