The place that gave me two things
~Golden Gai "Arupaka"~

Golden Gai.
The restaurant I would like to recommend this time, Alpaca, is located there.
No, I think it would be more accurate to call it a "place" rather than a shop.

"Alpaca" gave me two things.
The first is a place where you can truly relax.
The other was my encounter with the fascinating theater troupe "Habu Dangi."
Today I'm going to talk about both of them.

"Arupaka" is a place where you can truly relax

Meeting Alpaca

Entrance door

I met Alpaca about six months ago, which actually wasn't that long ago.
It all goes back to the day when I was drinking with a friend in Shinjuku and the flow led me to Golden Gai, a place I had been interested in for a long time.
After spending some time in a few different shops, I was walking down the street when I saw a sign with a rather unusual shop name: "Arupaka."

A melancholy sign on the street called "Akarui Hanazono Ichibangai"

However, I was not familiar with Golden Gai, and the restaurant was on the second floor. I remember being a little hesitant because I couldn't see inside and was worried that it might not be my favorite.

Stairs leading to "Alpaca"

However, perhaps I was drawn in by the cute name of the shop, "Arupaka," and the red door... To be honest, I don't remember exactly, but I went up the stairs and opened the red door.
That was how I met Arupaka.

A place called Alpaca

Behind the door lies a nostalgic space

Spread out before you is a tasteful bookshelf and counter.

Unlike other shops, the place had a calm and somewhat nostalgic atmosphere.

When I was guided to a seat at the counter by the waiter, the other customers there gave me a slight nod. The waiter didn't ask me any detailed questions, and just left me alone while my friend and I were talking.
On the other hand, when we talked to the staff, they answered us kindly, and other customers started talking to us too, and before we knew it, the whole store felt like it was coming together. It seemed like we, who were there for the first time, had blended in with the crowd. We didn't try to fit in with the atmosphere, but by relaxing and being natural, we were able to fit in without even realizing it. I think that comfort is what made me continue to visit the store.

Since then, I have been going to Alpaka irregularly, once every one or two months. There is no particular day that I go to Alpaka. I go when I feel like spending some quiet time or when I feel like talking to someone. In that sense, it may be similar to the feeling of asking a really close friend, "Are you free today?" and going out for a drink. That's how I interact with Alpaka.

I would also like to explain about the interior of the store, which has many interesting things to see.

The bookshelves are packed with a variety of books.

I remember being surprised by the presence of bookshelves when I first came to Alpaca, but now that I go there occasionally, I feel that they are an important element that tells the story of Alpaca.

Customers' bottles lined up in an orderly fashion

There are also many other items, including unpretentious, slightly old ornaments.
In particular, in keeping with the store's name, there are stuffed animals and illustrations of Alpaca scattered throughout the store, which shows the owner's love for Alpaca.

The now-rare "pink telephone" is still in use.

"Arupaka" stuffed toy

The staff changes daily.

The staff members vary from musicians and stage actors to students around 20 years old. On one day, a staff member said, "Today I'm playing the classical version of my favorite Gundam theme song," but it seems that the type of background music played at that time is decided by the staff member's preference that day.

Similarly, our customers range from young to old, but I think they all have one thing in common.

The staff and customers are all unique, yet most are friendly and honest.
Yes, I think that people who come to Arupaka don't "come to drink," but "come to see people." These people could be the owner, Ms. Hoshina, an actress who leads a theater company and has fans, the staff, or even strangers who happen to be sitting next to each other at the counter...

Perhaps because there are a lot of friendly people there, whenever I go to Alpaca, I almost always make friends with the other customers. It's also fun to talk to people of different generations, jobs, and values. In this way, I can get a glimpse into the values and experiences of people I don't usually come into contact with, and sometimes even their pasts.

On this day, I also made friends with the young customer sitting next to me.

In my everyday life, I was so busy with work that I had no time to spare, and in the big city of Tokyo, I avoided interacting with strangers and found them bothersome. I even wondered if I hated people.
However, having fun talking to strangers here made me realize that I was actually seeking connections not just with a specific person, but with people from a world outside of my own living space.
There was no need to be cautious, suspicious, or worried about what other people thought of me, and before I knew it, it had become a place where I could talk openly with others in a relaxed atmosphere. I think that is what "Arupaka" means to me.

The charming theater troupe "Habu Dangi"

This happened when I went to Alpaca last spring.
Emi Hoshina, the owner of Alpaca, spoke to me.
"Hey, are you interested in plays? There's a play coming up soon, so come and see it if you'd like."

It turns out that there will be a performance by Habu Dangi, a theater troupe presided over by Hoshina, and this performance will be a collection of the best short stories that have been performed so far, with two pieces to be performed each month.
I've never really been interested in plays until now, but I decided to see this one as some kind of fate.

On the day of the performance, while I was sitting in the theater waiting for the show to start, music that sounded like a theme song started to play. I remember being immersed in the rhythmic yet melancholic melody for a while. Then the play "Tsunagaru Tsutaeru" began.

The story was about a man and a woman, each with their own circumstances, who were in a certain place and were talking earnestly to their respective phone partners, and although they were having separate conversations, gradually their conversations began to connect together.
I was first struck by the novel idea. There were no wizards or time machines in the story. I still vividly remember how surprised I was that a simple idea could turn an ordinary scene from our daily lives into such an interesting play.

Scenes from plays performed this spring, including "Tsunagaru Tsutaeru" (bottom right)

Also, at the end of the play, the actors sat side by side on stage and started a free talk where they talked freely, and I was able to get to know the personalities of the actors through stories about pre-show rehearsals and backstage. Each one was unique, but it seemed like they really got along and worked together happily, going beyond the framework of work colleagues. To be honest, there was a friendly atmosphere in the theater company that made me want to be a part of that circle.

The charming Habudangi troupe members and their co-stars

Needless to say, from that day on I was hooked on "Habu Dangi."
Now, I get excited when I hear the theme song that starts the show. (I thought it was the same song every time, but it's actually different every time, just the same genre and melody.)
The content of the plays in "Habu Dangi" are all about everyday scenes, human relationships, and the past that everyone carries with them, and they do not have any special themes, nor does they feature magic.
However, the scripts and direction written by Hoshina, the acting of the theater company, the music... The things that surround "Habu Dangi" themselves may be magical.

Scenes from the recent performance of "Soft Doors"① -Even in serious plays, there are funny moments-

Scenes from "Soft Doors"② - All the characters are unique and familiar to us -

Scenes from "Soft Doors" ③ - Sometimes there is singing and dancing in the play (the inserted songs are original)-

Every time I go to see a Habu Dangi performance, I get excited, thinking that a magical, fun time is waiting for me. When I think about myself like that, I even think that Habu Dangi is a theater company that has taken the physical space of Alpaca and made it into a theater company.

It makes me realize once again that the things that are considered beautiful in this world and that everyone desires, such as conscience, happiness, and trust, are based on human imperfections, such as weakness, annoyance, and clumsiness.
The director, Hoshina-san, also writes the scripts for the TV program "Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi" (True Scary Stories), and is in charge of the scripts and direction of Habu Dangi. The structure and direction of Habu Dangi makes you feel as if you are watching a TV show or a movie. I have seen a number of plays before, but I have never seen such an innovative and vivid play. It is difficult to put into words, so I strongly recommend that you see it with your own eyes.

For the author, who came from the countryside, Tokyo is a city where time passes by hurriedly. There are many attractive shops offering food and alcohol, but the author, who was looking for something other than material things, ended up at "Alpaca". Drinking and thinking about various pasts and values intersecting, or simply being moved by a Habu Dangi performance and sometimes overlapping it with my own life, are now precious moments that warm my heart.

bonus

Golden Gai, a town with a unique atmosphere

Since I was there, I took some photos of the lively Golden Gai area.

A shortcut leading to the next street in Golden Gai

It is said that the number of foreign tourists has increased recently, and it is true, but this time it was a little early so there were not many people around. I have heard that it starts to get crowded around 11pm.

What image comes to mind when you hear the word "Golden Gai"?
You may have some negative images of it, such as it being a scary town or they turn away first-time visitors.
This is what I, the author, thought at first as well.

Although it has only been a short time since I first came to Golden Gai, I can say this much.
Once you find one favorite restaurant, that will be overturned.
Alpaca welcomes first-time visitors and all of the customers are friendly, so even if you're visiting Golden Gai for the first time, why not use Alpaca as an opportunity to visit?

Golden Gai Alpaca

1-1-9 Kabukicho, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo
TEL 03-3200-7159

Opening times
20:00 – 2:00
No fixed closing days