Simmering Mist

Yaesu "Toryaki Miyagawa" Located in a corner of the Yaesu Exit of Tokyo's business district, this space feels like a time travel back to the Showa era. While tall buildings continue to pop up one after another, "Toryaki Miyagawa" has been in business for over 70 years. It's a long-established sake shop that's rarely seen in Marunouchi, on the other side of Tokyo Station.

Omura City's "Torichiyo" Located in Omura City, just a stone's throw from Nagasaki Airport, floating like Pocari Sweat in Omura Bay, is Toriichiyo, a large bar established in 1977 near Omura Station. I called before opening time and was shocked to find they were fully booked... What?! Today was my only chance to stay in Omura, so I was in awe...

Nishi-Ogikubo South Exit Bar District: Nishi-Ogikubo Station on the Chuo Line is a bar district that spreads out from the moment you exit the station. The bar district is crammed into a small space, with izakayas like Yakitori Ebisu, Yoneda, and Chidori, as well as the tanmen noodle restaurant Hatsune, where customers often line up...

Narita, the gateway to Japan I haven't had a drink in Narita in about 10 years. I haven't had a drink in Narita since I went to the Tomisato Watermelon Road Race in the neighboring town. I remember that the izakaya we went to at that time was a very nice place. I think it was in this direction... ...

A-Sign First, a little bit about the "A-Sign". The "A sign" is the U.S. military's official business license for restaurants and adult entertainment establishments in Okinawa.

Eiraku Shokudo, a popular izakaya in Akita, is located in front of Akita Station. They have a huge selection of sake, and their "tasting set" is a great value and fun deal. Choose three varieties and have them poured into your glass for just 900 yen! Eiraku Shokudo before the relocation Eiraku Shokudo after the relocation...

Akita's Kawabata Area: Akita Prefecture's leading entertainment district, commonly known as "Kawabata," is located a 15-minute walk from Akita Station. Kawabata, once a thriving geisha town, has seen a sharp decline in the number of shops due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the town is noticeably less lively than when I visited before the pandemic, there are still many historic shops scattered around...

Chiba's local stews: doteyaki, nakamashijiru, otaguri, dengaku... There are "local stews" all over Japan, each deeply connected to the history of its region, with ingredients, seasonings, and other culinary cultures thrown into one big pot and simmered for many years.

I arrived in Matsuyama, Shikoku's largest city, at 8 p.m. Given the time, there were only two places I could go drinking in Matsuyama tonight. Of several options, I zeroed in on "Yonjuyon," which had the least information and was the most difficult to access. Yonjuyon...

Location Scouting in Morioka I arrived in Morioka in the morning. I enjoyed the corner bars Hosoju Sake Shop and Kagiya-san, but it was still only 2 p.m. Since I still had time for some evening drinking, I decided to scout locations in Morioka while it was still light. I thoroughly explored the alleys that spread out in a grid pattern east from Morioka Station...

Oji, the town of drinkers. Hidden away in Akabane, also in Kita Ward, Oji is a mecca for drinkers, dotted with a number of stylish taverns. With the opening of the third branch of Akabane's "senbero" (cheap drinking) leader "Ikoi" in Oji and the renovation of the long-established bar "Yamadaya," Oji will be a major draw.

Hachinohe, a town of delicious seafood! When I asked the locals, they told me to try "Onimon," a cheap and tasty place for fish, so I opened my mouth and paid a visit. Incidentally, Hachinohe is also known for its horses and...

Drinking in Kochi, a bar-rich region. The tourist spot "Hirome Market" opens at 10am in the morning, while long-established restaurants like Habotan and Maruyoshi Shokudo, where you can enjoy daytime drinks, open in the afternoon. In the evening, the "Bashibashi Izakaya" opens, and gyoza stalls open from the evening until 3am. Drinking is the main focus...

Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, is known as one of Japan's three great cities for yakitori. Prospering through cotton weaving and shipbuilding, Imabari was home to many merchants, and its citizens are known for being impatient and not wanting to wait. To satisfy this demand, yakitori is served on a hot plate, rather than the usual skewered style.

Kochi's long-established bar, "Chinchintei," was founded in 1959 (Showa 34) and is now run by the second-generation owner. As the name suggests, it was originally a Chinese restaurant, but under the second generation owner, it was transformed into an izakaya, marking a total of 65 years in business. Its colorful, internally illuminated sign...

Discover the appeal of craft gin Starting with bottled beer, hoppy, chu-hi, sake, sometimes highballs, shochu with hot water. Sometimes highballs and shochu with hot water. At izakaya (Japanese style pubs), we usually drink something like this. Everyday I'm picking up some stewed fish or sashimi and drinking shizukuri, but the other day I went to Nozawa Onsen in Nagano,...

Horikiri Iris Garden "Kiyoshi" Nakahata Kiyoshi, Matsumoto Kiyoshi, and Kiyoshi from High School Kimengumi. Everyone has their own Kiyoshi, but my own Kiyoshi is definitely Kiyoshi from Horikiri Iris Garden. It's not an easy place to get to from my house...

Goat (Goat) Cuisine Sakae Just off Kokusai-dori, Naha's main street, on Ryugu-dori. The aura-filled long-established two-tops of "Kozakura" and "Sakae" stand side by side, silently watching over the "food stall village" across the street where tourists gather. Such is the style of the grand masters...

Kiriya is a long-established bar in Fuchu. Originally operating in front of Fuchu-Honmachi Station for 48 years, it was a "classic pub" with on-site dining. In 2018, the bar was forced to relocate due to eviction, and has since reopened in a vacant 100-year-old guesthouse. Its stately appearance is just as impressive as its predecessor.

There are nearly 50 Kagaya branch stores, mainly in Tokyo, including "Kagaya," "Kagahiro," and "New Kagaya." Even though they don't have the "Kaga" character in their names, some still have the Kagaya blood running through their veins, making them a staple in Tokyo's bar culture, such as "Kitahachi" in Nishi-Nippori, "Marufuku" in Nishi-Funabashi, and "Kaburaya," which closed last year.