Finding Endorphin for the first time was like unraveling a mystery. Word of mouth is an excellent source of leads, but sometimes the modern-myth syndrome kicks in as the word is passed along. The stories I accumulated for what I thought was one little rock bar in Jiyugaoka turned out to be for two bars -- which wasn't so much a problem as a bonus.
It was easy to see how the two bars could be confused. Both are corridor-shaped, both play mostly '70s vinyl (with impressive collections of same lining a significant amount of wall space) and both are very close to the station. What was missing at Sonne, though, was darkness, guitars and Led Zeppelin. On mentioning this to Leo and Rie, who run Sonne, they shut up shop and personally took me to Endorphin.
That was five years ago. Last month, Endorphin moved, which may leave some regulars dazed and confused. But rest assured, although the location has changed, the songs remain the same. As I pushed through the door on my first visit to the new Endorphin, Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" was blasting forth. The interior is -- as ever -- an invitingly long dark corridor. And candles are still the main form of illumination, with recessed lighting in the ceiling draped in soft folds of fabric to further diffuse the light.