Kagaya can be found in Shinbashi, close to the mega-popular tourist hub of Ginza. Just a 5-minute walk from the station, it’s a breeze to find. Business is open from 6:30pm to 3:00am every night excluding Sundays and public holidays.

Here is the entrance to Kagaya. While inconspicuous enough, there’s somewhat of a suspicious aura! And what could ‘Frog is Stranger Than Fiction’ mean...?

We were met by Timothy and Cassie. With our expectations high, we ventured in!

The inside boasts traditional Japanese floor seating with 6 tables all snugly compacted in a cozy room. This limited spacing forces customers to be close with one another, encouraging conversation and often spawning new friendships.

The next most eye-catching facet is the numerous frogs! All are presents given by regular customers to the frog-loving owner! He must have quite a fan-base!

Timothy: “While the atmosphere is relaxing, I’m a little on edge waiting to find out what we’ll be seeing today!”

Without missing a beat, the cheery owner jumps out to greet us with an enthusiastic “irasshaimase!” But something’s a little off...?

Instead of the owner himself, a small doll he is holding passes a wet towel to Timothy. A roar of laughter erupts from Cassie, who is watching the dumbstruck Timothy from the sidelines.

What a start to the night! In addition to this bizarre greeting, a whole collection of other equally strange versions exist! There’s no predicting which one you’ll get.

The owner, while not fluent, can easily communicate in English, so don’t be afraid to visit if your Japanese isn’t up to scratch!

“Here’s the menu,” said the owner as he passed us a book used by Japanese elementary schoolers to practice writing. Yep, the entire menu is hand-written in here, with both Japanese and English versions available!

In addition to the classics like beer, whisky, shochu, and sours, the drinks menu also has cola, oolong tea, and other refreshing alternatives. What caught our eye, however, was the ‘pick a country’ written below.

“Let’s just go with beer for now,” agreed Timothy and Cassie. “Got it, now pick a country,” replied the owner. “What do the countries mean?” asked a puzzled Cassie.

“Depending upon the country you choose, the way we bring it will be different!” explained the owner.

“Oh, okay, then let’s do France!” said Cassie.

“France it is then!”

Still visibly confused, Cassie waited as the owner disappeared behind the curtain and headed to the back.

Suddenly, with a large commotion, the owner returned carrying an easel and paper. Placing the easel down in front, he began to draw! Unable to say anything due to the pure astonishment, the owner worked in silence.

After two minutes, his hand stopped and he gave his masterpiece a deep kiss. “Oh my god!” exclaimed Cassie as she began another round of uncontrollable laughter.

The owner had drawn a portrait of Cassie’s face - he had really captured her likeness! Since opening, the owner has been drawing portraits of those who picked France, naturally developing some skill along the way. Without delay, he set to work on drawing Timothy. (See below for the picture!)

After the performance, we got our beers and toasted with a ‘kampai!’ Timothy’s glass seemed to have a black base attached to the bottom - what could this possibly mean?

“The beer tastes good, but there’s something strange!” said Timothy.

“Ah, what is this?!” exclaimed Cassie. If you want to discover the beer’s odd secret, you’ll just have to visit Kagaya for yourself!

If you’re after something to eat, the food menu offers 4 courses ranging from 1,100 yen, 2,200 yen, 2,750 yen, and 4,400 yen (all tax-inclusive). The most expensive 4,400 course comes with an ‘all-you-can-drink’ service.

“What’s up with the menu?” pondered Timothy.

“I have no idea what any of this means! Let’s just go with this for now,” answered Cassie as she pointed to one of the bizarre English menu options.

“Hey, master! You...” Timothy and Cassie both turned to the owner and began to read the lengthy menu item out loud when suddenly...

“No, No!” the owner shouted before breaking into song! As you can see from the photo, his performance was really something!

“Let’s sing!” implored the owner! Swayed by the owner’s energy, Timothy reread the order in his best musical singing voice.

Once Timothy had finished his rendition, the owner shook his hand and praised him. “That was amazing, Timothy!” It was hard to tell what was happening anymore! It was the definition of ‘surreal.’

After our musical interlude, the much-anticipated food started to arrive.

Kagaya’s menu consists of classic Japanese staple dishes - the kind you’d expect to see in a traditional home at dinnertime. With kiriboshi daikon, koya-dofu, among others, each nourishing serving went down a treat.

“I love this kind of food - simple, tasty, satisfying! It really hits the spot!” said Timothy between mouthfuls of food and beer. Starting to get a little tipsy, the atmosphere became lighthearted and fun!

Cassie, who has lived in Japan for three years, had yet to encounter koya-dofu.

“What is this? It feels like a sponge! Hmm, but it’s actually pretty tasty,” said Cassie, giving her thoughts on this new discovery.

“The simmered pumpkin is so sweet and just makes your tummy so happy, eh!” exclaimed Timothy.

“Yep, I seriously love the pumpkin!” agreed Cassie.

Next was the classic Japanese dish nikujaga - a simmered stew of meat and potatoes. Beloved by Japanese people, it seems Timothy and Cassie also adored this hearty soul food.

Cassie: “The potato is so massive! It has a real bite to it.”

Timothy: “The flavor is really soaked in - I reckon this would go down well with some sake.”

Wanting to see more performances, Timothy and Cassie ordered as many rounds of beer as they could stomach.

This is what happened when we chose ‘England.’ The owner’s face contorted in agony while Timothy and Cassie raised their fists to cheer him on...what kind of performance is this? See if you can guess!

Next up was ‘China.’ You can really feel the passion from the owner’s pose and outfit!

A stuffed frog jumps out from above a frog drawing - apparently, this is America!

One after another, each new performance is revealed, throwing Timothy and Cassie into fits each time. How many ideas does this man have? I guess you’ll have to find out yourself!

Timothy: “While I’d heard rumors, I didn’t think it would go this far! It was crazy and truly fantastic!”

Cassie: “Each time I wanted to clap and cheer as the owner poured his heart out! The food was an absolute delight too.”

Keeping guests entertained from start to finish through bizarre and hilarious antics, Kagaya is truly a one of a kind izakaya experience. Once you’ve tried it, regular dining just won’t be enough!

If you’re looking for a fresh new take on the Japanese izakaya, we guarantee Kagaya will leave you satisfied! Weekends are often full, so if you feel like visiting, best to make a reservation in advance. Head on down to Shinbashi and laugh your head off!

Writer's website: https://love-trip-kaori.com/
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