Just off Route 171, down the road by Camera no Kitamura.
At the entrance of my usual drinking spot, I had to do a double take.
A little person was sitting there. And in gym-class sitting position, no less.
Here it is.
What an incredible coincidence!
The light from inside the shop hits the handle, and a little person appears.
It’s a tank next to the local sake shop “阿留酎（あるちゅう / Aruchu）,” very close to Chuo Athletic Park.
This is inside “阿留酎（あるちゅう / Aruchu）” ↑
There’s an irori hearth in the middle of the table, and refrigerators filled with sake surround the seating area.
For sake lovers, it’s Disneyland. Basically a dreamland.
They also run it as a liquor shop.
Carefully selected sake from all over Japan is lined up in the refrigerators, and you can buy it at almost cost price.
Believe it or not, the manager is a sake professional with 53 years devoted to this path.
He’ll gladly help with any sake-related questions♪
This is the manager, Takenaka-san.
He’s a dandy gentleman with a wonderful smile.
I’ve been a fan of this shop and Takenaka-san for more than 10 years, since my student days!
Here it is on the map ↓
The address is 6-6 Aoki-cho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.
Finally
Why not stop by to see the “little person of Aruchu” and pick up a bottle of sake to enjoy while you’re there?
If you say, “I saw the article on Nishinomiya Tsushin!”, the kind manager will be happy to introduce you to delicious sake from around Japan＾＾
He may occasionally be out, but he says, “Just call me and it’s okay~♪”
Phone number 090-9169-0626
