Reiko opened Kurohi in 1968 with her late husband Sone Takeshi, using his severance pay from the magnesium mine. Takeshi died in ’71 (roof collapse in the Number 3 tunnel), leaving 28-year-old Reiko widowed with a five-year-old daughter and a half-finished bar. She finished the bar anyway, named it “Black Spout” because “that’s where all the village’s troubles end up pouring out eventually.”
Her daughter, Sone Ayako, escaped the mountain the first chance she got: scholarship to Nagoya University, then residency in Boston. Now a cardiologist in Massachusetts who wires money every month but hasn’t come home in eight years.
The only other permanent fixture is “Gangare” Tatsumi (外谷 辰巳, 64), a grizzled ex-bōsōzoku turned long-haul trucker who still rides a dented Kawasaki 750 up the valley when the road allows. Tatsumi was Takeshi’s best friend and carried his body out of the mine that day. He’s been in love with Reiko for thirty-five years, proposed twice (once drunk, once sober), and got told both times, “Don’t be stupid, you old crow.” He still shows up every night, parks his bike under the eaves, keeps his mirrored sunglasses on indoors, and curses fluently at anyone who looks at Reiko the wrong way.
Regulars say the black cheese started as a joke: Reiko tried charcoal-curing it after a bad batch turned grey. People complained it tasted like ash. She told them life tastes like ash, eat it anyway. Now nobody orders anything else.
On quiet nights you can hear Reiko and Gangare arguing behind the counter about the same things they argued about in 1972, voices low and rough like gravel under tires. When the first big snow falls and the road closes, the red lantern stays lit 24 hours a day. That’s how you know Kurohi is still open, and the village is still alive, for now.
Nama Bīru (Draft Beer, e.g., Asahi or Kirin) – 400 Rin (厘)
Bin Bīru (Bottled Beer) – 500 Rin (厘)
Sake (Hot or cold, by glass or tokkuri carafe) – 400–600 Rin (厘)
Shōchū (On rocks, mizuwari with water, or oyuwari with hot water) – 400 Rin (厘)
Highball (Whisky + soda) – 500 Rin (厘)
Umeshu (Plum wine, on rocks or with soda) – 500 Rin (厘)
Chu-hai (Shōchū + soda/fruit flavor) – 400–500 Rin (厘)
Whisky (Suntory or Nikka, highball or on rocks) – 500–700 Rin (厘)
Oolong Tea (Non-alcoholic) – 300 Rin (厘)
Edamame (Salted soybeans) – 300 Rin (厘)
Tsukudani (Pickled vegetables or simmered items) – 400 Rin (厘)
Karaage (Fried chicken) – 500 Rin (厘)
Yakitori (Grilled chicken skewers, 2–3 pieces) – 400 Rin (厘)
Agedashi Tōfu (Fried tofu in dashi) – 400 Rin (厘)
Potato Salad (Japanese-style with mayo) – 400 Rin (厘)Black Cheese (Kuro cheese – a rare, quirky house special: sharp, creamy cheddar infused with black sesame or charcoal for a deep, nutty flavor. Served sliced with crackers or onigiri) – 500 Rin (厘)