Manga artist Toru Kiyono talks about "Bars across Japan that you'd like to visit again and again"

This may be a bit sudden, but we'd like to ask you about your favorite local bar! We conducted an enthusiastic survey of manga artist Tooru Kiyono, who loves alcohol, food, and bars. We asked him about the memorable bars and flavors he's encountered in towns outside of Tokyo that he would definitely like to visit again.

illustration: Hitoshi Kuroki / text: Fumika Ogura

Nagahama (Nagahama Romantic Beer)

When I was fascinated by Lake Biwa, I was wandering around the area near my hotel when I came across a beer hall filled with historical atmosphere. In a charming restaurant renovated from a rice storehouse from the Edo period, I enjoyed their home-brewed beer and the famous Omi beef. The fresh taste of the freshly brewed beer completely changed my concept of draft beer.

Hamamatsu "Chatto"

When I first went to Hamamatsu Station, I saw an Akabane-esque scene on the premises. Seeing experienced drinkers happily sipping their afternoon drinks, I couldn't help but go to the counter. I got drunk on Hoppy beer while nibbling on Shizuoka oden and stewed offal in curry.

Mobara (Nikou Main Branch)

I happened to come across this restaurant while driving around Chiba with a friend in the summer of 2023. The restaurant's sophisticated appearance and the yellow menu strips posted throughout the restaurant convinced me that this was the place. The horse mackerel namero and the nigiri sushi we had for dinner were fresh, and they went down a lot better than usual with our drinks.

Illustration by Hitoshi Kuroki
Nikko Souhonten is located just a two-minute walk from Mobara Station. The noren curtain hanging proudly at the entrance is quite tasteful.

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