Snack Bar Stories

There are an estimated 70,000 snack bars across Japan — tiny, counter-only drinking spots run by women known as "mama-san," hidden in back alleys and basement floors from Tokyo to the smallest rural towns. Snack Bar Stories takes you inside this vanishing world, one drink at a time. Each episode explores the culture, characters, and rituals of Showa-era nightlife: the mama-san tradition, the bottle-keep system, yokocho alleyways, kissaten coffee shops, and the invention of karaoke. Warm, unhurried, and richly detailed — like a conversation at the counter at 11 PM. New episodes weekly.