Synopsis

The small, intimate establishments known as izakaya – the Japanese-style pubs, snack bars, small restaurants, and bars – are facing a changing landscape. In August of 2023, the “Drinking Alley” in the backstreets of Tateishi, Katsushika-ku, will close after seventy years. A gradual decline in businesses, spurred by redevelopment plans, has dwindled the number to approximately ten remaining establishments. A longtime patron, a fixture for thirty years, belts out karaoke with gusto. A young man sh