I was always disappointed with US furniture retailer Crate & Barrel. Yes, the emporium of stateside middle-class taste has, for years now made the most handsome drinks cabinet in the world, and yes, they pair it with a veritable Abercrombie & Fitch-like portfolio of finely chiseled friends - but there is a distinct lack of anything made from crates, or from barrels.
Not so in this local fish-focused izakaya in Shinjuku. Using crates from what is likely Tokyo's famous Tsukiji fish market, the tuna crates-turned-tables look rugged and relevant. The only thing missing perhaps, is a barrel themed bar stool or two.
