NEWSWORTHY
One of Australia's most well-known pubs, located in the remote Outback thousands of kilometers from major cities, is on the market for the first time in decades and attracting local and international interest. The 134-year-old Birdsville Hotel is the sole watering hole for the town ...
Japan's watered-down smoking ban clears Diet
Lighting up in public facilities prohibited for the first time as the nation scrambles to combat secondhand smoke in the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Games.
'Life or death': Tokyo pub owners fear impact of tougher smoking laws
Hiroshi Yoshida is facing a dilemma. Under an anti-smoking ordinance adopted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly last month, the 73-year-old owner of a small udon (wheat noodles) restaurant in the Takadanobaba district will soon have to make a choice: declare the entire interior nonsmoking or ...
Ministry considers smoking ban exception for small bars, clubs, restaurants
The health ministry is considering allowing smoking in small bars, clubs and restaurants as exceptions to anti-smoking regulations that are being contemplated, ministry sources said Wednesday. The move comes after the restaurant industry voiced opposition to a comprehensive smoking ban that may be imposed ahead ...
A small bar in Tokyo's Nakano Ward is becoming popular with middle-aged men who like to make plastic models of characters from the "Mobile Suit Gundam" cartoon. "It's like a secret base," said Kentaro Nonaka, 36, a company worker who lives in adjacent Suginami Ward ...
At Shinjuku club, cross-dressing men let their hair, guard down
Like many haunts in Shinjuku Ni-chome, Tokyo's gay quarter, Onnanoko Club (Girls' Club) seeks to provide a home from home for its clientele, with staff chatting at ease with customers to take their minds off the stresses of daily life. The smiling hostesses are decked ...
Tokyo court ruling says adultery OK if it's for business: experts
A decision by the Tokyo District Court to reject a compensation case against a night club hostess who had a long-running sexual relationship with one of her clients effectively endorses adultery, experts say. The ruling said the man's wife was ineligible for compensation from the ...
Takazawa adds Akasaka bar to his name
Great news: Chef Yoshiaki Takazawa has opened a bar. This is fantastic for all those who know the beautiful bijou, high-end restaurant in Akasaka that bears his name. Revered by visiting gourmets, it is one of the hardest tables in town to book. Now, ...
A little shiokara goes a long way at Surugaya Kahei
The specialty at this little counter-type sake bar is shiokara, the salty, odoriferous innards of assorted seafood.
A new ordinance banning street touts who lure customers into restaurants and bars, often by promising them discounts and then charging exorbitant sums of money, went into effect in designated areas of the city of Osaka on Wednesday. While there are already strict regulations on ...
Tokyo jumps on theme bar bandwagon
Tokyo and its surrounding areas provide an array of entertainment spots to serve the varied interests of its inhabitants, day or night. The latest fads are theme bars and restaurants for those seeking an unusual drinking or dining experience. Guys who were fascinated by ...
Monks gone wild? Not quite, but Buddhism is indeed trying out new ways to reach the next generation.
