A boutique liquor store in Yokohama established in 1890 is notable enough for its long history, but Motomachi Aichiya Tsubosaki-shoten (hereafter, Aichiya) has much more than that to be proud of. There’s a quaint tasting bar where you can enjoy selections of fine alcoholic beverages. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. And tucked behind the building, there’s a tiny, attached izakaya called Kyuusuke.
Mitsuru Tsubosaki, an accredited kikizakeshi (sake sommelier), is the warm personality you’re most likely to meet there. His father is actually the fourth-generation president and, together with Mitusuru and his wife, the three run the shop. The selection of sake, beer, and other spirits is by no means vast given Aichiya’s size, but it makes up for that with high-quality, well-curated selections. The highlight is the tasting bar on one side of the store. Kakuuchi (‘standing and drinking’) was once a popular, post-work pastime at small neighborhood joints like this, but many of these old-school liquor stores have regrettably died out–and with them, this custom of affordable drinks and friendly banter. A board above the bar lists the available selections: five sake, five wines, a popular whisky, and several types of shochu, all for just ¥500. As our company also publishes the world’s only sake magazine, Sake Today, we can vouch for the quality of sake at Aichiya. Would you expect anything less from a sake sommelier? The bar inside the store is usually open from 5pm to 9pm (last call at 8:30)*, Tuesday to Saturday.
Kyuusuke, meanwhile, is operated by Mitsuru’s mother and older brother. Sitting at one of the stools at the short counter, it feels like you’re in somebody’s kitchen–you literally are! That’s how they did it in the old days and this charming, humble space is one of the few left. It’s all traditional, homestyle Japanese cooking for good prices. Oh yes, and there is sake…
*due to COVID restrictions, currently ~8pm (last call at 7:40)