Last week we had the great opportunity to visit a special event: Snack Bar is a culture that’s very unique to Japan. It refers to small establishments, combining the atmosphere of a living room with that of an actual bar.
Life Berlin is a great and authentic Japanese restaurant located in the Kreuzkölln area. We already had the pleasure of enjoying their catering at our NION Christmas Party in December last year!
This time around, Life had a very special event to offer: a Japanese Snack Bar evening. Snack Bar — or Sunakku in Japanese — refers to small establishments that can be found in cities and rural areas alike, combining the atmosphere of a living room with that of an actual bar. The alcohol flows and small snacks are served in a setting that is much more intimate than your regular pub. With the mama-san (the main hostess) taking care of her customers and making sure everyone gets to relax and socialize, often until late at night, Snack Bar is an entire neighborhood culture that’s very unique to Japan.
Upon entering Life Berlin, we were greeted by four hostesses, the burlesque dancer Erochica Bamboo, Etsu, Atsushi, and Nana at a neatly set-up pop-up bar, Snack Jinsei (life). The bar was able to comfortably hold around 10 customers, staying true to the Japanese vision of a small, intimate gathering.
Customers were served light Japanese appetizers and conversed over glasses of beer and wine. The customers were mostly Japanese—Snack Bar is a great way for the Japanese community to bond over something familiar, with a Berlin multiculti twist. While Snack Bars in Japan mainly target middle-aged Salary Men (corporate professionals), Life Berlin’s Snack Jinsei attracted young men and women alike.
Laughter and joy were shared among the patrons of Snack Jinsei from Sunday night to dawn on Monday. We’re certainly looking forward to future events at Life Berlin!
