Norakudo (Fukuroi izakaya)

Just as they claim, no other stores in Fukuroi close after Norakudo. This place is open until 5 in the morning. Owners and employees from other restaurants stop by here after work to have some drinks. The owner worked part-time at an izakaya in Hachioji, Tokyo for 4 years when he was a university student. That experience fascinated him and made him decide to work in the restaurant industry. He came back to Fukuroi when he was 27 years old. We talked about eyes that found beauty in the everyday lives of Marcel Duchamp and Sen no rikiyu, the statues of Buddha created by Unkei and Kaikei, the dream of Soseki Natsume, and whether amazing things are created or are simply that way from the very beginning. We went on having conversations without conclusion. It is nice to go to restaurants with a dress code sometimes. But I prefer a casual place where I can have some drinks and chat with good friends who can talk endlessly about anything. This is the real beauty of everyday life that we were talking about. It is so ordinary that I forgot about it sometimes, but I thank Fukuroi for having ordinary places just waiting for me to come back to them.

The leg of prosciutto on the counter draws my eyes. Their food menu also has a great reputation. You can enjoy your time there all night long.