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A winter train journey is filled with a sublime beauty that is quite different from that of spring or autumn. Even after the beginning of spring, there are many places in Japan where winter scenery still remains. Along the way, you can also enjoy hidden hot springs and unique winter delicacies. This time, we asked food-train writer Naoko Sumida to introduce the best train journeys in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu...

First serialized in "Manga Goraku" in 1994, the latest 56 volumes are now on sale!　The long-running gourmet manga "Sake no Hosomichi" by Laswell Hosoki has sold a total of 8 million copies. The main character, Iwama Sotatsu, a businessman in charge of sales at a certain company, looks forward to drinking alone on his way home from work and...

This is a long-established, world-famous tempura bowl restaurant that has long queues. It has the image of being popular with tourists, but in fact it has quite a lot of fans among locals, and some customers buy tempura balls to take home after their meal.

Kichijoji is home to many trendy restaurants, but there aren't many taverns suitable for back-alley drinkers, especially those that serve lunchtime drinks. In addition to the long-established yakitori restaurant Iseya, there's another place that could be described as a haven for daytime drinking. Head down through a small entrance to the basement floor...

Located halfway up the slope of Hyakkendana, this yakitori bar has a retro look that you might pass by without noticing unless you're a fan of long-established bars. It was founded in the 1970s and has been in business for over half a century.

Founded in Fukagawa before the war, when the owner returned from evacuation during the war to find the area a burnt-out wasteland, he decided to move the restaurant to Kayabacho in 1947, and since then, he has been a long-established sushi restaurant on Suzuran Street near the financial district of Kabutocho for nearly 80 years.

Though the drinking scene in Kanto and Kansai may seem similar, it's actually quite different, from the drinks, snacks, store layouts, and even the characteristics of their customers. Suzuki Nao, a native of Kanto but resident of Kansai, and Parikko, his partner in the unit "Sake no Ana," which explores the possibilities of alcohol, discuss the situation and share their own experiences...

This oden izakaya is part of the popular sushi restaurant "Shutoku." It's one of the few affordable izakayas in the Tsukiji Outer Market. Budgets start at around 3,500 yen. Their oden, made with flying fish stock, and their mizutaki (chicken hot pot), made with chicken bones like maple leaves simmered for eight hours, are guaranteed to be delicious. (Tie-up with:...