A new take on a fading part of Japanese drinking culture.

Our Japanese-language writer Kouhey was feeling thirsty while out and about the other day, and so he decided to treat himself to a glass of wine. Actually, he decided to treat himself to two glasses of wine, but instead of being poured by a bartender, he got them from a vending machine.

This unusual situation came about when Kouhey was at Aeon Tsudanuma South, a shopping mall that opened this past spring in the town of Narashino in Chiba, the prefecture just east of Tokyo. Aeon Malls often have attached supermarkets, and the Tsudanuma South one has an Aeon Liquor specialty shop on the first floor too.

Aeon Liquor isn’t a super high-end place, but it’s got a nice lineup of both domestic and imported beer, wine, and other spirits, plus a good selection of Japanese sake. But what really caught Kouhey’s eye were the shop’s “kaku-uchi” signs.

Kaku-uchi, or kakuuchi, depending on how you want to render it, is a Japanese word that refers to a type of combination liquor store and bar, where customers have the option of purchasing alcoholic beverages to take home or having a drink right there inside the shop. Kakuuchi shops used to be more common a generation or two ago, especially in blue collar neighborhoods, but they’re becoming harder and harder to find in the modern era.

Aeon Liquor’s kakuuchi service, which they call Kaku-uchi by Aeon Liquor, doesn’t let you crack open anything you bought inside the store, but is instead sort of an attached bar with both alcoholic and soft drinks, and even light fare and sweets to snack on. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and there’s even a “happy hour,” which actually lasts five hours, from 3 to 8 p.m.

Draft beer, sake, or wine by the glass are ordinarily just 330 yen (US$2), but during happy hour they offer a special combo of two glasses of wine and some appetizers for 660 yen. This is what Kouhey decided to order, and after paying at the register, he was given two empty wine glasses…

…as well as two tokens, to insert into the shop’s wine-dispensing vending machines.

There are three machines at the back of the store, one with four kinds of white wine, another with four reds, and a third with sake (which you can also use the vending machine tokens on). Kouhey was happy to see that for each wine there’s a chart showing its individual characteristics, so even if you don’t know a pinot grigio from a Gewurztraminer, you’ll be able to pick out a wine that’s crisp, rich, or otherwise matches what you’re in the mood for.

Once you’ve made your pick, you simply put a token into the machine, place your glass under the spout for the wine you want, press its corresponding button once, and wait for your pour.

If you’re doing the happy hour set, you pick up your hors devours at the counter, and then find a place at a table to enjoy everything!

Sipping his wine, Kouhey was very impressed with the quality. It was flavorful but not syrupy, honestly startlingly delicious for something this affordably priced.

Likewise, the cheese and pate made for classily palate-pleasing pairings.

Kouhey had shown up around 4 o’clock in the afternoon on a weekend, and the place was the perfect amount of crowded. There were enough other customers for a lively atmosphere, it wasn’t so packed that people were bumping elbows with each other. During his stay, he ended up sharing a table with two different married couples, one a younger husband and wife who, like him, were trying out the Aeon kakuuchi for the first time, and the other an older pair who say they’re already regular customers at the place.

The fun, easygoing conversations were as big a component of Kouhey’s fun as the drinks. In Japan, it’s not always so easy to strike up conversations with strangers, especially since at izakaya pubs every group gets their own table, and sometimes even their own room. But here, the shared space and casual vibes made it easy clink glasses and shoot the breeze.

As we mentioned above, Aeon Mall is actually a chain of shopping malls, and Tsudanuma South isn’t the only one with a Aeon Liquor inside. Kouhey is hoping the kakuuchi setup expands to other branches soon, including his local one, so that he can become a regular too.

Shop information
Aeon Liquor Tsudanuma South / イオンリカー津田沼South
Address: Chiba-ken, Narashino-shi, Tsudanuma 1-10-30, Aeon Mall Tsudanuma South 1st floor
千葉県習志野市津田沼1-10-30 イオンモール津田沼South 1階
Open 9 a.m.-11 p.m. (kakuuchi available 11 a.m.-11 p.m.)
Website

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