flat fee per hours for drinks in a bar?

hello, I heard some places charge a flat fee per hour and then you can drink as much as you like instead of paying per drink. Is this correct? it sounds great value . Where are these places?
I heard it might be karaoke bars but am not sure, and how do you pick a karaoke bar from a normal bar anyway?

There're everywhere. Just look for "nomi-houdai" deals that are commonly seen in izakaya.

Nomi-hodai, as mentioned, people on the street in the evenings always try to advertise their prices. Typically it'll run you around 2000-2500yen for 2 or so hours some places have limits others do not. Some places cost higher others not. The more Japanese you know the easier it is, also the easier it is to negotiate a lower price, which my friend loves doing. Getting it down to 1500yen is not too bad in Shinjuku.

You can negotiate a lower price in Shinjuku?? Wow, times have changed. We Tokyo-er friends used to laugh saying people in Osaka negotiate for lower prices even in restaurants and bars. This is something that Tokyo-ers never do, sorry, did, as it is too embarrassing and un-cool.

I hope foreign residents aren't ruining their reputation for doing things like that. I remember a foreign tourist being almost kicked out of an izakaya several weeks ago, for eating from his friend's plate without paying the proper tabe-houdai (all you can eat for) price :)

The word you want for a citizen of Tokyo is "Tokyoite", Uco san- that's the one you usually see in newspapers and magazines.

I've never heard of being able to negotiate the price of a nomihoudai either- maybe it's because of the recession?

hello all,
is it pronounced ho-udai or ho-dai?
are there signs outside these pubs or do you just ask around?

Sira, thanks.

Nicholas, it's pronouced more like "hou-dai." You know how Santa Claus laughs, "Ho, ho, ho." Just add a "die" as in "Die Hard" to that "ho."

And yes, there are often signs that say
飲み放題
I hope you can read the Japanese font correctly. Here are some examples of signs, from an internet search.
http://images.google.co.jp/images?q=%E9%A3%B2%E3%81%BF%E6%94%BE%E9%A1%...

I pretty much negotiate every time I am in Shinjuku and the guys on the street who are advertising are almost awlays open to it. Especially the karaoke guys.
Prices can vary whether or not you include beer in the nomihodai, or don't want any food, etc.
I have found only the places who have staff on the street advertising their place are open to negotiating. The places where you just walk into usually aren't open to it (in my experience anyway).