All anniversaries should be celebrated, and hitting the five-year mark holds a special importance. But for Kotaro Hayashi, reaching that milestone a few months back carried even more significance. That's because he opened his diminutive restaurant a scant few weeks after the massive 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. At the time of the disaster — with Tokyo badly shaken, its streets in darkness and a populace that had lost its appetite in the face of the devastation in northeast Japan — it did not seem auspicious or appropriate to embark on a business devoted to eating and drinking.
Thankfully he pressed on, with only minimal delay, and Kotaro soon became a favorite for those wanting an afterwork stopover in Shibuya.
They continue to come for Hayashi's excellent cooking and his fridge of premium sake, which he selects with impeccable taste from his favorite kura (breweries) around the country. But, more than that, the regulars return for the pleasure of sitting at the splendid timber counter that runs the length of his compact open kitchen.