Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2012

Nine years back, Tahara was so fascinated by his trip to Gunkanjima (“Battle Ship Island”) that he set up Bar Gunkanjima (2F Hashiba Bldg, Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku; Tel: 070-5652-2992) for enthusiasts of the notorious former Mitsubishi coal mine. Open daily from 9pm, this shoe-free bar (with zashiki in the back) offers alcoholic bevvies (from ¥500) and shelves of books filled with lurid images of the place itself. The crowd is a mixture of locals and haikyo geeks campaigning to make the island a world heritage site.