For the second time this year, I took advantage of work to go on a drinking tour around Kansai. I usually go on drinking tours with people who live in Kansai, but this time I arrived in Shin-Osaka in the afternoon and didn't have any plans until the evening. This was my chance to drink alone in Osaka. Oh, I know, I should go to that bar...

Leave the grilling to the chef. Located next to the Keisei Line tracks, Tomiyoshi has been in business since 1980. At first glance, it looks like a pub, but it's a unique restaurant where you can enjoy the finest yakiniku at the counter. With a specialty shochu highball in hand, you can wait for the meat to be grilled to perfection. This is the kind of luxurious experience you can expect here...

The Funabashi Local Wholesale Market is bustling with activity from early in the morning. In one corner of the market stands a restaurant that has been with the market for a long time. Oonoya Shokudo has been in business for three generations, and it truly is the "market's kitchen," constantly filling the stomachs of market workers. Its specialty, a generous serving of fresh seafood...

The Ueno-Yushima area is a pleasant place to stroll around Ueno Park and Shinobazu Pond. Dotted with vaudeville theaters and long-established restaurants, it exudes a sophisticated atmosphere. While there are many famous restaurants serving eel, soba, oden, and other dishes, this area is also a hotbed of popular sushi restaurants. Yet, one restaurant has been serving the stomachs of local workers and nightlife enthusiasts for half a century...