Big fan of the kakuuchi. Great one called かとう just 2-3 mins from Gotanda stn.
They remind me of old bars you might find in small rural Irish towns, that unfortunately are disappearing rather quickly these days. Often the bar would have been located in a general grocery shop. One even offered undertaking services!
Only issue I have with the ones in Japan is they are often so "traditional" that they continue to allow customers to smoke freely. A big turn off for me.
I’ve lived in Japan 40 years but I didn’t know about this, perhaps because I’m not much of a drinker. But the community feeling you describe is a big part of what I love about Japan — the no-frills, flip over a crate, style of interaction.
The "no-frills, flip over a crate, style of interaction” is such an important part of Japan. Yet it is almost unknown abroad, where Japan is so often still portrayed as stiff, formal and thoroughly hierarchical.
What do you think explains this misapprehension about Japan's formality? As a pretty naive American, my impressions before reading people like Craig Mod & Sam were definitely about thorough hierarchies, etc. Is this a matter of class, where only elites are represented in external-facing discourse? Is it just Othering from Westerners? Has Japan changed to make it more welcoming, or are we as outsiders just learning to look with better eyes?
I think part of it is that Western stereotypes of Japan were formed in the 1970s and 80s, when many of the people visiting were coming for business and experiencing rigid corporate formalities, getting wined and dined by six levels of branch managers and regional directors and VPs. But in general social interaction in Japan is very contextual, so people in intimate settings engage completely differently than a hospitality or service setting, where a flight attendant or waiter isn’t going to act like your friend like they do in the US. That’s why common spaces like kakuuchi are important
So good. Thanks for sharing this.
Big fan of the kakuuchi. Great one called かとう just 2-3 mins from Gotanda stn.
They remind me of old bars you might find in small rural Irish towns, that unfortunately are disappearing rather quickly these days. Often the bar would have been located in a general grocery shop. One even offered undertaking services!
Only issue I have with the ones in Japan is they are often so "traditional" that they continue to allow customers to smoke freely. A big turn off for me.
Glad to have you writing more!
Thanks for the nudge!
I’ve lived in Japan 40 years but I didn’t know about this, perhaps because I’m not much of a drinker. But the community feeling you describe is a big part of what I love about Japan — the no-frills, flip over a crate, style of interaction.
Thanks for reading! Soft drinks are usually available! :)
The "no-frills, flip over a crate, style of interaction” is such an important part of Japan. Yet it is almost unknown abroad, where Japan is so often still portrayed as stiff, formal and thoroughly hierarchical.
What do you think explains this misapprehension about Japan's formality? As a pretty naive American, my impressions before reading people like Craig Mod & Sam were definitely about thorough hierarchies, etc. Is this a matter of class, where only elites are represented in external-facing discourse? Is it just Othering from Westerners? Has Japan changed to make it more welcoming, or are we as outsiders just learning to look with better eyes?
I think part of it is that Western stereotypes of Japan were formed in the 1970s and 80s, when many of the people visiting were coming for business and experiencing rigid corporate formalities, getting wined and dined by six levels of branch managers and regional directors and VPs. But in general social interaction in Japan is very contextual, so people in intimate settings engage completely differently than a hospitality or service setting, where a flight attendant or waiter isn’t going to act like your friend like they do in the US. That’s why common spaces like kakuuchi are important
Love your personal style of writing and this topic, Sam. Community is what it is all about in life. Subscribed!
Thanks! I’ve been enjoying your historical excavation of Shinjuku.
Thank you. The Shinjuku series has been a challenging and time consuming, yet thoroughly enjoyable, project. I am very glad you are enjoying it.
Part 4 is late, but goes live on Tuesday!
Remember kakuuchi on one quiet street in Akabane. Great local hub. And Manazuru liked a lot to make a post after hiking around. Great account!
Akabane’s got some great ones! Thanks for reading