To put it bluntly Yuzawa is a tourist town that is VERY popular with Chinese people. This means that what restaurants there are tend to be aimed at the Chinese palate, many insist on cash only and almost all are always full. And this is to such a degree that it even includes 7 11.
Thankfully there was one sole place that offered respite from this, namely Yosaku Bar and Dining. Why was this? Perhaps because it was a bar, or maybe merely because the second floor location put the crowds off. Regardless though, it literally saved me from starvation.
Table of Contents
What the Yuzawa
Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture has a population of roughly 8,000 people, at least on paper. In winter though that number feels far higher. The shinkansen dumps skiers straight into town and suddenly this small onsen settlement becomes a conveyor belt of tour groups and package holidays.
It is efficient, organised and completely built around snow. Restaurants fill up early. Bars get busy. Convenience stores are packed. It does what it is designed to do. Just do not expect untouched rural Japan.
Click to read about the best Japanese street food cities.
What the Yosaku Bar and Dining?
Yosaku Bar and Dining is a Japanese style bar located a short walk from Echigo Yuzawa Station, up on the second floor of a low key building. No giant neon. No screaming ski theme. Just a sign and some stairs.
Inside it feels like an actual bar rather than a group dining hall. Wood, tables, counter seating and a proper drinks focus. In a town where most places are set up for volume and turnover, this felt like somewhere you could actually sit down and relax.
The Yosaku Bar and Dining Menu
The menu at Yosaku is what you would expect from a solid Japanese bar. Bar food, comfort dishes and things that work well with beer and highballs.
What I actually ordered was:
Garlic bread which was about 8 bucks
Sausages at around 10 bucks
Cheese 10 bucks
Ramen which at $8 and a huge bowl was the success of the night
All straightforward, all exactly what you want after a cold day outside. The menu also included a mix of typical bar dishes and Japanese staples, but without turning into a tourist set meal factory.
Drinks included draft Asahi and highballs, both of which did the job perfectly for me and indeed mu mood!
The food and the vibe
This was very much pub grub, but on a night where the snow was falling hard and there was quite literally no room at the inn it was wonderful. I had multiple dishes, such as garlic bread, sausages, cheese and ramen, all of which were particularly high quality.
The drinks also rolled along greatly with me doing some draft Asahi and a few highballs. And while it was a fairly subdued night that they had darts in there, karaoke and music – all with backdrop of a snowy winter wonderland really worked.
Being on the second floor you were also able to take your own ash tray to the window and smoke. Not sure if it is completely legal, but you know it worked for me.
The best bar and restaurant in Yuzawa? Well I am sure that there are better, but you know they were at least open and available. Therefore if you do get caught short here, these are your guys.
Where the Yosaku Bar and Dining?
318-6 Yuzawa
Minamiuonuma District
Niigata 949-6101
Japan
Phone: 025-788-0851
Click to see my Japan Tours with Young Pioneer Tours