★Ever since high school, I’ve always had wanderlust. Each time I’d drift away somewhere, it always turns out to be a makai, a “world of magic.”, a “wonderland”. After days of wandering through the woods and mountains, I find myself at some nondescript kissaten coffee shop in a little town more often than not quietly reading a novel while chowing down on a plate of Japanese spaghetti served by an elderly owner. I’ll always be fond of such moments.

★One time in Kathmandu, Nepal, I found myself in a run-down drinking hole in an area known to be somewhat dangerous. As I indulged in my drink alone amidst the bustle, an intense-looking guy approached, holding a rather curious-looking skewer of meat. “Eat!” he said, glaring at me. Without hesitation, I took a bite. It tasted like the roast giblets I would eat in Japan. Before I knew it, everyone else had joined us and we were partying. The excitement escalated the moment they knew I’ve come all the way from Japan. We drank the night away…and I remember nothing after that. I still have no idea what kind of meat it was.

★Once, I was in a small town near Chongqing, China. I was hungry, so I went wandering about in pitch-darkness. I then found a shabby little hut. An old lady came out so I asked her if there was anything to eat. She went off somewhere. A few minutes later, she came back with a small bowl of hot noodles! I still remember the mildly spicy, light-tasting soup and the fat, firm noodles. I started eating, then heard a snapping sound, and the lights suddenly went out.

I turned on my headlamp and went on slurping my noodles. Then, out of nowhere, a man came up on his motorbike. As soon as he took a glance at me, he shone his motorbike lights at my direction, blank-faced. A mugger? Fortunately, not. He turned out to be a nice young man. He hadn’t heard of Japan before. I was about to pay for the meal, but the old lady said there was no need. The least I could do was to share cigarettes with her and the young man. The three of us smoked in silence in the darkness and bid farewell, shaking hands. It was like being in a movie.

★For me, a makai is definitely NOT a terrifying place where strange people come and go, as one might think.
Universally, they are places where very few people visit, where there’s no need for conversation, and where one can spend time alone and enjoy it.
Makai in Japan have five distinct traits:
(1) Over 50 years of history
(2) You’ll think twice before entering
(3) The owner doesn’t speak much
(4) An abacus lying around
(5) Quiet

★Makai places in Tokyo are rapidly decreasing. More than ten of my favorite drinking spots have shuttered their doors in the past few years, for reasons such as aging owners, absence of successors, and area redevelopment. The places we visited in the program are no exception, and no one knows when they’re bound to close. Convincing the owners to let our cameras in wasn’t easy. They’re basically not at all fond of magazine, TV media outlets. :)

No Wi-Fi, no credit cards, no “omotenashi” hospitality.
These could be the worst-ever specifications for a first-time visitor from overseas. :)
But do muster up the courage to step inside. A taste of genuine NIPPON, an experience like nowhere else, awaits.