Furusato

Opening its doors at 16:00 in the evening, Furusato is the kind of neighborhood tavern in Minami-Karasuyama where it is easy to settle in for a drink. The menu highlights seasonal seafood, offering sashimi from across Japan such as Pacific bluefin medium-fatty tuna, Kagoshima yellowtail, Misaki tuna trimmings, and Hokkaido whelk. The grilled fish selection is just as dependable, featuring grilled salmon collar, wind-dried winter mackerel, and red rockfish marinated in sake lees.

Alongside the sashimi comes an inviting spread of small dishes suited for drinking. Deep-fried items include familiar staples like Miura horse mackerel fry, Okayama oyster fry, minced meat cutlets studded with Miura cabbage, and crab cream croquettes, all offered at accessible prices that encourage ordering several plates. Refreshing bites like chilled cucumber, young zha cai pickles, and house-made kyuri no Q-chan pickles let diners set their own pace.

When you crave something warm, the simmered oden—featuring daikon radish, chewy chikuwabu, and house-made flying fish surimi dumplings—is an easy choice. Ordering a glass of dashiwari, which blends alcohol with savory hot broth, gently warms you from within. If you want something more substantial to finish, options include chicken curry sauce served either as a half portion or with rice, as well as chilled somen noodles.

The casual counter and table seating welcome solo drinkers looking for a relaxed nightcap, and PayPay is accepted for payment. Surrounded by the warmth of honest cooking and steaming oden pots, it offers a grounded, comforting evening out.