The memories of the childhood shopping street are now deserted, with only a few shops open for business. I remember enjoying shopping with my mother at the market in Akagawa 3-chome shopping street. At the entrance of the shopping street, on the left-hand side, where my classmate's parents used to run a barbershop, there is now a Korean izakaya and a standing bar, so I decided to visit the standing bar. The name of the place is "Akasan Castle," located along the Kita-koen-dori street. The locals call Akagawa 3-chome "Akasan" for short. You can easily spot it by the red tent and standing sign. The narrow entrance leads to a deep interior, with a kitchen and counter seats on the right as you enter. There are also two sunken kotatsu seats at the back. Although the owner was running the place alone, a young woman came to help at the counter by the time I left. The regular customers seemed to be older locals. We started with draft beer and shochu highball to toast. Unfortunately, there were no fresh sashimi dishes available on Sunday due to the market being closed. We tried the daily salad, which was delicious with seasoned chicken. We also had oden, beef tendon, daikon, thick fried tofu, chikuwa, gobō tempura, fried horse mackerel, edamame, and fried chicken. All the dishes were cheap and tasty. We had three draft beers and three shochu highballs, totaling 4040 yen. The food and drinks are reasonably priced and varied. Next time, I will try the recommended sashimi dishes. Thank you for the meal.

Today, I stopped by Akasan Shoueigai in Jokita Kouen-dori, a small shopping street located a little north of Jokita Kouen-dori Station on the JR Osaka Higashi Line. Akasan Shoueigai is a quiet shutter shopping street with not too many people passing by. I visited a standing bar called "Oshoku-dokoro Nomidokoro Akasan" located near the green arch at the entrance of the shopping street. Despite being a standing bar, they also have chairs available. Looking at the menu, they offer a Senbero Set (1,000 yen) and a Choinomi Set (500 yen). The Senbero Set includes 3 drinks and 2 small dishes, while the Choinomi Set includes 1 drink. You can choose from 10 different small dishes such as chilled tofu and rolled omelette. Of course, I ordered the Senbero Set with shochu, potato salad, and garlic chive namul. They also have a variety of other menu items ranging from 200 yen to 600 yen, which is quite reasonable. It's a great place to visit if you're in the area.

The owner of the restaurant is friendly and welcoming, and the food is plentiful! It's a popular local spot with great value for money.

The shop owner has a good personality. I want to visit again.