Joe Tomei with the slightly late Friday Funky place.

Joe Tomei with the slightly late Friday Funky place.

Today’s place, Araki, might not meet all the definitions of funky, but it is certainly worth a trip out to Jonan machi as it is a very well stocked liquor shop with a cafe in the back. I stopped there on the way to Yatsushiro and was astonished to see some single barrel Scotch Whiskeys. I believe they were from the Scotch Whiskey society, which purchases individual barrels of single malt scotch (most whiskeys are blended to produce a relatively uniform taste). Their website is here http://www.araki-vino.co.jp/

A friend told me that the owner organizes events and organized several events after the earthquake featuring chefs with food and alcohol pairings.

You can find it on the FFP map at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qUH94Bac7Hr939b7_8gtvebaJZffGRsX&usp=sharing