The Restaurants of Wakakozake

Every restaurant shown in season 1 of the Japanese television drama Wakakozake. You’re Welcome.

The viewer follows Wakako’s inner dialog as she carefully navigates the menus of the various izakaya or restaurants that often feature regional specialties from around Japan. Her alcohol selection is wide ranging from a thoughtfully paired nihonshu (sake) or a hulking mug of cheap draft beer. Its a wonder she can walk out of the restaurant most episodes.

When the food arrives, Wakako-chan eats with concentration and utter devotion to the experience, savoring each bite and letting out her token catchphrase “Pshuuuuu” when the dining experience hits a climatic point. Its the closest you can get to Japanese food porn without actually watching porn. Self indulgent and voyeuristic, this show allows you to experience an authentic Japanese dining experience but without, ya know, the food.

Ah, but here’s the catch. All the restaurants in the show are real! If you’re in Japan and want to live out your wakako-fantasies, you totally can. I’m planning on visiting Japan very soon and asked the internet for a list of the wakako restaurants… turns out it doesn't exist. So, after some digging, the world now has a complete list of every restaurant featured in Wakakozake, organized by episode. The restaurant title contains a link to the Yelp page when possible or to the Tabelog (the Japanese equivalent). I’ve also added the alcohol pairings and any key notes mentioned in the credits. Enjoy :)

“Murasaki Wakako, age 26 years old. Born with a taste for liquor, I wander the night yet again in search of a place to be. A woman, drinking by myself.”

Sake: “Onekoete” Nakashiro Howke Brewery, Ehime Prefecture

Sake: “Yuho” Mioya Brewery of Isikana

Update: In April I visited Gyoza Muro and Oh My Goodness. The gyoza are just as beautiful in person. This shop is run by what seems to be three generations of a family and is a popular spot. Here’s the skinny. If you speak and write Japanese, the waitress will hand you a paper to write out your gyoza order. If you don’t, one of the staff will work with you to figure out exactly what type of gyoza you want. Knowing just a little Japanese will go a long way here. There is an order minimum, but that will be made clear to you. A starter dish of some sort will be given to you as a “seat charge” and it will be delicious. This “seat charge” thing is common practice in Japan and no, its not just because you’re a foreigner. It’s written on the Japanese menu as well, as is the order minimum. Now that you’re set, sit back and watch the magic as the man making gyoza gets to work. Its like they appear out of thin air! Once they arrive, prepare to bliss out. We had such a good time, so be extra polite to the staff. They are very kind!

Sake: “Takahimizu” Akita Shurui Brewery

Update: In March of this year I was also able to make a pilgrimage Sushi Uosada! The food was delicious and the atmosphere was very authentic. I’m talking smoking indoors and salarymen at the counter. Not being geared towards tourists or foreigners, there was no english menu or english spoken AT ALL. But don’t be deterred! We were waited on by a very sweet and friendly young fellow who helped us best he could and we got by with on our shoddy Japanese. Just know some basic words and be respectful. Specifically, learn to say please, thank you and “what do you recommend”. That will help you get by in most of Japan. I maybe got caught up in the spirit of wakako and drank too much sake, but it was worth it. Try the salted fish guts aka “shuto” and hot sake.

Sake: “Senkin”, Tochigi Prefecture

Sake: “Kanemasu Red” Kanemasu Brewery of Nigata

Sake: “Kuromatsu-Hakushika Honjozo” Tatsuuma-Honke Brewing Co.

Sake: “Ichinokura” Ichinokura Brewery, Miyagi Prefecture

Taking a break from Tokyo, Wakako heads home to Hiroshima to hang out with her high school friend Aya and eat herself silly.

Wakako attends an upscale wedding and spends the entire event guzzling wine and staring longingly at her fork laden with a seemingly endless supply of fish in cream sauce. Seeing as the wedding was western-style, my advice is to get invited to a wedding with a pre-fixe anywhere in America.

And that’s a wrap for season 1! Thanks for making it this far and stay tuned for the breakdown of the shops featured in season 2.

To be continued….

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