The numerous wine crates surge up to the door, looming like a lava flow. You open the door and wonder, "Is this a warehouse?", but there's no turning back. Approximately two-thirds of the spacious 66.6 sq. m (76.6 sq ...
Naja is the (miraculous) bar where anyone can discover natural wines that have been aged for 10 or 20 years, enhancing their aroma and flavor. The nearest station, Tsukaguchi Station, is just 12 minutes away by local train from Umeda Station in Osaka. While the bar is located in Hyogo Prefecture, its area code is the same as Osaka City's: 06.
The store opened in 1997. Including a separate room known as the "inner sanctuary," it has over 3,000 bottles of wine. Approximately 80% of these are natural wines that the store began stocking around 2000. The owner, Yonezawa Shinsuke, used to open large quantities of Bordeaux first growths and DRC wines in banquet halls while working at a hotel in Osaka, and has been a connoisseur for over 30 years.
"Not just classic wines, but also natural wines. It's important to let wine age, and that's what makes it interesting. Even if you don't say 10 years, just letting it sit for around five years will make it look completely different from when it was released, as the spectrum of taste and aroma will become more vibrant, and the vibrations of elegance and umami will increase. I hope you can experience that," he says sincerely.
Some of the bottles selected by the owner on this day are, from left, Daniel Sage 2018 Adam Contre Le Beefstick, 15,000 yen; Mazieres 2015 Macabeu, 15,000 yen; and from the large selection of long-aged wines, Guigal 1983 Cotes du Rhone, 16,000 yen. Also on the cutting edge is the Swiss Mitopia 2009 Shining, which has astonished the world, 27,500 yen; and Hungarian Bence Biltock 2018 Pinot Noir, 21,000 yen. 
Pickled cucumber and Parmesan cheese 650 yen. Amagasaki Shimanaka Farm peas and lemon (large) with delicious peel 1,200 yen.
The collection includes countless wines from winemakers who are now becoming almost legendary, such as Christian Tschida, Daniel Sage, Gérard Scheurer, and Mitopia. What's great about this bar is its generosity, allowing even first-time customers to open premium bottles that would normally (if at all) be reserved for regulars.
"Of course, it can be a bit of a hassle when someone orders only rare items right from the start, but if I spend a bit of time chatting across the counter and realise that they really love wine, then I won't hold back. I guess it's all about communication. It's a bar after all," says Yonezawa, his smile and words always filled with affection for wine and his customers who love it.
And today, people still dream of traveling in search of special natural wines. Of course, Paris or Rome might be good options, but you're sure to find something just as thrilling on a journey behind an ordinary door in a quiet residential area of Minami-Tsukaguchi-cho.
