On Friday evening, I enjoyed a meal with ingredients from Boomerang Shokudo in Showacho and Kurimoto Sengyo Store. I had fresh bluefin tuna, bonito sashimi, somen noodles from Shodoshima, and a dessert called "Mori no Yubeshi" from Sendai Sweets. I also had a special junmai unfiltered sake from Shikura-yaki in Kokura, purchased from MELKED. Everything was excellent and made for a happy meal.

I visited on a business trip with a client. I did some research before arriving at Kokura Station and found a sake stand bar. After finishing work, I went in with the client and found a wide variety of lesser-known Japanese sake. We tried three different types at first, then another three, and added three more. We also brought in some yakitori from the neighboring shop. It was a great experience enjoying unique Japanese sake. The staff were also very nice. I recommend this place for those who want to relax a bit at Kokura Station. I will definitely come back again.

When riding the Shinkansen at Kokura Station or getting off, a convenient place to stop by is Melkido at Viera Kokura. You can stop by for a quick drink and enjoy standing and drinking at this shop after buying some snacks from various nearby stores. If you like a particular drink, you can also purchase it to take home!

A long-awaited standing bar in the station! "MELKED" in Kokura. The commercial facility on the Shinkansen side of Kokura Station has been renovated, and there is a standing bar called "MELKED". What a great location! You just have to have a drink here. It's more like a standing bar, or rather a "kakuchi". They also sell alcohol, provided in the form of "tasting". A single cup in a guinomi glass is 550 yen, and three cups are 1100 yen. So, I'll have three cups. The selection includes Choyo Fukumusume, Iwanoi, and 3890. Iwanoi from Chiba is a heavy but rich sake made with yamahai and hard water. Overall, there are many brands I haven't tried before. It's dangerous to have a place like this in the station... I have to come back to Kokura again. Store Information: MELKED Vierra 3F, 1-1-1 Asano, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu City

JR West Japan has released a special ticket called "Dice Ticket." The third edition allows you to travel round trip from Okayama to Kokura, Matsuyama, Nara, and Tsuruga on weekdays for 5,000 yen and on weekends and holidays for 8,000 yen. My dice rolled to Kokura. I boarded the Shinkansen from Okayama and headed straight to Kokura. I visited the Kyushu Railway History Museum and the Moji Electric Railway Retro Museum, then explored the Moji Port souvenir street before returning to Moji Port Station. After being rocked by the train, I returned to Kokura Station, the starting point for the return trip with the Dice Ticket. I still had time before my reserved "Sakura" train, so I took a look under the viaduct at Vieira Kokura. At this shop, if you show your Dice Ticket, you can sample some Japanese sake. I decided to stop by and try it out. I received their recommended sake, 3890 "Nakadori." When I tasted it, I found it to be a robust and dry sake with a strong flavor brewed using the kimoto method. While I enjoy sake with a refreshing taste, sometimes I crave this kind of bold sake. The thoughtful gesture of providing water to cleanse the palate after a drink was also appreciated. You can truly sense the owner's desire for customers to experience the greatness of Japanese sake. Thank you for the wonderful experience.