There are many places to drink in the city. However, few people can immediately think of a place where they can go out and drink alcohol in public.

There is a place near Niigata Station where you can fulfil this wish and drink to your heart's content in a retro atmosphere reminiscent of a Showa-era food stall village. That is the Ekimae Rakutenchi.

The temperature is gradually rising, and earlier today there were businessmen stirring up beer on the benches outside.

This ekimae Rakutenchi is about a five-minute walk from the Bandai Exit of JR Niigata Station. It is spread out in an L-shape on a retro alley lined with old buildings.

Looking up in the alleyway, the building is quite old. There is something about it that gives it a unique atmosphere, like a corner of East Asia.

In the past, many of these restaurants used to be 'shoppe' in Niigata dialect, but recently, more and more restaurants with a stylish atmosphere have opened. This is a Vietnamese restaurant.

どこも、屋外に小さな椅子とテーブル。写真右はクラフトビールで有名なOliveさん。店内もオシャレです。

積み上がったビールケースが、いい雰囲気を作っています。しかしどの店も外観は結構キレイ。まだ外飲みをする方は少なそうですが、これから暑くなってくるとビールをくいっとやりたくなりませんか？

I am not a drinker, but I love this kind of atmosphere! I would love to be outdoors on a hot night, talking passionately and drinking a nice, cold beer (non-alcoholic beer)!

Spotlight.

station-side paradise

• Address: 3 Benten, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.