Chinese Celadon and a 60-Year-Old Obanzai Restaurant in Kyoto

Dec '25 (edited) • Miscellaneous Posting

I went to Kyoto yesterday to visit two museums that my companion wanted to see. One of them exhibited Chinese celadon, and the pieces were absolutely marvelous. It felt like the world of Hayao Miyazaki and Ghibli — I think he might have drawn inspiration from them.

I also went to an obanzai-ya, a place that serves old-fashioned, home-style Japanese side dishes. My companion found the restaurant — it had been featured on a TV program, Rui Yoshida’s “Pub History” (吉田類の酒場放浪記). Yoshida is a poet of haiku, the traditional 17-syllable Japanese poetry style. In the program, he visits nostalgic Japanese pubs all over Japan, drinking and eating while chatting with the owners, staff, and customers. By the end, he always looks quite drunk. He steps outside the pub, stands in front of the entrance, and recites his poem with a flushed face. Most of the time, you can’t really understand what the poem means — but I love the show, and I love him as well.

After reciting, he always disappears into the night town in his trademark black clothes.

The obanzai-ya was originally established by a woman about six decades ago, and she is now 92. Her daughter runs the place today, and the elderly woman still comes to the restaurant. She chats with the customers, and she told us that when she was young, she once drank 1.8 liters of sake in a single night. Her physical condition isn’t perfect, but her mind is sharp, and she keeps everyone at the counter laughing.

10 comments

Let's Master English

skool.com/lme

Adults mastering American English speaking & listening skills. No cute lessons. Serious. Over 100 LIVE 1-1 Sessions monthly! We do have free lessons✔️

DDM VIP LISTENING COURSE

PIRF VIP SPEAKING COURSE

Free Lessons--Get them here!

Leaderboard (30-day)