Ken's Japan Recs

Ken and Sheena’s Naha memory: freshly caught squid, cold beers, and awamori at a bar that has since closed its doors. The kind of unplanned night that ends up defining a trip — a reminder to say yes to the small bar with the handwritten menu. Gone, but filed under essential Okinawa.

A bar that earned a 4.9 before closing its doors — the reviews read like love letters to a place people were sad to lose. It lives on here as a reminder that the best bars are often the smallest ones. If something with the same spirit opens in its place, go.

A Ginza sushi counter Ken had saved — the note even kept the address — but the place no longer exists. It stays on the list as a marker of intent: this is the caliber of sushi bar worth hunting. May its successor honor the address.

A riverside cafe that once felt like a quiet retreat from the city — wholesome food, calm water, and an easy pace. It specialized in the kind of gentle, nourishing cooking that’s hard to find. Closed now, but the riverside walks it anchored are still there.

A secret bar that kept its secrets — only a handful of reviews before it closed, all glowing. The name alone promised adventure. It’s gone now, but the truly great small bars always feel a little mythical in retrospect.

The Akihabara branch of Shogun Burger has closed — but the Shibuya original still flies the flag. File this one under “glad we went”; the Electric Town location had its own loyal lunch crowd.