students at Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine were our main customers," said Osamu Kouke, 73, who opened Daruma 35 years ago.
"It was noisy with heated talk about the company or the college (now named Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology). But these days, most men drink quietly because they are accompanied by women. They don't want to leave a bad impression," he said.
Izakaya, whether a one-off neighborhood dive or a cookie-cutter outlet of a nationwide chain, have evolved their strategies for the sake of survival as rival establishments encroach on their turf.
The first franchise shop of the Yoronotaki Co. izakaya chain opened in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, in April 1966, and similar chains have since flourished.