Japanese pubs in Vietnam are usually for Japanese customers and have a very clear atmosphere of the land of the rising sun. Machibuse pubs have a different space with a portrait of Japan in the 80s full of freedom and Westernization. Let's follow Travellive to learn about this interesting pub.
Machibuse - the name comes from a song
The 1980s in Japan can be considered one of the most golden years of this country since World War II with the economic boom (although it was just a bubble economy). Western culture was introduced very quickly and made the youth here become "playful" and immersed in fun.
There are no more old Japanese features, now the glitter and luxury of bright neon lights cover Tokyo. Young people wear glittering knitted dresses, jackets... go to bars and pubs and are ready to stay out all night until the last taxi leaves the street.
A very typical corner of Machibuse.
Located in a small alley on Chua Lang street, Machibuse pub is modest with a small room and only one floor. Although the space is not too large, everything here is surprising.
Machibuse hangs a lot of purple neon lights, banners/posters all over the walls, and magazines (including nude magazines) hang on the bookshelves, making the space of the shop unique and different. Vu Minh (32 years old, living in Hanoi), the shop owner, shared: "I like singer Ishikawa Hitomi the most among the singers of the 70s and 80s and Machibuse is the name of one of her songs."
The 1980s were also a period that marked the cultural, musical, and literary exchange from the West to Japan. And it was during these nine golden years (1980 - 1989) that Japan marked the explosion of the idol movement (Golden Age of Idols) with typical singers such as Seiko Matsuda, Akina Nakamori, Kyōko Koizumi, Onyanko Club. The concept of Showa Idols (ending in 1989) refers to idols born in this Showa period with a completely new, liberal, and unique musical style.
Vu Minh is a French student majoring in History but has a love and passion for colorful Japanese culture. He said: "I don't know anything about anime or manga like many people think about someone who likes Japanese culture. I accidentally listened to Japanese music from the 80s and liked it. After learning more, I also like many Japanese things and coincidentally they coincided with the same time period (the 80s)."
A space filled with posters of famous Japanese singers and actors from the 70s and 80s.
Minh’s pub is open from 7pm to 2am. Machibuse mainly sells alcohol – which is not surprising for a regular pub, but the owner added: “I want to combine food to turn the pub into a kind of pub-izakaya”. (Izakaya is a famous Japanese drinking model).
The pub only plays music from vinyl records.
Normally, other Japanese pubs often follow a very Japanese model, whether traditional or modern, with a minimalist, square layout, combining a lot of wooden furniture, horizontal sliding doors, fabric curtains, etc., but Machibuse is completely different.
What makes the shop impressive is that the entire space is covered with vinyl music, not from modern equipment like today. This is also a valuable "virtual living" corner for young people visiting the shop when the vinyl display area is also filled with super rare singles/albums even for Japanese people. You can see the love for Japan and the investment of this shop owner in Machibuse.
Normally, other Japanese pubs often follow a very Japanese model, whether traditional or modern, with a minimalist, square layout, combining a lot of wooden furniture, horizontal sliding doors, fabric curtains, etc., but Machibuse is completely different.
Singles and albums are rare. Even for native speakers, they are difficult to buy.
The owner added: "I opened this shop mainly so that friends who are passionate about City Pop music (music of the 70s and 80s) can have a place to come regularly and listen to music together."
The shop not only has expensive vinyl records but also has a series of valuable souvenirs such as a monkey-shaped ice shaver that makes monkey sounds when operating or a phone that looks like a can of Coca Cola... The shop also displays many other Japanese souvenirs produced in the 70s - 80s that are still quite new. It is known that the shop owner spent a lot of effort to collect and bring items from Japan to Vietnam.
The souvenir display area of the bar. In the distance, besides the wine, you can see a copy of Goro magazine (nude magazine) or a picture frame with the handwriting of your idols.
After sitting and talking with him for a while, listening to him share about the culture and space full of City Pop, it was almost late at night, he invited Travellive reporter a glass of green wine with creamy white foam on top.
“This is the restaurant's signature dish called Midori Sour. Midori means green in Japanese,” he said.
The shop's Midori Sour drink is sweet and sour with a creamy egg flavor.
The mild sweet and sour taste of the green liquid combined with the fragrant white foam makes the drink light and easy to drink. But don't forget this is wine, if you can't drink much then you should stop at one glass.
Vu Minh also shared that the restaurant will sell more grilled dishes and light snacks in addition to snacks so that customers have more choices.
Make stained glass yourself
A special feature of the shop is that the glass surface at the counter was handmade by the owner, Vu Minh, and a staff member. The glass printed with the shop name “Machibuse” is spread evenly across the glass surface with soft and beautiful lines.
The shop also has a stained glass frame with a picture of singer Ishikawa Hitomi - Vu Minh's idol - which he also made himself. The glass has 9 pictures of this famous singer, symbolizing 9 songs that made her name and career.
The stained glass painting summarizes Ishikawa Hitomi's many years of career.
It can be seen that every little corner in the shop is taken care of by him and turned into something unique, different and strange. This makes the reporter think of the typical character of the Japanese people.
Another space of Machibuse.
Machibuse is not a crowded, noisy or crowded pub. This is just a pub for those who love City Pop style and music, or those who want to find a new space. Therefore, the pub has a modest, simple location and space, bearing the personal mark of the owner.
Hopefully with the above article, readers of Travellive magazine will have more new and attractive places to choose from on weekend nights when they don't know where to go or what to do.
