Located about an eight-minute walk from Keikyū Minami-Ōta station, Yokohama Suzuki-ya is near the end of Don Don shopping street. It looks like an ordinary local liquor store that you might find in your neighborhood, but once you step inside, you’ll be astounded by the variety of the bottles filling up the shelves. There’s a wide range of Japanese sake and shōchū (a distilled liquor), as well as wine and craft beer, including imported and domestic brands. The third-generation owner, Takashi Suzuki, welcomes every customer with a charming smile. If you love drinking, you’re in utopia!
The family has been running the business since 1963, but it served as a convenience store until Suzuki took over at the age of 25. Suzuki remembers with a laugh “My father always wanted the store to be kind of like a fridge for local customers, but I wanted to strengthen our expertise in all kinds of alcoholic beverages. We were arguing almost all the time.” Little by little, he increased the number of brands at the store. Today, their customers are mostly hardcore fans looking for rare bottles. Suzuki-ya also functions as a place to spread information around Yokohama, because they have products that you can’t find anywhere else.
Even if you are not an expert about alcoholic beverages, Suzuki will happily help you choose gifts or even find a new favorite to drink by yourself. He shares his dream: “I’m planning to make a kakuuchi space (standing bar) using a part of the store one day. It’d be amazing to share ideas and reactions with customers and see them enjoying their drinks in person.” Not sure what to drink tonight? Visit Suzuki-ya to decide!