Simmering Mist

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.

Okinawa's Stew Culture Okinawa's food culture has developed since the Ryukyu Dynasty through exchanges with China, Southeast Asia, Korea, and Japan. Ryukyu cuisine is so rich in pork dishes that it's said to "start and end with pork." Not only pork meat and innards, but even ears, feet, face, bones, and blood are often wasted...

The famous bar "Mitakaya Bar" has a lot of charm, which I always visit several times a year. In addition to the standard menu items that I always end up ordering, such as the beef stew, there is also an extensive blackboard menu with recommendations that change from day to day. I always end up ordering my favorite dishes, and then I find myself...

A 10-minute walk from Mabashi Station, you'll find Nika Curry Shop, a solitary establishment with a red lantern and a dazzling aura. Upon opening the door, you'll be greeted by Tony, the Bangladeshi owner, who says, "Welcome back." A warm-hearted bar that's been in business for 34 years...

Kotobuki Shokudo in the shopping district in front of Okayama Station is a reliable place to grab a quick drink before boarding a Shinkansen or plane. Fukube in Yaesu and Hashimoto Sake Shop in Shin-Osaka are also good options, but places like Maruhachi Sushi in Nagoya, Genzo Honten in Hiroshima, and Marusho in Sendai are open from lunchtime, so you can start your drinking session right away...

"Stamina Don" in Chiba Prefecture is not in a great location, far from the station, but when you open the door, you'll be surprised to see that both the counter and the tables are full. The name sounds like a place specializing in garlic-heavy rice bowls, but it also serves everything from yakitori to sashimi, fried dishes, and stews...

Shinkoiwa "Uozan" There are many drinking establishments, and Shinkoiwa is a town where you will have no trouble finding cheap and tasty standing bars and other famous places to drink. The Shinkoiwa branch of Uozan, a very famous restaurant in Monnaka and Morishita, has a W U-shape and a small tatami room, which I personally love...

Saegusa" in a residential area A few hours after the first restaurant "Hashino Shokudo" in Tsuyama... Founded in 1985, the previous proprietress started the restaurant by herself, and now it is run mainly by her son, the second generation. The previous proprietress started the restaurant by herself, and now it is run by her son, the second generation...

Tsuyama, a Town of Beef Hormone Tsuyama City in Okayama Prefecture is home to a meat processing center, and is a regular winner of the B1 Grand Prix, where you will find many stores selling "horumon udon" (udon noodles with beef guts). What kind of "stewed beef hormone" can be found in Tsuyama, a city where beef hormone is eaten throughout the city? I wondered...

10 Best Stew Set Meals from Around Japan: The cool weather has arrived, and stews are delicious. So, if you're looking for a satisfying lunch or dinner, we've rounded up 10 restaurants from around Japan that serve stews. Tamaya Shokudo in Fuchu City...

Akebono Store, Himeji's famous bar. Located on the opposite side of Himeji Castle. A 10-minute walk southeast from the station, you'll find Akebono Store, a quintessential Showa-era supermarket celebrating its 68th anniversary this year. Wow, I'm thrilled! From supermarket to bar...

A restaurant specializing in set menus with stewed meat under the direct management of a meat wholesaler and processor. Located in a residential area under the Chuo Freeway, familiar from the lyrics of Yumi's song, is Tamaya Shokudo, a restaurant specializing in stewed meat dishes directly operated by a meat wholesaler and processor. It used to be easy to get in, but now...