80-year history: At Maruni, which occupies the first floor of a converted rice store in Shinbashi (below), it's grill your own meat on oil drum grills. | ROBBIE SWINNERTON PHOTOS
Like so many casual eating/drinking spots opening in these cash-strapped times, Maruni keeps things simple and cheap. It's basically a standing bar serving yakiniku barbecue, with a brightly lit interior and retro wooden facade. What sets it apart from just about any other place of its kind is that the old- fashioned look is not just skin deep.
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