The name "Relaxed Bar" is well-chosen. It's a very apt description. Globes, fans, sewing machines, old books... I take my time to appreciate each of the mysterious furnishings, as if time has stopped. It feels nostalgic, like I've seen it somewhere before. Gradually, I begin to feel more relaxed.
As the owner, Junichi Fushiya, stands at the counter of what used to be a general store, it becomes clear that the seemingly randomly placed items are now exactly where they should be.
The owner casually pours the wine. Many people will be surprised when they see the label on the bottle. What?! What?! Norakura?! It's a rare wine from Hakodate that wine lovers covet. "Well, it's our house wine," the owner says with a hearty laugh. This is all thanks to his strong connection with Ken Sasaki and Katsuko couple, who run the Norakura winery. What a wonderful store.
There is a wide variety of books casually placed in the store, making it feel like you are peeking into Nico's world. 
Three bottles arrived from the Sasaki couple of Norakuzo. Bottles start at 7,000 yen. They're basically stocked so you can drink them anytime.
The owner had many twists and turns before opening his restaurant. He got a job at a hotel that was scheduled to open in Sendai and went to the main branch in Tokyo for training. However, he couldn't see the sky, couldn't smell the ocean, and was jostled in packed trains. He couldn't take it anymore. If he stayed any longer, he would get sick. He returned to Sendai after a year and spent eight years as a hotelier. After working in a restaurant, he opened his own restaurant in 2008 with his wife, who is also a chef.
The trigger was a feature on wine in the magazine "Brutus." He saw a photo of salarymen drinking wine at an izakaya and thought, "Wine isn't just something you do on special occasions to show off, it's something you can drink at a bar on casual days too." Encouraged by this sight, he started the bar, which he named Nicole, a combination of the owner's nickname, Nico, and the name of his wife, Chiharu.
From the beginning, the store only sold natural wines. Even in Tokyo, wine was still relatively unknown, so customers were confused. They were told, "How can you drink such cloudy wine? Give me your money back!" But Nico wanted people to become more familiar with naturally made wines. He wanted people to drink them in large quantities.
Due to the earthquake and having a child, Nico has been running the restaurant on her own since 2012. She also took on the role of cooking, and began to uncover local cuisine. Entire towns have been swept away by the sea, but there are still people who know the flavors that have been passed down through the generations. She visited them and learned from them.
"I want to convey the culinary culture of Sanriku. I want to serve the deliciousness of the fishermen's cuisine eaten on the beach without any difference in temperature."
This is how Nicole's cooking became a major pillar. For example, there is the Minami Sanriku fisherman's dish of octopus marinated in soy sauce. It is made by grilling an octopus leg and then marinating it whole in soy sauce. It is thinly sliced and served with pickled Chinese cabbage. Sometimes it is served with hijiki seaweed.
For example, there are oysters caught that morning in Touna, Higashimatsushima, which were given to us by Nico's cousin, who is a fisherman. They also have local pure rice wine on hand to complement the local cuisine.
Guests naturally become acquainted with the local cuisine, which is also deeply satisfying and deeply satisfying. As they savor the food, their hearts warm. This is because Nico, with his easy-going appearance and simple way of speaking, conveys his love for his hometown, natural wine, and fisherman's cuisine, which slowly seeps into their stomachs.
