Eight years ago, there used to be a tiny but dead-cool soul bar called Gonbe in Todoroki, in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward. This area is better known as an upmarket residential neighborhood than as a place to find a hot little bar. Nevertheless, Gonbe was packed every night, but then, in a place that felt crowded with six customers, that wasn't too hard.
Then, four years ago, Kin-chan, the master, married Tomomi, who then joined him behind the bar. So, they decided to renovate and change the name to Slider. But the clientele remained unchanged. It was still full of insomniacs and night owls, who came to sit and sip and listen to the music -- usually till dawn.
A year ago, Slider closed, but only to move to Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward and to get yet another new name. It is now called Ohio -- as in, Players and the home of the Isley Brothers and many other greats in the soul hall of fame. But you will still find Kin-chan and Tomomi behind the bar -- and many familiar faces from Gonbe/Slider sitting in front of it.