Blog

Sapporo's "Shichifuku Shokudo" Unable to bear the heat of Tokyo, I headed to Hokkaido. Located in the underground food court of the bus terminal, Shichifuku Shokudo is a long-established restaurant founded in 1976. What an auspicious name! Their fried rice and other savory dishes have been satisfying the appetites of nearby workers...

Koriyama's "Genso Nikudokoro Genji" offers pork saute, also known as tonteki. While there are many famous restaurants in Tokyo's historic areas like Asakusa and Nihonbashi, and in the Kansai region, Fukushima Prefecture, known for its meat, also boasts a long-established, popular restaurant that's worth the trip from afar. "Genso Nikudokoro Genji" is a...

Tomakomai "Sakae Sushi" Next door, in Chitose, a huge plant of domestic semiconductor manufacturer "Rapidus" is scheduled for completion in 2025. The Chitose area is booming with construction underway at a cost of 500 million yen, including government subsidies. The hotels along the Tomakomai line from Sapporo to Tomakomai are exploding in the wake of this...

Tomakomai's long-established yakitori restaurant "Tori-Senjiro" There are many yakitori restaurants in Tomakomai. The owner of Ebiten told us that Senjirou was an old yakitori restaurant. This is the second restaurant in a row. Senjirou has been in business for 48 years. The second generation of the family is in charge of grilling. The mother and her two...

Tomakomai, the fourth most populous city in Hokkaido after Sapporo, Asahikawa, and Hakodate, was established more than 100 years ago as a result of the clean water flowing from Lake Shikotsu. Tomakomai was founded more than a century ago by the Oji Paper Company in search of clean water from Lake Shikotsu. ...

"Kikusha" in Chofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Located in the seaside castle town of Chofu, far from the center of Shimonoseki City, there is a restaurant that seems almost miraculous. Established in the 1950s, "Kikusha" offers signature dishes such as okonomiyaki and kamameshi. Open all day, it's popular with both those who enjoy its sweets and those who, like me, enjoy a drink during the day while traveling...

When did izakayas, the seduction-filled establishment that continues to captivate drinkers, come into being, and how have they become so beloved? This time, Professor Kenji Hashimoto of the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, author of "The Postwar History of Izakayas" (Shodensha Shinsho), who combines izakaya-hopping as a hobby and research fieldwork, will be the guest speaker...

Fujisawa "Asataro" Hisasho closed in 2017, and my personal favorite "Ittoku" closed at the end of 2023. Furthermore, three buildings in front of the station, including the Fujisawa Meiten Building, will close in 2027, and the area in front of Fujisawa Station is about to be reborn. With such a rapid turnover...

Part 16: Bentencho Station Walk: The name of Bentencho comes from the Benzaiten (Benten God), who was once enshrined here. Personally, I don't often venture out here, but when I do, I find the area around Bentencho Station to be full of interesting discoveries. JR Osaka Loop Line...

Yakiton Yangu 2nd Nakano Branch Introducing "Yakiton Yangu 2nd Nakano Branch" opened in 2021, an affiliate of the popular motsu-yaki restaurant "Yakiton Yangu" in front of Itabashi Station. The specialty is Yakiton grilled with miso. With close customer service, this is a bar that is easy to get used to, even for first-timers. ...

Nakanobu "Chūya" on the Tokyu Oimachi Line. As a Chuo Line user, I rarely ride this line. The last time I rode it, I think it was to go to Chuya in Nakanobu. Chuya is a renowned Tokyo bar that's worth making the effort to visit, and it even has a sister location in Yutenji.

Honjo Azumabashi "Meijiya Sake Shop" Just from its name, Meijiya Sake Shop seems to have a long history. The main liquor store is on the right, and the entrance to the kaku-uchi bar is on the left. Founded in 1883 (Meiji 16), it's a very long-established establishment with 140 years of history. About five years ago, they reopened the kaku-uchi bar after a 30-year hiatus....

Yakitori Iguchi in Sasazuka was founded in 1961. The nearest stations are Sasazuka Station, Higashi-Kitazawa Station, and Yoyogi-Uehara Station, but it's located in a residential area, more than a 10-minute walk from each station. Because it's not directly in front of a station, it has a very high percentage of regular customers, and while it's a yakitori restaurant, it also serves a wide variety of seafood...

A bar that has been in business since before I was born in the town where I was born. 20 years ago, some of my friends and I went there because they were working part-time, but at the time I was not interested in the flavor of the restaurant and only remember making noise with my friends. One spring day, I passed by the restaurant at 3 p.m. ...

We visit Aichiya, a 48-year-old bar run by a father and son duo. This renowned bar offers a wide variety of dishes, focusing on yakitori and stews, as well as sashimi, loach dishes, and even eel. Located in Sumida Ward, they also serve colored chuhai, which is incredibly delicious. Read more here ↓ ...