Simmering Mist

Motsuno, a rising star in stew set meal restaurants, has suddenly become a hot topic of conversation recently. Located in an industrial park in Aikawa Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, with no train station nearby, this rising star stew set meal restaurant suddenly opened last April. Run by a young female owner, it's a place where there's always a line of customers...

A yakitori restaurant beloved by locals, located between Keikyu Kamata Station and Zoshigaya Station. Despite being a residential area, it's also home to many shops. This area was formerly home to the famous bar "Sanpei," which closed in 2015. "Jumbo Otsuka," which opens at 1 p.m., is a huge hit during the day. It's a common question: "What do you usually do?"...

Tateishi, the sacred land of sake bars, has many bars such as Oyokozuna Uchida, Sakae Sushi, Ebisuya Shokudo, Torihobo, Edokko, Ranshu, and Shu, all of which closed this summer. Tateishi is a bar area with a lot of bars such as Edokko, Ranju, and Shu, which closed this summer due to redevelopment. Machinuka at the south exit Along the railway line at the south exit...

When you go to a trade show for business or pleasure, you often have trouble finding a pub on your way home. Big Sight, Makuhari Messe, and Pacifico Yokohama are all by the sea, and there are no public bars to be found in the area. When you take a train on the way home from such a big exhibition...

Fukuroi, the melon town. Fukuroi City in Shizuoka Prefecture is a producer of high-quality melons, and even the famous "Sembikiya" restaurant uses melons from Fukuroi. Fukuroi is a world-famous producer of high-quality melons, so much so that former British Prime Minister Thatcher praised it highly. What's more, Fukuroi residents often season their melons with Hennessy...

It's still hot in the evening, and there's a line at Uozo in Monzen-Nakacho, even at dusk. That said, the turnover is fast, so even if you're just 7 or 8 people in, it won't take long for your turn to come around. Just admire the impressive noren curtain and sliding door, and your turn will come around quickly. Now, let's go behind the noren curtain and find out where the shop is...

The pennant race is in its final stages. The Chiba Lotte Marine Stadium, home of the Chiba Lotte Marines, is famous for its gourmet "motsu-nikomi" (stewed beef and vegetable stew). In my column, I recommend the "motsu-nikomi" of Marine Stadium, which I have eaten at 2,000 restaurants across the country.

Space World in Kitakyushu, the third restaurant after "Uozumi Sake Shop" and "Akakabe Sake Shop". As you are driving from Kokura to Hakata, you will suddenly see a station called "Space World," which looks very strange with its katakana characters. If you are a resident of Fukuoka Prefecture, you have been to Space World before on excursions or outings...

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...