Dinner was done, and it was fully night out.
April air — not too warm, not too cold. Just right.
As it got dark, the air turned a little cool, and that made it even better.
I’d picked out a place to go tonight. A small bar in Kikuramachi(木倉町). It was only my second evening in Kanazawa, but somehow the back alleys of Katamachi 2-chome already felt familiar. All that walking since yesterday afternoon must have helped.
Kikuramachi is a street tucked right in the middle of Katamachi 2-chome. It looks like it should be part of Katamachi, but oddly enough, this alley has its own separate administrative district. Probably has something to do with Kanazawa’s history, or something like that.
I arrived at Kikuramachi Plaza. Grand name, but in person it’s just a small neighborhood park.
I sat down for a moment to collect myself. I had a feeling I was about to step into a world that belonged entirely to locals.
Yakitori Yokocho(やきとり横丁). I’d noticed it the previous evening while poking around for dinner. Despite the name, it’s not a restaurant serving yakitori — it’s the name of a tiny alley at the entrance of Kikuramachi. Apparently it goes by Yakiyoko for short.
It’s a very narrow alley, with individual shops lined up side by side inside a long building. The kind of places that look cash-only, packed with regulars, where a tourist might hesitate to walk in.
I took a breath at the plaza, steadied myself, and opened the door.
Oh — it was already open. The place is called Higenomise(ひげの店). It means “Hige’s shop.” You could stretch it to something like “The Bearded One’s Place,” but the owner’s name is actually Hige(髭), so strictly speaking, it has nothing to do with beards.
I walked in with a greeting. No other customers. Eight o’clock and a bit is still a little early for a wine bar to fill up.
The bar was very small. In front of Hige-san’s little kitchen, where he prepares food and wine, there’s an L-shaped counter. Comfortable for six, maybe eight if you squeeze in.
I started with a white wine by the glass. Lisbonita. Pretty Lisbon? Cute Lisbon? Something like that. The name suggests Portuguese, and it was — clean, bright, a good wine. It made me trust his taste in wine.
With no other customers, I found myself chatting with Hige-san. I noticed a “25th anniversary” card in the corner and asked about it — he said the anniversary was last year.
When I mentioned I’d come from Korea, he seemed a little surprised. He asked how I’d found the place. I told him I’d looked it up on Google Maps. He nodded, but his expression said something like: “How did a first-time visitor to Kanazawa end up here?”
Four customers walked in.
They naturally started talking to me. That’s the kind of place this is. Small bar, mostly regulars — people say hello and fall into conversation.
I told them I was traveling from Korea, first time in Kanazawa. That got a reaction: “You’re in Kanazawa for the first time and you came to Higenomise?” It made me feel like this place — and Yakiyoko itself — was somewhere only people who really love drinking would know about. A genuinely local alley.
Two of the four were visitors from Tokyo. Their Kanazawa friends were showing them around. One of those friends, I was told, is an enka singer with several albums out. His name is Yuki Kazuaki(友貴一彰), and his latest song is “金沢片町、夜8時” — “Kanazawa Katamachi, 8pm.”
Another customer came in. A woman, on her own.
Hige-san introduced me — a traveler from Korea. She was an old high school friend of his, he said. She works at a place called Nihonshu Makoto(日本酒真琴) near Higashi Chaya-gai. She’d stopped by for a drink after closing up.
A little later, the owner of that place — Makoto-san — also dropped in. From the business card I received, I could see it listed kikizakeshi (sake sommelier), so it seems she holds that certification.
I ended up visiting that place later in the trip. When connections like this come up, I tend to follow through. I went a few days later for dinner and nihonshu. It was a good place too — I’ll write about it another time.
After the group of four left, a cheerful man came in on his own.
He greeted everyone except me like an old friend, naturally. I slipped in a hello from the side. Mukai Hisaharu(向久治) runs a place called Hiroko(弘幸) in Shintenchi. Today was his day off, he said — he was making his rounds, bar to bar.
He seemed like a genuinely good-natured, cheerful guy, and I was curious about his place. Everyone in the bar vouched for it enthusiastically. I’d actually been asking the other customers about snack bars, and Hiroko came up as a place that captures that atmosphere well. So I actually went — and it was great. I’ll get to that one later too.
I’d walked into Higenomise around half past eight. I left well past eleven. Nearly three hours of laughing and talking.
Hige-san is a bit gruff, but his wine selections are excellent, and there’s a warmth and humor tucked inside that gruffness that I found charming. And the time spent laughing and talking with the other customers — that was the best part.
His English isn’t great, but everyone here is so friendly that not speaking Japanese wouldn’t be a dealbreaker. That said, knowing even a little Japanese would make the whole thing a lot more fun.
You can order wine by the bottle, but white, rosé, and red are also available by the glass. I didn’t get to try the food properly, but the French-style dishes are apparently very affordable and quite good.
Honestly, this place was one of the real finds of this Kanazawa trip. I’d love to come back the next time I’m in town. And I’d like to say thank you — for making that last trip such a good one.
One thing to note: the bar is small and popular, so arriving on the early side is a good idea if you want a seat.
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