Narrator: Owner Hidehiro Yamada, Chie
Pigalle Tokyo (Sangenjaya)
A tiny bottle shop hidden in a 16.2m² space in Europe
With a striped tent, bright red walls, and ornaments covering the ceiling, it's hard to tell what kind of shop it is at first glance, but it's a craft beer bar. Located in a room in an old tenement house, the beer bar and bottle shop are a tiny space of just 16.2 m2. The shop stocks around 60 types of beer at most, which is the bare minimum for a bar in Tokyo.
Owner Yamada Hidehiro's previous job was as a baker. He was blown away when he tried German lager for the first time at the German bread shop where he worked. Should he pursue a career in bread or beer? He sought the answer through travel. He had always wanted to take a leisurely tour of Europe, a country he had been fascinated by through movies and music.
"We started in France, then went on to Belgium and Germany. Beer changes from country to country, and even in neighboring towns, there are regions where different beers are drunk. I really got a sense of the depth of European beer."
At the same time, he was captivated by the culture of pubs and beer bars. Places where locals feel at home and welcome first-timers and travelers alike. A European beer bar in Tokyo. Yamada made up his mind to return to Japan, and there he met his future wife, Chie. Chie, who was working at a beer bar at the time, was of the same generation as him, having grown up seeing foreign scenery through the same movies and music. In 2010, the two opened a nine-seat beer bar.
It was four years later that they opened a bottle shop, which was around the same time that the term "craft beer" was starting to be heard all over Tokyo. They were hesitant to close down the seating and renovate the store, which was starting to take shape, but they decided that now was the time.
"When we first opened, flat ales and sour Belgian beers, which we had struggled to sell, were just starting to become established. We didn't want their popularity to end as just a fad."
In the refrigerated cases, the bottles are arranged by brewer, rather than by type. "We intentionally made it a little confusing, because we want customers to have a conversation before they buy," says Chie. Even though it's a shop, it's still a bar. Like the draft beers served in the bar, many of the beers they carry have been around for 10 years since they opened, but they say things like "the brewing has changed a bit recently" or "old beers have been revived" because they continue to visit producers once a year. Brewers and other beer professionals gather at this shop, which brings together both traditional and cutting-edge beers.
From left: Pale Ale from Yorocco Beer, Japan, 613 yen. "De La Seine" 592 yen. Its appearance catches the eye on the street. Taras Boulevard, Belgium, is a popular emerging brewery. Pale Ale, known as "Bitter" in the UK, is a staple at the store. 1 pint 1,180 yen. Schneider's Helles Reissue (lager type) from Germany, 680 yen. 
The exterior of Pigalle Tokyo.
"European brewers are influencing America in a good way. It's heartwarming to see older brewers enjoying new American beers. New brewers in Denmark and other Nordic countries are also gaining momentum. Beer is becoming more and more interesting."
While maintaining their admiration for Europe, they are creating a new beer landscape that can only be found in Tokyo.
