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Hachinohe City is a core city on the Pacific coast of Aomori Prefecture with a population of approximately 216,000. It has long flourished as a fishing port and has many restaurants catering to fishermen, so its downtown area is said to be lively considering its population
Although it is a core city where the Tohoku Shinkansen line stops, the Shinkansen station in Hachinohe is far from the city center, and the nearest station to the central business district around Mikkamachi is Hon-Hachinohe Station on the conventional line
Hachinohe's downtown area has eight alleys filled with small restaurants, with around 130 establishments lined up, including some where you can enjoy "senbero."
What is the definition of “senbero”?
Asakusa Hoppy Street
The word originally referred to a bar where you could get very drunk for 1,000 yen, but now it has come to mean a bar where you can get 2 to 3 drinks and snacks for 1,000 yen.
In this article, we have defined the criteria for certification as a "Senbero" bar as follows.
You can order two glasses of alcohol (type and quantity are free) and one snack in addition to the appetizer and drink it for less than 1,000 yen.
Set prices such as "Senbero Set" are available for less than 1,000 yen.
Family restaurants where you can eat rice crackers are not eligible.
We also introduce sets that cost less than 1,500 yen as "high-priced rice crackers," but we appreciate your understanding.
Please note that the prices listed in the article include tax unless otherwise specified and are current as of the end of September 2023
Yamaju, which is called a "senbero bar," is not a restaurant in an alley, but it is a traditional senbero bar with no cover charge (appetizer)
As a representative Hachinohe "senbero" bar where you can drink during the day, it is a lively gathering place for local Hachinohe residents of all ages and genders
This bar, which promotes "senbero," offers drinks such as draft beer, cocktails, shochu, and local junmai sake for under 363 yen
The popular ultra-luxury lemon sour costs 418 yen, and there are four other varieties, including the "Kachi Kochi Shio Shibare Lemon Sour," which uses one frozen salted lemon, as well as honey, Calpis, and lime
This ultra-luxury lemon sour is similar to Hoppy in that you can have a refill of just the sour inside for 330 yen
Appetizers start at 33 yen for dengaku (tofu and konjac), and skewers of meat, seafood, and vegetables are 165 yen each. You can also enjoy slightly more luxurious dishes like seafood sashimi and beef sukiyaki for under 500 yen
Super Senbero Course: 3 drinks (excluding premium lemon sour) and 2 snacks
Super luxury lemon sour course: 1 super luxury lemon sour (2 refills) and 2 snacks
For appetizers, you can choose one item from Group A, which includes salted squid and cold tofu, priced at 132 yen each, or Group B, which includes potato salad and fried horse mackerel, priced at 198 yen each (two items from each group for the Yamaju course)
We recommend this as it is 300 to 420 yen cheaper than ordering each item separately
Senbero Sakaba Yamaju <Information>
Store name: Senbero Sakaba Yamaju
Address: 20-2 Juurokukamachi, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture
From the official website of the Hachinohe Yokocho Association
In the Mikkamachi area, there are eight alleys, both old and new, each with a different atmosphere: seven alleys established immediately after the end of the war, and Miroku Yokocho, which was created when Hachinohe Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen line opened in 2002
The approximately 130 restaurants are a diverse mix of unique establishments, including izakayas and small restaurants serving Hachinohe's local cuisine, Western-style bistros, long-established bars and snack bars, and ethnic restaurants
Each store is small, and the culture of the alley is to enjoy conversations with the owner and other customers at the counter, enjoying a drink while experiencing human kindness
How did the alley come into being and how did it take on its current form?
From Miroku Yokocho official Facebook page
After the war, people returning from the battlefield opened a market, which eventually became a bustling shopping district and a drinking district was formed, which came to be called Yokocho
There used to be many more alleys, but by around 2000 only seven remained, and yet they were firmly rooted in Hachinohe culture
Following the extension of the Tohoku Shinkansen to Hachinohe in 2002, Miroku Yokocho was established to promote the alley culture as a tourist resource, and became very popular
However, this resulted in a decline in customers and a decrease in the number of stores in the seven old alleys, so in an attempt to alleviate this predicament, the Hachinohe Alley Union Council was formed and worked hard together with the city hall to come up with solutions
It soon became clear that tourists were interested in old alleys, and by making use of the history and atmosphere of each alley as its own unique feature, the current alley culture was born
Here is a brief introduction to the unique atmosphere of each of the eight alleys
Tanukikoji : This retro alleyway, established in 1945, was used as a filming location for the TV drama Tora-san and was named after Tanukikoji in Sapporo.
Rocho Rensa-gai : Named after the prisons that were located there during the Edo period, this street is bright, open, and bustling with people.
Nagayokocho Rensa-gai : A row of shops connected by a chain, featuring a wide variety of stores
Harmonica Yokocho : A multicultural atmosphere with shops lined up like a harmonica and ethnic restaurants
Fifth Avenue : Named after the movie "What Happened on Fifth Avenue," this area has many hidden gems for adults.
Hanakoji : Born from the redevelopment of the downtown area, this Hanakoji market is open during the day for vegetables, fruits, and prepared foods.
Miroku Yokocho : A clean and new food stall village with 26 stores that was newly established when the Shinkansen line opened in Hachinohe
Hachinohe Showa Street : A wide and bright street where you can enjoy the Showa era atmosphere
How to enjoy Yokocho
From Miroku Yokocho official Facebook page
In fact, there are few establishments in Yokocho that offer "senbero" drinking as defined in this article, but we cannot overlook the Yokocho culture that has the image of "cheap and enjoyable" that leads to "senbero."
Therefore, we recommend "senbero hashigo" as a way to enjoy the alleys
This is based on the "Drinking Rally" held twice a year by the Hachinohe Yokocho Rengo Kyogikai, and is a way of enjoying bar hopping in which ordering one drink and one dish is called "senbero."
The "Drinking Rally" costs 2,000 yen for visiting five bars, but with "Senbero Hashigo Sake Hopping", why not set a budget and see how many bars you can visit?
Hachinohe Yokocho Association <Information>
Organization name: Hachinohe Yokocho Association (Secretariat)
Address: Moon Plaza Management Office, 7-1 Nagayokocho, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture
When you think of Hachinohe, many people probably think of fresh seafood such as squid and mackerel
There are many sushi restaurants and small Japanese restaurants in the city's downtown area where you can enjoy seafood dishes at reasonable prices, but there are also places in the alleys where you can enjoy these dishes at Senbero prices
Although they are few in number, there are also establishments that call themselves "senbero izakayas" (cheap drinking bars), such as "Yamaju" introduced here, and it is predicted that the number of such establishments in the alleys will increase in the future
I am a former Edo guy who loves Morioka, loves the six prefectures of Tohoku, and loves history, gourmet food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. We'll introduce you to some interesting, delicious, and good things about Tohoku!
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