Food and Drink

The setting, as well as the animated faces of the older fellas were interesting, but in the end, it was the amused look of the young woman in the corner that really made the moment for me.

The bar below has been in operation for 39 years, and its owner, perhaps unusually for such a back to basics little establishment, is a fully trained French chef. Leaving his native Kyushu at 14, he worked in Tokyo and Sapporo, before packing it all in and opening his own place.

And what a place it is.

We first drank there almost 5 years ago to the day. Half a decade that has seen several substantial changes. The Master-san is now 83-years-old, plus fairly recent health issues forced him to close for several months. And yet at the same time, nothing has really changed at all. The bar still looks and feels exactly the same, and the main man himself continues to love what he does, as well as being as wonderfully lovely as ever.

I’ve taken a photograph of this incredibly small bar before. Back then, both the proprietor and the sole customer were passed out. This time, presumably due to space restrictions, it was two sleeping drunks inside, and one relegated to the outside.

Last year, I posted this series of photos from Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho, or Piss Alley as it’s often known. Along with the images, I also tried to explain how the huge increase in tourism over the last few years has changed it — or at least sort of changed it anyway.

Basically it’s way busier than it used to be, and yes, the atmosphere can be quite different. But then again, go there on the right day, at the right time, and the alleyway’s former intimacy can still be found, complete with fascinating hints at conversations that will remain forever unknown.

A rather theatrically drained glass in a fantastically atmospheric little bar.