“Maintaining the right temperature and distance.” That is the love of a sake merchant. – Mr. Hasegawa, Niigata Hasegawaya

Creating a place to feel with your "tongue," not with information

Hasegawaya is a popular liquor store in Niigata. When asked why he recently added a "kaku-uchi" (standing bar) space to his shop, Mr. Hasegawa's answer was very simple.

"I don't want people to drink based on information; I want them to truly feel it with their own tongues."

In this day and age, we can "feel like we've had a drink" just by looking at social media or online reviews. But the true value of sake isn't in the label or the specs; it's in

the temperature when you take that first sip, the aroma, and the sensation as it warms your body.

He says his role as a liquor merchant is to create a place that conveys those things.

The encounter with "Imadeya" and the journey home

Mr. Hasegawa's life as a liquor merchant began with a small experience while working a part-time job during his college years.

When he was working at a restaurant as a part-timer, a representative from the Chiba liquor store "Imadeya" came by for a sales call.

"They held study sessions for the part-timers starting at midnight, and I remember thinking, 'What kind of interesting liquor store is this?'"

That memory stayed with him, and he says that after graduation, he naturally felt he wanted to work at Imadeya.

After working there for three years, he returned to his hometown of Niigata to take over his family's liquor store.

However, when he returned, the landscape for liquor stores in Niigata was harsh.

• There were no young liquor merchants.
• There was no kaku-uchi culture.
• Despite being a powerhouse of sake, there were few places to experience it.

"Then I'll just have to create that place myself."

With that in mind, he incorporated the business and began cultivating a new style.

Love means protecting "temperature and distance"

For Mr. Hasegawa, "love" is not something to be shouted about passionately.

It is "carefully maintaining the distance and temperature between the maker and the customer."

"We are merely 'entrusted' with the creators' products. Our job is to convey how they are made and by whom, with as high a resolution as possible."

It is this philosophy that led him to go against the grain of this "era of drinking via information" and build a standing bar to deliver the taste itself.

He also keeps a distance from the practice of writing crafty marketing copy to boost sales.

"I don't like drifting away from the essence just to write copy that sells."

He values not just words, but "explaining things in a space where you can feel the temperature."

The reason for relying on full-time employees

In recent years, liquor stores across Japan have been increasingly relying on part-time staff.

However, the majority of staff at Hasegawaya are full-time employees. When asked why, his answer was quintessentially Hasegawa.

"An individual's personal 'passion' and 'enthusiasm' create excitement for the customer. I believe full-time employees are the ones better equipped to protect that temperature."

No matter who is serving, they are able to explain "the sake that person chose" properly and recommend it with a sense of responsibility.

That is what creates the store's comfort. He even goes so far as to call selling sake face-to-face a "battlefield," highlighting his commitment to direct dialogue.

What is the love of work?

Finally, when I asked, "What is the love of work for you, Mr. Hasegawa?", he thought for a moment before answering.

"There is no correct answer, but... all we can do is protect the 'temperature' between the creator and the customer. How carefully and with how much resolution we can convey that—I think that's all there is to it."

True to these words, Hasegawaya is filled with a love that is not about heat, but about certainty.

It is a space that can only be created by "temperature and proximity"—something that social media and text can never reach.

The way Mr. Hasegawa continues to protect that space radiates a new charm in the work of a liquor merchant.