After attending a drinking event at a shop in Shakujii Park, I decided to stop by this sake specialty store that I had planned to visit beforehand. As I walked around the store, I could feel the prestigious atmosphere of the traditional liquor shop. The selection of beers in the showcase at the back was amazing, and they also had a great selection of Japanese sake. As I was admiring the display, the landlady came out and explained about the shop. Unfortunately, the blueberry beer I was looking for was sold out. I was told that last year, there was a large outbreak of parrots that ate the berries, and the harvest was affected due to a decrease in bees. I was surprised to come across a blueberry farm while taking a walk earlier, but I guess incidents like this can happen in the city. They mentioned that they won't have any in stock until around October, so I hope to come back around that time. Instead, I decided to have a glass from the beer tap outside. It was the Komagatake Ale. I enjoyed the beer at an outdoor table while the landlady shared various stories about Shakujii Park with me. We talked about the upcoming Princess Teru Festival and local celebrities for about 30 minutes. Shakujii Park is a nice place. I look forward to visiting again during the blueberry season.

I missed the semi-express train from Nerima Station, which would have taken me to Ishigami Koen Station in just 4 minutes, followed by a 3-minute walk. Instead, I ended up spending a long time at the bar. I visited the bar near our shop to prepare for the soba noodle meetup at Raicho, where I had a South Shinshu IPA. It wasn't too hoppy, but had a solid malt flavor. The back of the register was lined with tempting Japanese sake bottles, and I noticed the mark of a prestigious sake association, so I asked the landlady about it. This led to a lively conversation about sake. She had strong convictions and deep knowledge, drawing me in further. Oh, it's time to meet up! Reluctantly leaving, I stopped by Shira-sagi here! Thank you for the meal. I look forward to learning more from you! *I have summarized my visit to this standing bar in a diary. Please take a look if you are interested.

Nerima Ward is spacious with lots of greenery and parks. Occasionally, I visit Shakujii Park for a walk (maybe once a year? lol). Since the development in front of Shakujii Park Station has been completed, various shops and chain stores have been popping up. Among them, there is a lovely liquor store called Iseya Suzuki Shoten. This store offers sake tasting, and during the summer, you can see people chatting with a glass of draft beer in hand on the benches outside. It's nice to be served beer in a glass. The types of draft beer available may vary depending on the season, but they also have a selection of bottled beers from around the world and a good variety of Japanese sake. The store also sells locally grown vegetables and homemade jams, and the customers are clearly regulars. On this day, I decided to have a draft beer, and they offered a Belgian beer. They had two types available, one with a high alcohol content (9 percent) and the regular one (4.5 percent). Despite not being served chilled due to the season, it was still delicious at the right temperature. As it was winter, they took their time pouring the beer into the glass, creating a nice foam cap, and before I knew it, I was chatting with other beer enthusiasts who had gathered there. It's a great liquor store like that (*´艸｀) It's located along the shopping street, and it's easy to miss, so when you visit, take your time and look to the left as you walk by. Enjoy! *The photo shows Belgian draft beer (Alc. 4.5 percent) for 750 yen.

I visited Iseya Suzuki Shoten at Shakujii Park. The shop is open from 11:00 to 23:00 with no regular holidays unless there are events. This was my second visit, and I will likely visit again in the future. They offer a variety of sake, wine, and craft beer, and you can enjoy standing bar style service. They don't serve cooked dishes, but they have canned food and snacks that pair well with high-quality alcohol. Today, I also tried some cherry tomatoes and fig bananas grown by a nearby farmer. It was a luxurious experience to eat produce harvested nearby in the morning. I started with a unique blueberry beer that can probably only be found here. The blueberries were sourced from a farm in Nerima where Shakujii Park Station is located. The beer had a refreshing acidity and the distinct flavor of blueberries. It's impressive how they turned surplus produce from farmers into a delicious product. They also offer craft beers on tap and bottled beers. Although the selection is not extensive, there were some tempting options. If you ask for recommendations, they will suggest snacks that pair well with your drink. They are knowledgeable about sake and can recommend based on your preferences. The Junmai Ginjo Kiyosu from Watanabe Sapei Shoten in Nikko, with a unique label, is a rare aged sake that I hope to try someday. They offer good quality sake at reasonable prices. This is a hidden gem that I hesitate to share, but I believe it would be even better if more people knew about it. The seating area is not large, but you can enjoy sharing seats or standing while savoring your drink.

Visit date: July 7, 2015 I found myself at Ishigami Koen Park Station somehow. I had missed the train I was supposed to take while daydreaming. Since I was already here, I thought I might as well take a leisurely walk and clear my mind before heading back. [Iseya Suzuki Shoten] I took a stroll from Ishigami Koen Park Station. I did some shopping at the 100-yen store, and as I walked a bit further, I came across a liquor store with tables at the entrance. Could this be it? Upon some research, I found out it was a "kakudachi" (standing bar). As someone who makes it a life's work to visit kakudachi places, I knew I had to stop by. Upon entering the shop, a prominent poster caught my eye. "We have made sparkling wine with local blueberries from Nerima." I didn't know blueberries were grown in Nerima. It sounded unique, so I decided to try it. Nerima Blueberry Broy (700 yen) I received a glass and took a sip. It had a refreshing acidity. However, considering it was made with blueberries, the acidity wasn't as high as I expected. It had a fruity taste that stood out more than a beer-like taste, and it had a good flavor. While it may not deliver the throat-quenching sensation expected of a summer beer, it was quite enjoyable as a beer to savor. It might be more appealing to women than men. As I was enjoying my drink, the shop owner asked me, "How is it?" I shared my honest impression, which seemed to differ from the impressions of the majority of other customers, in terms of the acidity and beer-like qualities. Well, since I liked it, I thought it was fine. I asked about this year's brewing, and the owner explained that due to the cold weather, the blueberry harvest was delayed, and there were concerns about not being able to achieve the necessary yield in some cases. It seemed like a gamble with the weather. I hope they can brew it again this year and I can encounter this beer once more. Thank you for the meal. I will come back again!

Tonight, I had a drinking party at Shakujii Park. I arrived earlier than the meeting time, so I thought I'd have a quick pre-party. While looking for a nice place to drink while taking a walk, I found a liquor store in front of Silzana, an Indian restaurant where I went during the "Shakujii Park Drinking Tour". I asked the man who seemed to be the owner if it was okay to drink there, and he said, "Oh, sure, go ahead. I'm a customer too (laughs)." Oh, he was a customer. In that case, I'll take him up on his offer. I found Iseya Suzuki Saketen in front of the store, where there is a cold plate (a simple draft beer dispenser) set up, so it seems like you can enjoy authentic street-side drinking. I was curious about a poster posted on the storefront, so I asked the landlady, and she explained it in detail. She said it was a beer made with blueberries from Nerima, and it was very delicious. Well, if she said that, I had to order it. I thought a bottle of beer would arrive, but she started pouring it from a barrel connected to the draft beer dispenser. - Nerima Blueberry Broy ¥700 The blueberry draft beer (happoshu) poured into a stylish tumbler had a beautiful bright reddish-purple color. The aroma wasn't too strong, and when I took a sip, I was like, "Wow, this is seriously delicious." The smooth bitterness of draft beer and the faint blueberry aroma were a perfect match. It exceeded my imagination in taste, and it was good that it wasn't sweet because real blueberries were used. It's a refreshing and light taste, different from sweet fruit beer cocktails. The landlady was a very friendly person and talked about a blueberry farm (blueberry picking) in Osawa and a store called "Damochiya" that sells traditional Japanese sweets and snacks between the two. The customers were also very friendly. What's more, the landlady bought some cheese for me and shared half of it. It was really delicious, and according to the landlady, the smoked cheese was homemade by Iseya. After finishing the draft beer, I looked for the next drink inside the store. Then I saw a painting by the manga artist Tetsuya Chiba, who lives in Nerima Ward. - Wednesday's Cat ¥324 A fruity beer similar to Yona Yona. The refreshing taste of orange peel is nice. - Homemade Smoked Wiener ¥400 The wieners are also homemade smoked, and they come in a pack of two, so I gave one to a customer. This wiener also goes perfectly with craft beer. I wanted to try the recommended beer from Israel, but the meeting time was approaching. I'm looking forward to visiting this cozy street-side drinking place again. If you're a resident of Nerima Ward, this is a liquor store you'll want to remember.

This is a liquor store where you can enjoy barrel-aged Heartland beer. You can have a glass of barrel-aged Heartland beer in a 330ml glass and sit outside at the chairs and tables placed in front of the store. It's like a terrace seating with a secured space. There are also snacks available in small portions in the refrigerator across the counter, so you can enjoy delicious beer with some snacks. The quality is good and the price is very reasonable, making it a great value for money. During events in the shopping street, they also sell sake and snacks outside the store, so you can have even more fun at that time.

Today, I went to a drinking party at Shakujii Park. As usual, I arrived early and went in alone for the pre-party. Inside, there was a great variety of Japanese sake. This time, I tried the famous sparkling wine made with blueberries from Nerima. The drinking area was not inside the store, but rather tables and benches near the entrance. I noticed a flyer for a tipsy storytelling event, and when I asked, I found out that it was being held here. I decided to buy a ticket in advance. After finishing the blueberry sparkling wine, I said thank you for the meal. At the tipsy storytelling event, they offer simple snacks and alcohol for a fee. Now, I just hope that I won't end up completely drunk at the event.

Purchasing barrel sake at Tenranzan.