Simmering Mist

A 10-minute walk from Chiba Station, Sakaemachi is a neighborhood for grown-ups, home to a plethora of bars and restaurants, including the 90-year-old Yokozuna "Hakkaku," the "Yoshiume" (which suddenly closed in October 2024), and "Hanazawa Mitomo," known for its fried chicken. Motsuyaki Hakkaku, a 90-year-old restaurant...

Koriyama's "Aji no Kushiten" started as a food stall under the first-generation owner's grandmother, and next year will mark 70 years since the second generation opened a restaurant. This long-established bar is now run by a married couple in the third generation. "Aji no Kushiten" before relocation. The interior before relocation. Road development, which has been planned for 50 years...

Kayabacho "Kyohachi" established in 1936. Established in 1936 at Reigashibashi Bridge on the Shinkawa River for about 50 years. Moved to a new location when the land was raised, and has been here for more than 30 years. KYOHACHI is a long-established bar in Kayabacho that will soon be in business for 90 years. KYOHACHI on Reiganbashi Bridge There are still many restaurants around here from the Meiji era...

A 400-meter-long shopping street commonly known as "Hoppy Street in the West" connects Akitsu Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and JR Shin-Akitsu. It is not densely packed with drinking establishments like Asakusa's touristy "Hoppy Street," but it is realistic and cool, dotted with austere, privately owned stores. If you like bars, it is fun to walk around...

Otaru" is a very beautiful town with retro buildings from the Meiji era, abandoned railway lines, and canals. It is so beautiful that even I, a person who only gets excited about the downtown area at night, can't help but admire it. On weekends, hotels are fully booked due to the inbound effect, and the train from Sapporo to Otaru is packed with tourists....

Kisarazu "Motsuyaki Akichan" Located just across the Aqua Line from Kawasaki. I visit Kisarazu several times a year, whether it's for fishing trips to Uchibo or Minamiboso, or clam digging in the spring. Despite being a frequent visitor, I've never had a drink in Kisarazu, let alone enjoyed a char siu bento or...

I like to go to machi-zushi when I travel, and while it's hard to abandon the standard ramen to finish off the meal, my recent favorite is to fade out after picking up a nigiri or a dish at machi-zushi where you can enjoy local ingredients. It is not at all immoral, and if you go in with a good nose, you can get your fill...

Nago City in the northern part of Okinawa's main island, about 30 minutes by car from Churaumi Aquarium. Nago is a castle town located in the northern part of the main island of Okinawa that is suddenly gaining momentum as the Shinjo Fighters' training camp and a huge theme park "Jangria" will be completed in a year or two. Spend the day at Chimei Shoten...

Orion Beer Nago Factory Speaking of Nago, there is the Orion Beer factory, which is a landmark of Nago, attracting many visitors every year for factory tours and restaurant use. Nago "Chiyo Shoten" is located near the Orion Beer Nago Factory...

"Iseya" in Kichijoji made me realize how comfortable a pub is. "Kishidaya" in Tsukishima made me fall in love with the depth of stews. "Fujiya Honten" in Shibuya made me discover the joy of standing and drinking. One of the pubs that gave me that "opportunity"...

Sasamoto, a famous skewered stew restaurant Sasamoto is indispensable when talking about stew in Tokyo, and is located in Shinjuku Memori Yokocho and Ginza. There are three so-called "Sasamoto-style" restaurants in Tokyo that were opened by people who were trained there. The most important feature of Sasamoto's restaurants is that they are ...

I was wandering around Higashimuroran, drinking at two bars and wondering if I'd find another good place, when I suddenly smelled the aroma of curry coming from the duct of a local Chinese restaurant that looked perfect from the outside. The stinky smell of curry was so strong that before I knew it, I was sucked inside. Higashimuroran...

Each izakaya has its regular customers, and among them, there is the occasional black belt who is like a boss monkey. These black belts know not only the restaurant and its customers, but also the history of the town, and when you talk to them, they will tell you interesting and informative stories. Finding such black belts and getting to know them is also a great way to get to know them....

Nagoya "Minoya Kitamura Sake Shop" Minoya Kitamura Sake Shop is a liquor store located just across the national highway from Ohsone Station near Nagoya Dome. It is open from noon for corner sales, so you can stop by before a baseball game, and it is the best barter for the Nagoya Dome. Baseball games are held...

Kasai "Genji" When you walk north along Kannana from Kasai Station on the Tozai Line, you can't help but notice a tent with the name "Genji" written in huge letters on the eaves of the roof. The name "Genji" and the appearance of the restaurant indicate that it has been in business for many years. This must be a good izakaya. The ca...

Akasaka "Tsukon" Hoppy Beverage, the maker of Hoppy, a drinker's ally, is located in Akasaka. A Hoppy employee once told me about a place in Akasaka where you can enjoy delicious Hoppy, so I decided to come and visit. The shop opened two and a half years ago in 2022...

Dote no Shinagawa Ten minutes south of Minato-san on Nagoya's favorite walking course, the "Toei Line" line. In the middle of a dark and quiet residential area, "Shinagawa" with its brightly lit lanterns and people hanging out standing around drinking appears out of nowhere. Hmmm..! Uncles...

Minato" in Mizuho-ku, Nagoya City, Japan A favorite walking course in Nagoya, the "East Suburban Line" course. According to my research, streetcars used to run on the section between JR Horita Station and Tsurumai Park until about 50 years ago. If you ask me, the streetscape and atmosphere of the town shows the remains of stores, liquor stores...

Sapporo Daisan Mokkiri Center. The Daisan Mokkiri Center is synonymous with Sapporo. It started as a corner bar in Otaru in 1926 (the first year of the Showa era) and moved to Sapporo as a standing bar. It later moved to its current location and became the Hop, Step, Jump Daisan Mokkiri Center.