Most of the snacks are located in multi-purpose buidings. The shared signboards lure customers in. Every building has a different style. Some are formatted by color or size, others let every bar choose its own font and make no attempt at unity. “Neither way is necessarily good or bad,” says Sato, who studies them all with interest. “There are various ways of thinking. The co-existence of different approaches generates the interest of not knowing what to expect.”

Entering a building of snacks from the street, the bars stretch all the way to the back of the building. The bars are all tightly crammed together but it does not feel like an alley. Rather, Sato thinks of it as a labyrinth. “The narrow corridor pulls you into a different space.”

Inside, the customers drink and chat happily. Sato takes a seat at the counter and notices the contrast between the height of the counter and lowness of the chair. The owner explains its purpose is to facilitate eye contact between owner and customer. Sato likes it. “It is casual but important,” he says. The bar’s character is expressed by everything from the arrangement of the bottles to the decorations and accessories. Sato explains the character depends on the personality of the man or woman who runs it, and this is what generates the sense of security that is one of the core attractions of the snack.