Simmering Mist

Downtown Kokura in Kitakyushu About 10 minutes by train from Mojiko Station, the first "Uozumi Brewery", we arrive at Kokura Station, home to the busiest shopping district in Kitakyushu. Once you get off the station, you will find a strip theater and several bars that are open from noon, and take a walk around such a deep area. ...

Kitakyushu, the birthplace of kaku-uchi (corner bar). Workers at the Yawata Steel Works worked until morning and wanted to have a drink after work! So they started drinking at liquor stores that were open in the morning, which is the origin of Kaku-uchi. 5 years ago, there were nearly 100 Kaku-uchi in Kitakyushu City alone. It's exciting...

High-quality stew made with only offal. Summer is in full swing! We're introducing a stew that's sure to please your body as the hot weather continues and you start to feel a bit fatigued! There are many different types of offal stews, and depending on the restaurant, they may contain other ingredients besides offal, such as tofu, konjac, or root vegetables (daikon radish, carrot, burdock), and the seasonings vary.

Due to work, I ended up staying in Hitachi-Omiya, an unfamiliar town in the inland region of Ibaraki. Naturally, I was excited about this unfamiliar town, so I researched plenty of places to drink beforehand. However, nothing really caught my eye, so I decided to rely on my instincts and find a place to drink there. I visited a bar that has been in business for 55 years...

Musako in Kawasaki City Musashi Kosugi, commonly known as Musako, is where the Tokyu Toyoko Line and JR Musashino Line intersect. Here it is, Musako. The problem that both "Musashi Koganei" and "Musashi Koyama" are called "Musako" by the locals has been a topic of conversation for a long time. So, I am curious about "Musashi Kosugi" and "Musashi Koyama...

In Iida and Ina cities in southern Nagano Prefecture, there is a local dish called "Otaguri," which is stewed horse innards. It is a clean stew containing absolutely no impurities other than horse intestines. As a horse racing fan, I was reluctant to eat horse innards, but...

Iida City, the city of yakiniku in southern Nagano Prefecture, boasts the highest number of yakiniku restaurants per capita in Japan, and is touted as the number one yakiniku city in Japan, to the point where it's said that "it's easier to find a yakiniku restaurant than a convenience store." Iida Yakiniku Legend: Dam construction and forest road...

Tateishi, a sacred place for drinkers Strongly individualistic stores and "sorry for drunken customers" are not available after the second shop. Tateishi is a town unique to Tokyo with many such restaurants. Each restaurant has its own rules and regulations, and the moderate tension of the rules will make you stand up straight....

It's 9am. It's been two years since I last visited Omiya Station. As I exited the east exit, I saw Izumiya's main branch and branch stores side by side in the rotary. I had some business to attend to in Omiya this evening, and I had made a list of some new bars I wanted to try afterwards, but I ended up seeing Izumiya's half-open door while they were preparing...

I went to Shotto Okame, a standing bar under the Akihabara overpass that has been in business for 30 years, to hear it was closing at the end of June. Akihabara is often thought of as an electronics district and a mecca for otaku, but once you get off the station and cross Showa Street...

A bar-like restaurant where you can drink in the morning. There are times throughout the year when I feel like drinking from noon, but there are also a few days a year when I want to drink in the morning. The "Seamless" drink, which I learned about from my bar master, Tamabukuro Kintaro, who coined the term "Nikomi Mist," is perfect for waking up in the morning with the alcohol from the previous day still lingering...