Final update date: April 8, 2025 at 1:29 AM
On Saturday, April 5th, 2025, I visited the Minami Cherry Blossom Festival, which is held annually in the Ooka River in Yokohama, to mark the end of the cherry blossoms. After cherry blossom viewing, I had a meal at a food stall and then visited Noge's deepest cocktail bar, 'Yakochu' in Noge.
I've visited Yakochu several times 20 years ago, and after searching online, I found out that the store has moved to a location near Sakuragicho Station and is still open, so I decided to stop by while watching the cherry blossoms.
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"Minami Cherry Blossom Festival" in Ookagawa, Yokohama
The 2nd Minami Sakura Festival 2025 was held from Friday, March 21st to Sunday, April 6th, 2025.
The promenade, which is approximately 3.5km along the Ooka River in Yokohama, is lined with about 500 cherry trees in Minami Ward alone, making it one of Yokohama's most famous cherry blossom spots. The lights are lit up at night, allowing you to enjoy a fantastic atmosphere that is different from the daytime.
Especially at night, the scenery lit up along with the cherry blossoms reflected on the river surface is fantastic, giving it a different atmosphere than during the day. Also popular are strolling around the Ooka River and enjoying cherry blossom viewing on a houseboat from above. A voyage through the cherry blossom tunnel will be a special experience.
Furthermore, local events are also held during this spring season, allowing you to enjoy food stalls and stalls. The local gourmet and sweets enjoyed under the cherry blossoms are exceptional.
Cherry blossom viewing on the Ooka River is perfect for strolling with families and friends, and is also a great place to forget about the hustle and bustle of the city.
Ooka River Flower Viewing
From Choja Bridge to Asahibashi, the cherry blossoms lined with cherry blossom trees along the Ooka River were in full bloom!
There were also houseboats, and the food stalls along the river were bustling with many people. This will be posted in the gallery below.
Food at the food stall is omelette yakisoba
For dinner, we had omelette yakisoba and draft beer at a food stall. I happened to enter the store, but the owner was an acquaintance of mine 😅
As a service from the president, we had two eggs and a large serving of yakisoba. Thanks to you, I've been full after this meal 😓
But the taste was really tasty. Hello, thank you for the meal 😋
Visiting the Yakochu
The cocktail bar "Yakochu" in Noge, Yokohama is a spot with its unique and deep atmosphere. This bar is located about a 5-minute walk from Sakuragicho Station.1-21 Hanasakicho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture It is located in.
About Yakochu
Features and atmosphere : "Yakochu" are characterized by a fantastic space that makes full use of black lights and LED lighting, and the entire store has a unique design that shines brightly. The counter is lined with duck objects, and karaoke facilities and massage chairs, making it a playful amusement bar.
Menu and Services : The drink menu is diverse, with cocktails being particularly popular. There is no food menu and it uses a unique style that you can bring in freely. The price range is relatively reasonable, with a drink of around 1,000 yen per cup.
Opening hours and usage situations : Business hours are from 18:00 to 1:00 the next day, and are closed irregularly. This is the perfect place for those who want to have fun with friends or experience a unique space.
I checked with the master about business days and found out that the store is currently closed about two days a week, so if you are planning to visit, it is best to check in advance.
"Yakochu" are known as one of the most eccentric bars in the Noge area, and once you visit it you will be an unforgettable experience. If you're interested, please come and visit us!
From the introduction video "NHK BS Premium Tokyo Deep Nocturne"
This is a partial video of "Bar Yakochu" introduced in Tokyo Deep Yokohama Business Trip Edition (2015/5/25 NHK BS Premium 7:00-19:30).
The name of the master is "James naughty bitch Sato" lol
Inside the store
The interior of the store is like the world of the movie "Avatar," and is truly chaotic. The decorations in the store seem to be inspired by Okinawan nocturne insects, but I'm not sure what the concept is. The master says this is a cutting-edge IT bar! ?
But the meaning of IT isITARERI TIt's short for "SUKUSERI" lol
In any case, the shop's decorations are unique, and the master is incredibly interesting, so if this shop is nearby I might go there every week😅
Incidentally, the old Yakochu were located a little closer to Hinode Town, and were on the second floor, up the steep stairs. I remember the inside of the store being pitch black and lights reminiscent of luminous insects glowing pale everywhere.
After 20 years have passed, the interior decorations have become so powerful that it's hard to understand. Apparently, it has been in business for over 40 years.
When I entered the store, there were families, and now the main customers are straight, so it seems that women can enter with peace of mind, but customers who jump in without knowing the circumstances may be confused by the mysterious atmosphere inside the store.
drink
For drinks, we received Master's special strawberry cocktail, gin lime sour, XYZ (ram-based), and draft beer (Czech Bohemian glass).
Master is a veteran with a long history as a bartender, so if you leave the cocktails to him, he will make anything.
The master will adjust the strength of the alcohol according to your requests. Incidentally, the master himself cannot drink alcohol, so he is apparently non-alcoholic! ?
The draft beer I received at the end (Sapporo Black Label) was a pricey item and poured it into a Czech bohemian glass that is rarely served 😃
Vacuum tube amplifier and homemade speaker
I thought that the ahiru-chan sitting at the counter was just an object, but it was actually a speaker made by the master. When I took my hat, the speaker certainly came out lol
What's more, the background music amplifier is a vacuum tube amplifier created by the master. How obsessed with sound... What exactly is the master? ?
Karaoke Room
The room at the back of the counter is a karaoke room. There are box seats and are fully soundproofed, so it's safe to sing at a loud volume.
The karaoke main unit is "JOYSOUND x UGA". I tried singing one song, and the sound resonated throughout my body and the sound was really good!
