Visited Akadoritei Inbe on Instagram with a friend. The restaurant has only 6-7 seats, so it's quite cramped with shoulders bumping against neighboring customers. The owner is elderly and quite reserved. Every customer seemed to be drinking quietly alone or in pairs. The atmosphere had a sense of melancholy. My friend and I were hungry, but the menu was limited, so we ordered chicken sashimi, ginkgo skewers, and grilled leeks, then left shortly after. The sashimi was delicious. The skewers were decent, but the cost performance was questionable. It was a place where we wanted to have a quiet drink for our second stop! Being able to smoke was appreciated.

The yakitori restaurant on the 1st floor of the Nankoku Building, which is lined with various types of eateries both inside and around the perimeter. Most yakitori dishes are in the 200 yen range. I ordered thinking I would get 2 skewers per plate, but it turned out to be just 1 skewer. I wondered if they were using high-quality meat, but it tasted pretty average. While many places have expensive food and cheap drinks, this place offers draft beer for only 580 yen, with only foam. The cabbage dressing seemed to be straight from a store-bought bottle, and I have serious doubts about their pricing. I wanted to leave early but it was hard to get the bill, then I got a call from FF saying "Let's go for a drink!" - perfect timing to leave the restaurant.

Visited at 19:10. Sat at the counter and ordered a draft beer. The restaurant is small with only 6 counter seats. Cold tofu and shredded cabbage were served as appetizers. The cabbage can be enjoyed with ponzu sauce or shiso dressing on the table. The orders were as follows: Chicken liver tataki served almost raw with seasoned seaweed. It can be enjoyed with ginger soy sauce or sandwiched in seaweed. Red chicken thigh meat with green onions, juicy and flavorful with a good portion. Skewered chicken skin with lotus root, a nice combination of crispy lotus root and chewy skin. Green onion skewers with a delicious charred and gooey texture. Sausage made from pork head meat, unique and delicious with a good amount of fat. Grilled thick shiitake mushrooms from Oita, flavorful and aromatic. Had another draft beer and Tengu Mai Yamahai Junmai sake from Ishikawa, paid exactly 6000 yen. The restaurant usually closes around 2 pm, but today it closed at 8 pm upon request. It was a bit rushed but very satisfying meal. Would like to revisit and enjoy a leisurely meal with their wide selection of sake. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

After work, I often visit the yakitori restaurant next door. When I walked in one Friday night at 8 pm, I was surprised to see that there were no customers, but the atmosphere created by the stocked fridge and menu displays made me think that this might be a good place after all. What I found interesting was that each person was served a plate piled high with shredded cabbage. The yakitori I tried with it was all delicious, especially the liver which was large and tasty. They had a variety of sake available, including my favorite "Hidashimi" from Ishinomaki, so I had to have a drink. The background music (this is important) was 70s to early 80s enka songs, which was spot-on for my generation. Perhaps the regulars are around the same age or a bit older. The owner seemed quite reserved, but I think it's a pretty good restaurant.

I didn't know where to go in Kokura, so I just decided to go into a random place because it was hot. It turned out to be a great choice! The chicken was delicious, and the shiitake mushrooms and ginkgo nuts were also very tasty. They also recommended a great snack for me. (laughs)

A slightly pricier yakitori place, around 250 yen per skewer. I felt a bit nervous like I might get scolded.

Located on the first floor of the Nangoku Building, a landmark in the drinking district of Kokura, is a yakitori restaurant. It is registered as "Akadori-tei Kajimachi Branch", but I have never heard of a main store. Next to it is another yakitori restaurant called "Yakitori Hayami Kajimachi Branch". Both places always seem to be crowded with customers. It was a Sunday night after 8 pm. The small restaurant has only 8 counter seats. There were two customers, a man and a woman, already seated. The owner was running the place alone. There was no TV, just background music playing old songs, mostly from the Showa era. I sat at the edge of the counter. The owner asked, "Would you like it raw?" I replied, "Yes, please" (420 yen). The appetizer was cold tofu and a mountain of thickly sliced cabbage. I ordered various skewers: liver (160 yen), pork belly (210 yen), skin (160 yen), and negima (210 yen). The size of the liver skewer was surprisingly large and very delicious. Highly recommended. The pork belly was served off the skewer. The prices for the skewers were a bit on the higher side, maybe due to the location in the Nangoku Building? I had one beer, one highball, and two skewers for a total of 2,200 yen. The menu was only displayed inside the restaurant, not on the counter. It was a bit hard to read. The highball was not listed on the menu, I think. The service was minimal and matter-of-fact. While I was there, "The Woman Born in Osaka" was playing, which always puts me in a nostalgic mood. It's a song that somehow makes drinking alone seem fitting, even though there's no need to be sentimental. (laughs)

I often visit this restaurant, but it is often full because there are few seats. Everything is delicious, but the plum, shiso, and hangetsu are especially recommended. There is also a soothing atmosphere.