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When you go to Japan, there are various places that you just have to visit. At least that’s what I’ve been told. The streets of Akihabara. The observation deck of Tokyo Tower. Shinjuku, Hokkaido, Yokohama, various well-known restaurants, there’s something for everyone. But nothing gets a better reputation than the Tokyo nightlife and the art of bar and lounge-hopping. So many places for locals and foreigners to share the same space, enjoy some relaxation with a few drinks together. There are dozens of bars in Japan, all with their fair share of high regards, but none of them were as special as the one I visited on my last vacation. I still remember it vividly, waiting on line to enter a modest-looking bar in a district lined with lounges and restaurants. I can still see the glowing blue neon sign above the entrance, fading in and out like the ocean’s waves…
Aqours.
All of my friends had nothing but good things to say about Aqours. Going so far as to call it one of the must-go lounges in Japan, no contest. I was expecting something big and fancy with recommendations like that, but the outside if of the place had a cozy feel to it. I figured it must have been one of those hole-in-the-wall kind of places that got big overnight. Was it the food? The booze? I wasn’t sure, but the line before me meant this place earned its popularity somehow. As it slowly winded down from where I was to the entrance, I could finally see someone waiting for me to step up to the doorway. She was pretty cute, I had to say. Her orange hair almost glowed in the low lights outside, a single strand of her hair bouncing happily as a braided part of her locks swung back and forth gently. She was wearing a specialized waiter’s outfit with an almost metallic-looking turquoise vest over her dress shirt, a pair of black slacks completing her look. It fit her really well as she gleefully bowed with the sweetest of smiles, motioning to the second doorway behind her that lead into the lounge.
“Welcome to Aqours! My name’s Chika and I’ll be serving you today. It’s great to meetcha~!”
Her voice was chipper and peppy. I could tell right off the bat that she was someone who enjoyed her job. Chika wasted no time leading me inside to where the real festivities were. Gotta say, the place was way bigger-looking on the inside. Tables of happy, chatting customers surrounded me as she lead me further in. She looked back at me with a playful smirk.
“Mmm...Yup, you’re definitely new here. Well for a first-timer, it’d probably be best to get you a seat where you can see everything, right~? Then right here should be good!”
She led me to a table literally in the center of the floor. I was a bit taken aback. I mean the center is a noticeable spot to sit, after all. But Chika simply shot me another smile as she handed me a menu and gave me a quick rundown of how things here worked.
“Here at Aqours we believe a good drink needs to be paired with a good meal. So I hope you have room for some dinner! Eheh~” She pointed at the menu. “We have recommended meal and drink pairings, but other than that you can eat anything you want with whatever drink you want! So don’t feel too pressured, okay~?” She leaned in close to whisper something extra. “Also I’d totally order a Mikan Sunset if I were you. In my opinion, it’s the best drink in the house. Kekekeh~” She leaned back once more and offered me one last polite bow. “Since you’re new, take your time surveying the room and deciding whatcha want while I take care of a few other customers. I’ll be back in a jiffy!”
As Chika bolted off to take care of the lounge’s other visitors, I did just as she suggested. I glanced around to take in everything around me as I pinpointed what I wanted. Through the crowd I spotted another waitress dressed like Chika, only this girl had longer chestnut-colored hair. She scurried up to what looked like an open counter leading into another room. Judging by the receipts hanging from the top, it must have been where they picked up the food orders. Somehow, I was able to focus on her enough to hear her conversation through all the ambient chatter around me.
“You-chan! Is the food for table 9 ready, zura? They just received their drinks.”
“YOUSOROU~!” Another girl, a rag tied around her greyish-brown hair, leaned out of the counter with a proud grin as she handed the server her order. “One round’a yakisoba omelette and a bowl of stewshine ready to go!”
“T-Thank you, zura!” Taking the platter, the waitress began to make her way before who I assumed to be the chef called back out to her.
“And Hanamaru-chan! No repeats of last night, got it? The food’s for the patrons, not you. Or else…?”
“Ngh…” She cringed a bit. Her face was surprisingly cute like that. “N-No special lunches for a week, zura...It won’t happen again! Mmh!” And she ran back into the maze of tables as the chef chuckled to herself. The first thought that ran through my head after that was that workers here must be pretty friendly with each other. Maybe that’s why this place seemed to run so efficiently. After some time Chika came back and took my order. Since I wasn’t too hungry, I settled for her professionally-advertised Mikan Sunset along with a Sakurauchi Club Sandwich. Something like to enjoy the night with. I went back to surveying all over as I waited for my food, this time noticing another waitress. This one was probably the cutest one yet, looking more like a timid woodland animal than a human. Her red pigtails bobbed around as she trotted up to the person working the bar on the opposite side of the room.
“Y-Yoshiko-chan…? I need two Guilty Kisses, two Strawberry Trappers, one Dolphin’s Tail, a Sky Journey and a Shiny Brandy...I-I know it’s a lot to ask for in one go, but I’d be really grateful for-”
“YO. HA. NE.”
I could see the pigtailed girl hop back in surprise as the bartender slammed her hand on the table. She was dressed a bit differently from the servers, with a black vest and, of all things, a raven’s feather sticking out from the bun of hair on the right side of her head.
“We’ve been over this, Ruby! How many times do I have to tell you that when we’re on the clock, to call me by my stage name???”
“B-But-...”
“No buts! The people here pay for Yohane and her services! So Yohane I shall be addressed as, understand?”
“...B-But Oneechan told me the people here pay for the service and meals, not for your name…”
“...That’s-!...I-I-...Look, do you want your order or not?!”
“...Y-Yes, Yohane-chan.”
“ Thank you. ” With their little schpeel done, the bartender got to work on mixing the drinks the redhead ordered. I guess a place as unique as this meant it had to have some quirks, be it in the place itself or the people within it.
“Kukuku~ Only the powers of the underworld can successfully conjure elixirs of the damned such as these.” She was something else, shaking mixers and flipping bottles like a pro before finally sliding a platter of completed drinks back to her co-worker, posing her right hand over her eye with a sultry smile. “Rejoice, my little demons~ For the fallen angel Yohane has been tasked to bless you all with my alchemic skills~”
The people at the bar around her let out a small rousing cheer filled with laughs as her waitress friend let out an exasperated sigh before heading back to serving her tables. Based on her expression, I assumed it meant that they’d dealt with this whole thing before. I couldn’t help but feel a little bad for her, but her smile seemed to return pretty quick once she got back to her job.
I was finally settling into the atmosphere of the place as time went on. It was at that moment that I noticed one more thing: The music wafting through the lounge. More specifically, the live music. If the bar was on my right and the kitchen on my left, then before me was an open area along with a raised stage. Upon it was a small live band. Some trumpeters, a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer...and in center stage a large, glossy black piano with a girl at the keys. Her crimson hair flowed past her shoulder, a clip keeping one of her bangs swept to the side. She was dressed classily, a dress shirt with a pair of suspenders attached to her pants. Her eyes were closed, but her melody was swift and soothing as the other musicians kept in time with her rhythm. The music was jazzy and slick, I couldn’t help but tap my foot to it.
“Riko Sakurauchi~ She’s the one that sandwich of yours is named after~”
Chika surprised me with her sudden commentary as we both took a moment to watch her performance. She sighed a bit dreamily to herself. Made me wonder a bit to myself...privately, of course.
“She was one of the first people the owners of Aqours took in when we opened. She loves piano, but had no stage to call her own. So they hired her as the entertainment. Now she performs for a full house practically every night~”
It was a short and sweet history lesson, though I had to ask why a sandwich of all things was named after her.
“Riko-chan loves sandwiches, that’s why! She’s a pretty good cook herself too, y’know. So when coming up with the menu, they asked her to add a dish from her own recipes, as a way to thank her for her work with us. And that’s how the Sakurauchi Club was born~!”
This place had an interesting history. Once Chika finished her explanations, the song Riko and the band were playing came to a close. Everyone applauded as she stood from her piano bench and bowed before walking up to the microphone stand at the front of the stage.
“Thank you. Thank you all so much~” Her voice was soft and soothing like velvet. “Is everyone enjoying themselves tonight? I sure know we are up here~”
The other band members plucked and played their instruments in playful agreement as the crowd let out another round of claps. I joined in myself; They put on a great show, after all. With a smile, Riko glanced down at the watch on her wrist.
“I hope you all still have plenty of energy. The night’s still young and it’s just about that time in Aqours’ schedule for the real party to start. I think it’s time we introduce them to everyone here. What do you say?”
The crowd cheered again. I was a bit puzzled myself, though. Introduce who exactly. I glanced to Chika, who simply smiled and nudged me to keep watching as Riko continued.
“Sounds like a yes to me~! Then it’s my greatest pleasure to welcome the Aqours Trio to the stage. Please give a warm welcome to Miss Kanan Matsuura, Miss Dia Kurosawa and Miss Mari Ohara~”
As the people around me all stood from their seats in a standing ovation I, of course, had no reason not to join in. As we clapped, I took a look at the people coming out from stage right. The first was a fairly sporty-looking woman with her rich blue hair done up in a neat ponytail. Her dress was functional but elegant, a shining shade of sea foam with an ocean-colored jewel in the shape of a dolphin hung around her neck. She wore a toothy grin on her face as she waved back to the customers in the audience. The woman that followed her was definitely different. Her sharp eyes contrasted her soft-looking face. She smiled warmly, a beauty mark adorning the side of her mouth as her emerald eyes scanned the crowd, her raven-black hair swaying behind her. Her dress was a deep shade of red and just like the ponytailed girl before her, she wore a jewel around her neck; A small but bright diamond encased in a metal shell.
The final woman to come out was probably the most unique of the three. Her blonde hair stood out from everyone with a single braid from one ear to another and topped with a loop on the left side of her head; No doubt she was at least part foreigner. Her eyelids were low and her smile was almost cat-like. Her attire was a royal shade of purple and around her neck wasn’t a jewel like the others, but a locket of some kind. As the three approached center stage, they all nodded approvingly to Riko, who smiled and stepped back from the microphone to make way. The cheers and claps died down as everyone, myself included, sat back down at their tables as the trio of girls took to MCing.
“Oi oi oi~ Another full house tonight, isn’t that amazing, girls? Almost a week straight and still not a single empty seat in the house~!” The ponytailed girl mused happily.
“Kanan-san.” The raven-haired woman spoke up next. “Is that bragging I hear? We have a good relation with other establishments in the area. Don’t ruin a good thing, desu wa.” The crowd laughed as Kanan playfully drooped and apologized with a wink.
“But isn’t it amazing though~? Kanan? Dia?” The blonde was the last to join in. “We opened Aqours not that long ago and we already get so many customers a day~! That means we have to be doing something worth bragging about!” She turned to the crowd and, surprisingly, addressed us all in English. “ RIGHT, EVERYONE ~???”
Another round of cheers and claps echoed around me. It was obvious to me that this place’s customers were downright loyal. To have this many satisfied patrons in one place had to be a hell of an accomplishment for a lounge like this one.
“You’re all way too kind to us, really~” The ponytailed woman, Kanan, said as the cheers petered out. “Back when we first opened Aqours...We never expected things to get so big. Not that that’s a bad thing. The one thing we wanted to do was try and run our own business. It was such a longshot of a dream back then. Right?”
“Mmh.” Dia agreed. “But here we are now. Aqours has become one of the most successful establishments in the district. And we have so much to be thankful for. Our wait staff: Chika-san. Hanamaru-san, my precious younger sister Ruby…” A glance to the side let me see those same three sheepishly but happily react to their acknowledgement. “Our diligent head chef: You-san...” I next glanced to the serving counter, where You gave a proud sailor’s salute. “Our unique bartender: Yoshiko-san…”
“YOHANE!!!” I could hear her call back, though it only caused a wave of subtle laughter to flow through the room.
“Riko-san and our other skilled and wonderful musicians…” Riko smiled brightly as she bowed professionally. “And, of course, every one of you who have either come out here for the first time tonight or have stuck with us since the start...We really wouldn’t be Aqours without any of you. Thank you so much, desu wa~”
One last wave of applause rose up as the three women bowed proudly. This place really was something else. I could feel the sense of camaraderie and closeness amongst the attendees and the staff. No wonder this place was so popular with how grateful and hospitable everyone here was…
“And what better way for all of us to SHINE than to start off the night on the right foot~? Literally~!” Mari’s declaration caused an excited stir, shooting a wink to her co-hostesses. “The floor’s still empty, after all. Don’tcha both think it’s time we fixed that~?”
“Good idea!” Kanan nodded. “You all know what time it is! The night’s still young and we haven’t even let loose yet~!”
As if that was the cue, people from all over the lounge got up from their seats and converged onto the open floor not far from my seat. My curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to join the crowd. As we all gathered, two more mic stands were brought on stage so that each of the girls had their own. The people around me, including the staff, were smiling. I was about to find out why as Mari lead them off.
“Alright everyone! Grab yourself a prince or princess, because it’s time for a little bit of Cinderella on The G String~! Riko? Said G, if you’d please~?” With a bow, Riko returned to her seat and readied her fingers. The other band members were at the ready too as Kanan, Dia and Mari stepped up to their microphones. The lights went out before a booming and jazzy melody swept over us, the spotlights on the stage coming to life as they shone down upon the trio, who began to sway and snap to the rhythm of the music. Everyone started to clap and snap along with them.
“Go ahead and tell me what you wanna do, Please~
'Cause I wanna go have fun~!
Even if it's totally out there, we'll do it~
This is way too sudden! No!
I don't really get it, but it sounds like fun~!
So tell me, tell me, what should we do~?”
I was blown away at how harmonic and smooth the three sounded. They were practically professional singers based on the music traveling through my ears. The other customers agreed as a bunch of them began to dance with each other in the center of the floor, the rest of us surrounding them and offering our continued claps and snaps as the melody continued to flow and bounce. It was like the whole place transformed from a lounge to a dance club straight out of the old days. It was amazing, seeing so many people forget about their day-to-day lives and just come here to have some fun, drink and dance the night away. As the song continued on even the waitstaff joined in. During the song’s lead into the bridge, the three girls stepped out into the clearing and danced what I could have sworn was something like the Charleston. It fit the beat and timing of the music so perfectly that I was almost at a loss. Hell even I joined in with the dancing when Riko and the band really started to let loose. The song and atmosphere were absolutely infectious.
“Shaaall weee daaance~?
Shaaall weee daaance~!
Let's dance like it was a dream~
We're tonight's unforgettable Ciiinderella~!
I'll take off my shoes quickly and lightly, so I won't lose them~!
Who should we invite? I'm getting riled uuup~!”
As the music reached its closing, the three women grouped together and started to kick to the melody like a sultry chorus line. They were absolutely shining up there, just like Mari said earlier.
“Let's daaance~! Foreveeer~!
Let's daaance~! Foreveeer~!
It's so exciting, riiight~?”
The dances on the floor wound down along with the music as a final blast from the trumpets accompanied Riko’s last set of improvised notes. The lights cut back out the moment it ended as all of Aqours filled with cheers, claps and whistles, a few patrons even chanting for an encore. The trio took their bows gracefully, waved at the crowd and wished everyone a fun and enjoyable night before retreating backstage once more. Riko and the other musicians returned to their set list as the lounge’s energy mellowed back out. I returned to my seat with a content sigh. The adrenaline in me was still pumping just a tiny bit. Over the course of the night, this place had gone from a chance attempt at a place to drink to one of the best lounges I’ve ever been to.
“So~?” Chika returned to my table, smiling knowingly with her hands behind her back. “Pretty great, huh? Kanan-chan, Mari-san and Dia-san really know how to make an appearance~”
I had to nod in agreement there.
“Can I getcha anything else? Or will you be calling it an early night?”
I looked at my watch. 10pm already. But something inside me told me to indulge a bit more. It was vacation time, after all. Plus who knew when I’d be back here? I wanted to make the most of it. As I mentally planned out my schedule so I could fit in a few more trips here before my flight back home, I looked back at Chika and smiled myself. The night was still young.
“Y’know what? Lemme get another Mikan Sunset. I’ve got all the time in the world.”