Ichiban-Gai picture by marhas
How do middle aged men spend their nights in Takayama, if they are not at home? You may find them in so called snack bars (sunakku スナックバー), for example at Ichiban-Gai. They are "perhaps best-described as a toned-down, budget version of hostess clubs. For half a century they’ve offered mostly male patrons a whiff of nostalgia, a bit of female comfort and a home away from home", writes Japan Times. "For the uninitiated, these small, often windowless, bars cluttering narrow, seedy alleys or inhabiting lonely station fronts may seem somewhat intimidating. Once inside, however, visitors can expect to glimpse the role they play as places of communal gathering, somewhat akin to the British pub but in a more intimate setting", writes Alex Martin. Snack bars in Japan serve alcohol and employ female staff who are paid to serve and flirt with male customers.
