A circle of friends connected by gut touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On November 15, dog food coordinator Mitsuyuki Yuasa introduced Terukazu Murakami, owner of the Italian restaurant “1n58 bal.”. We asked him about the origin of the restaurant’s name, which reads “Inugoya,” the reason why dogs are allowed in the restaurant, and his sake recommendations.
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Why “Inugoya” for “1n58”?
Celeina (MC): Let me start with a profile. Mr. Murakami lived in Italy for 3 years from 2004. There, he learned Sicilian cuisine, and after returning to Japan, he trained at several Italian restaurants and also learned craft beer, and in October 2019, he opened 1n58 bal. in Nakameguro.
1n58 bal. is located around the street one street back from Don Quijote in Nakameguro, across Yamate Street, which is nice and close to the station. I am curious about the name of the restaurant. What is the origin of “Inugoya”?
Murakami: I have two dogs, and I was worried about how they were doing at home when I was working, so I thought it would be nice to have a space where I could spend time with them. I didn’t think there were any Italian restaurants that allowed dogs and where you could drink wine and beer.
Also, dogs collect their favorite toys and blankets by pulling them into their gauges, and I decided on “Inugoya” because the restaurant is also a space where I collect my favorite sundries, plates, and foodstuffs.
Takano (MC): Good concept. If you are interested, please check out “1n58” which reads “Inugoya”. You mentioned that you have two dogs. What kind of dogs are they?
Murakami: Udon, a 13-year-old black pug, and Katsuo, an 11-year-old Boston terrier.
Celeina：They are cute, even from their names. By the way, I heard that Udon is the manager and Katsuo is the head of the hall?
Murakami: That’s the way it’s set up. But really, Katsuo goes there to greet customers when they come in.
Celeina: As expected of the chief.
Murakami: Udon doesn’t serve customers, though (haha).
Takano: So if you go to the restaurant, you can meet Udon and Katsuo.
Murakami: That’s right. They come in turns, so it depends on the timing as to which one is there.
Celeina: I heard that customers are allowed to bring their dogs with them. I would like to go with Momo, my dog.
Murakami: We have many different kinds of dogs, and the other day we had a Bernese Mountain Dog that weighed about 50 kilograms.
Takano: Do you have many customers with dogs?
Murakami: Yes, we do. We also often have visitors who cannot keep a dog in Tokyo or who have a dog at home.
Celeina: So there are many people who love dogs. I understand that “1n58 bal.” is based on the three pillars of alcohol, dogs, and food. It is true that it is difficult to find a restaurant that allows dogs to come inside and still serve a good meal and drinks.
Murakami: In most cases, the terrace is used instead of the restaurant, which is quite difficult in summer and winter. I’m doing this in the hope that there will be a decent restaurant where you can go inside.
Celeina：We are grateful for that. What kind of dishes do you serve during this season?
Murakami: At this time of the year, it’s aqua pazza or steamed whole fish.
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I recommend the after-dinner drink, amaro.
Takano: Sounds delicious. I understand you also have craft beer and naturals on tap. What do you recommend?
Murakami: I often recommend the after-dinner drink, Amaro, to my customers these days.
Celeina: I have heard of it, but what is it again?
Murakami: “Amaro” means bitter in Italian. It was originally created as a medicine, as it stimulates the appetite when drunk before a meal and regulates the stomach when drunk after a meal.
Celeina：We also have amaro in the studio today.
Murakami: This amaro is made from Sicilian blood oranges.
Takano: The bottle is cute too.
Celeina：This may be the first time I’ve had it. It certainly has a bittersweet aroma. I’ll have some!
Takano: Excuse me, everyone at work.
Celeina：Oh, it’s bitter! It was more bitter than I expected (haha).
Takano: But it is also very tasty with sweetness.
Celeina： It makes me feel warm inside.
Murakami: The aroma is coming through to my nose, isn’t it? I drink it straight now, but it is also good on the rocks or with soda.
Celeina： With soda sounds delicious! I prefer it with soda.
Takano: I’m a fan of a with soda, too (haha).
Celeina: But it certainly looks delicious on the rocks after dinner.
Takano: It’s perfect for this time of year. So, let’s go to a song now. I asked Murakami-san to choose a song he would like everyone to listen to together on the radio at this time. What song would it be?
Murakami: I think it’s hard to find a song so full of dog love as “Osanpo (Remix)” by SOCKS, DJ RYOW, Hannya, R-Shitei, and Space Dust Club.
