Casually Meet, Drink, and Hold a Conversation. People who Gather in The Flying Penguins, a Bar that Connects People

Front of Style is the serialized articles to ask people who work mainly in the Yaesu-Nihonbashi-Kyobashi area their favorite ways to spend time.

The place I visited this time was The Flying Penguins, which is the much-talked-about bar that connects people. While listening to the stories from Ms. Naoko Sato, who is the bar manager, a staff member who has great individuality, and customers, the new work-life style, which is about to take root in Yaesu where the bar is located, came to the surface.

The Flying Penguins is a bar located near the Yaesu exit of Tokyo Station and Nihonbashi Station. Although the space is limited to a total of 17 seats, which consist of the counter and two tables, many people came to the bar at the time the bar was open. I saw people fully enjoying conversations while enjoying drinking.

Ms. Naoko Sato, who is a bar manager and a community manager said, “The bar is filled with words by the customers who have something that they want to do and thoughts and is full of energy.”

“While there are many time-honored companies in this Yaesu-Nihonbashi-Kyobashi area, redevelopment has been progressing, there are startups and co-working spaces, and I have the impression that new people have been increasing. But I’ve heard that there are no nearby places for those who have recently become active in this area to drink. So, I thought if there was a place where they can gather, talk about what they want to do and their dreams while drinking, and support each other night after night, regardless of companies, generations, and job titles, it would be nice. Because of that thought, we opened this bar in January 2022.

We call something we would like to do and our dreams WILL, and I feel that among those who come to the bar, there are many people who have WILL. Around those who have WILL, similar people gather, and conversations are flowing. I think this bar has become a place of wonderful encounters.”

One of the chief characteristics of The Flying Penguins is the presence of Connectors who are staff members to be changed on a daily basis. Members with diverse backgrounds come to the bar on each day and connect to customers while communicating with them.

“I cherish that Connectors have their WILL and their characters stand out in a good way, such as entrepreneurs and businesspersons engaged in venture capital firms and new businesses. There are many customers who come to the bar to see the Connector on the day.”

As the Connector gets between customers, an encounter here will lead to business and the community through favorite foods, and hobbies will expand.

Ms. Sato says, “It’s truly amazing that interesting people are blended. I realize the importance of the presence of Connectors.”

The Connector on the day is Ms. Emika who is an entrepreneur and a manager.

Ms. Sato says, “She manages an art thinking consulting firm, such as new business and human resource development and is truly a clever person. The amount of information of inputs and outputs is enormous!” She also said that there are many people who are connected to each other through Ms. Emika.

What are the charms of The Flying Penguins that Ms. Emika thinks?

“First of all, I feel that this place is very special. A customer who dropped in was the president of the company that many people know. Because it is the Yaesu-Nihonbashi-Kyobashi area where the Japanese economy is concentrated, truly a wide variety of people visit the bar, so I’m surprised.

Also in my case, my company’s customers come to the bar and have communication with them that is different from the usual, which is good. I introduced another Connector to a person from a startup, which led to business. I think the connections between individuals have become easy to see, such as social networks, but I think there are advantages of a real place that is different from online.”

Ms. Sato, who is an unparalleled drinker and whose compatibility with the place that is a bar is guaranteed, was formerly a cabin attendant. She realized again the charms of the local areas through her career and is also aiming at local revitalization using the bar as a starting point.

“I am from a rural area since I grew up in Saku City in Nagano Prefecture, and while visiting many parts of Japan for work and traveling, I realized that there is a lot to see not only in the famous tourist spots but in unknown areas. And I started having an interest in local areas from that. I love all kinds of alcohol, but because there are 13 Japanese sake breweries in my hometown, Japanese sake that has a history and local flavors is my favorite. I feel that Japanese sake carries the brewers’ thoughts.

I think alcohol becomes a tool to connect people, so the concept of The Flying Penguins overlaps with my thoughts.”

The place Ms. Sato, who has a thing for delicious food, drops in before going to work is the restaurant for hearth-baked pizzas and wines, the Bosso Yaesu branch. She goes there to have lunch and sometimes orders something to take away.

Because The Flying Penguins has a drink menu only and customers can bring food, she says she sometimes recommends the restaurants as a great neighborhood restaurant to customers.

What she ordered were three dishes: pizza Bosso, which is a special pizza to be able to enjoy four kinds of flavors expressing the four seasons in Bosso, braided buffalo mozzarella from Naples and Italian prosciutto aged for 16 months of which the mozzarella is characterized by braids, and Wagyu beef shank and lemon spezzatino.

Seasonal menus that use an abundance of seasonal ingredients are said to be Ms. Sato’s favorites.

She has a lively conversation with a customer and sometimes drinks with the customer. A customer who visits the bar once or twice a week–.

“Ms. Naoko is interested only in alcohol (lol). She is familiar with Japanese sake, has an abundance of information, tells me of the delicious brands, and is a friendly and fun person. When I talk to Ms. Naoko, it is a nice change of pace, and I’m thankful for that,” she talked about Ms. Naoko’s impression.

As the plan made by Ms. Sato, who is interested in local areas, a cross prefectural event in relay format has been held since June. The bar invites the person who has a relation with each prefecture to let people know about the area, and people enjoy alcohol and food ingredients from the area. The event has been receiving a favorable reputation.

“Being from the same hometown or having a relation with the same place makes people feel secure, which makes it easy to connect with people. As the place that treasures common denominators and connections, it’s a perfect concept, and I think it’s simply a fun theme. I would like this event to be the opportunity to connect with people from local areas and towns and increase people who will like those towns by being connected.

As a bar, because there are many company employees and businesspersons in the town, there will be fewer people on Saturdays and Sundays. I would like people to come to this area and visit the bar on Saturdays and Sundays and would definitely like those who do not usually come to this area to stop by. There are many people who come to the bar because an event for the local area that they are fond of is held. Regarding the event, about half to 2/3 of the customers are new customers.”

It has been 10 months since The Flying Penguins started. Ms. Sato said, “I realize how fun it is to connect people.”

“This is the place where you can be casually connected with those you do not encounter when having a normal life. Someone sits next to you by chance or someone ordered alcohol from the same bottle, and you can become friends with the person. The moment when such people interact with each other is very valuable, and I’m happy to see it. It’s very rewarding.”

Bosso Yaesu Branch
Address: Tokyo Tatemono Yaesu Building B1F, 1-4-16 Yaesu, Chuo-ku
Website: https://www.beat-itn.com/

Text: Yuki Nonoyama (TAPE), Photograph: Midori Shimamura

THE FLYING PENGUINS

Address

2F, 2-2-18 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku

Website
https://theflyingpenguins.jp/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/theflyingpenguins_bar/