Food and Drink

A face that is arguably as full of questions as the bar is customers.

Tokyo is almost constantly in flux. Buildings go up and down, businesses change and the gentrification of so much of the city is utterly relentless. Mercifully, however, the more Tokyo changes, the more little pockets of it somehow remain just the same. Like this traditional old bar not far from the capital’s more central hubs.

Opened over 50 years ago, it’s only had one owner — a man who is now in his 74th year. Yet despite his age and the daily 8 hour grind, he shows no sign of slowing down, or indeed losing any of his infectious enthusiasm.

A genuine sense of character that is not only reflected in the bar’s surroundings, but also in those who frequent it.

Simple food, prepared in a simple structure, at the side of an old shopping street.

This old fella is probably just as fond of drinking in this bar, as I am of photographing it. And as far as decisions go, I’d say we both made pretty decent ones.

Seeing rice crackers made using time-honoured techniques, in suitably traditional settings, is nice to say the least. Better still, however, is the aroma, as despite their simplicity, the resultant snacks smell absolutely sensational.

Many traditional shops in Tokyo open out onto the street — a lovely communal element that further cements their ties to the local neighbourhood. In older areas of the city, a surprising number of them still survive too, although there can’t be many that boast a working, and still in use water pump like the fishmonger’s below. A feature that has presumably been in place since the shop opened for business back in 1935.