BAR TAKEMOTO is a bar where the first thing that catches your eye is the countless bottles of liquor covering the bar counter.
The bottles lined up under the dim lights create the atmosphere of an adult drinking establishment.
The bartender at BAR TAKEMOTO in Mizushima, Kurashiki City, is Akio Takemoto.
The bar counter is packed with around 700 varieties of liquor selected by Takemoto.
We asked Takemoto how such an overwhelming number of bottles came to be at BAR TAKEMOTO.
Here is the history of BAR TAKEMOTO, an adult drinking establishment in Mizushima.
The information presented was current when this article was published in August 2022. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About BAR TAKEMOTO
BAR TAKEMOTO is an authentic bar in Mizushima, Kurashiki City.
Here is an introduction to BAR TAKEMOTO.
What is BAR TAKEMOTO?
BAR TAKEMOTO is on the second floor of a building about a five-minute walk from Sakae Station on the Mizushima Rinkai Railway.
Climb the stairs, which evoke the passage of time, and you will find the entrance to BAR TAKEMOTO: a wooden door with a round peephole on the landing.
When you open the door and step inside, the rows of liquor bottles catch your eye amid the softly lit, relaxing atmosphere.
One of BAR TAKEMOTO’s defining features is its selection of around 700 varieties of liquor, with a focus on Scotch whisky.
Bartender Akio Takemoto
The bartender at BAR TAKEMOTO is Akio Takemoto.
He was born in Osaka and moved to Mizushima when he was 10 because of his father’s business.
Helping out at the coffee shop his mother started sparked his interest in the food and beverage industry, and in 1984 Takemoto also opened a bar in Mizushima.
He moved to the current location in 1988 and has been serving drinks at BAR TAKEMOTO ever since.
While working at his mother’s coffee shop, he joined the Japan Bartenders Association to gain the skills and knowledge needed to become a bartender.
In 1997, he traveled with fellow bartenders from across Japan to the Isle of Islay in Scotland, a whisky-lover’s mecca, and visited every distillery on the island.
He was also appointed an Ambassador of Islay by the manager of the Bowmore Distillery on Islay, and has worked to share the wonders of Islay whisky with people in Japan.
He has close ties with bartenders throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and served as a director of the Japan Bartenders Association from 2018 to 2020.
Inside BAR TAKEMOTO
Some people may think of bars as formal places, but BAR TAKEMOTO is a welcoming place you can drop into casually.
Thanks in part to bartender Takemoto’s easygoing personality, it is a comfortable space with a relaxed atmosphere.
There are 10 counter seats and two tables.
You can sit at the counter and chat with Takemoto, or enjoy casual conversation with regulars who happen to be there.
It is a drinking establishment where you can take your time over a drink with the people who gather at the bar.
How did the countless bottles of liquor come to fill BAR TAKEMOTO, a drinking establishment in Mizushima?
We spoke with bartender Akio Takemoto about the history of BAR TAKEMOTO.
BAR TAKEMOTO Information
| Name | BAR TAKEMOTO |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-17 Mizushima Nishisakae-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-445-0037 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 7:00 p.m.–1:00 a.m. |
| Closed | Sunday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 20 seats (10 counter seats, 2 tables) |
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