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Chuhai (酎ハイ) is a Japanese cocktail which includes Shouchu liquor and carbonated water flavored with fruit syrup, juice or other sweeteners.  Chuhai has been a popular drink in Japan at bars and restaurants, as well as canned versions you can easily find at stores there.

Shouchu is a clear distilled liquor favored by many alcohol lovers in Japan. Shouchu can be made from various things, such as by distilling rice, potato, wheat, etc. There are generally two kinds of Shouchu; one has a stronger flavor from such ingredients (Otsu kind) and the other with much less flavor (Kou kind), similar to vodka.  For making Chuhai, since the drink is mixed with something else for flavor, the latter more mild Kou Shouchu is often preferred.

Vanilla Purin (バニラプリン) is a cold custard dessert in Japan.  The name Purin comes from the word pudding, but it is not the same thing as the gooey pudding in the US at all.   This custard pudding has more the feel of a jelly dish because of its gelatin content.  It is a very basic sweet but everyone in Japan adores it.  It is a great alternative dessert to ice cream in summer.

Hire Katsu is a kind of Tonkatsu pork cutlet using a different cut of pork, tenderloin.  Hire (“hee-ray”) means Fillet in Japanese, and smaller tenderloin fillet pieces are breaded and deep-fried to make this dish.  Hire Katsu is very tender bite-size fried pork, and it is a popular item at Tonkatsu restaurants in Japan.