The Minami-Ikebukuro area is undergoing dramatic change as a tower apartment building integrated with Toshima Ward Office rises. At its base, a single alley off Azuma-dori Street leads to a quiet place that seems to have been left behind by the wave of development. This time, we'll be introducing a family-run business founded in 1959 (Showa 34).

At the east exit of Nippori Station, just beneath the modern high-rise apartment buildings that have been built as a result of redevelopment in front of the station, there is a restaurant that has remained unchanged since the Showa era. It has been in business for over half a century. It is located on the first floor of a new building, but once you step through the noren curtain, you are greeted with a Showa-era atmosphere. "Daisangen" is open from lunchtime to late-night...

Did you know that there is a magnificent gassho-style building in front of Sakuragicho Station in Yokohama? It's called "Ichinokura," an izakaya named after Miyagi's famous sake, Ichinokura, and has been in business for 40 years. The restaurant is spacious and offers a variety of seating options, from a relaxed counter for solo drinking to table seating and a large hall. Currently, the restaurant focuses on serving rare local sake...

Tachibana, Sumida Ward, is a neighborhood with a strong downtown atmosphere. A swaying ride on the Tobu Kameido Line took me to Yabusoba Tachibana, a renowned restaurant that impresses not only soba lovers but meat lovers alike. Stepping through the venerable shop curtain, I was greeted by an extraordinary "extra-thick katsudon" (pork cutlet bowl). It's one of the largest in the downtown area I know. A great afternoon beer...