Enter Alone, Leave Connected: 'awabar Okinawa' in Naha Reopens with New Management

The standing bar 'awabar Okinawa,' located in the Mutsumibashi Shopping Street in Naha, will reopen on June 1, 2026.

Katsuru Matsumoto, a former regular, has taken over as the new store manager. After moving to Okinawa, his experience of forming connections at this bar inspired him to join its operation.

While maintaining its standing-style concept and no-cover-charge policy, the bar has introduced carbonation servers to improve drink quality and expanded its food menu, which features local ingredients. The aim is to continue being a place where even solo guests can easily enter and naturally strike up conversations.

Store manager Matsumoto, originally from Matsuura, Nagasaki, first visited Okinawa in December 2023. Not knowing the area, he stepped into awabar, thinking a standing bar would be easy to enter. He moved to Okinawa in February 2024 and revisited the bar four days later, where he met three friends with whom he still maintains relationships. In April of the same year, he met his current partner at the bar. While it is said that many people leave Okinawa within three years of moving, Matsumoto never felt lonely, thanks to this place. His personal experience of being supported by connections at this bar led to his decision to join the management.

Owner's Comment: 'I feel that awabar Okinawa is a place where people can naturally connect with each other in Okinawa. The atmosphere, where even a first-time visitor finds themselves chatting with someone before they know it, is the greatest charm of this shop.' — Kunihiro Tanaka, Owner of awabar Okinawa / Representative Director and President, Sakura Internet Inc.

Opening Event | Okinawa Networking Event (Meet Up): To commemorate the renewal, the bar will host a networking event for those who have connected at awabar Okinawa. The event is organized by Shun Ito, one of the friends Matsumoto met at the bar on his fourth day in Okinawa. The connections that began between customers have now led to the organization of this event. In line with awabar's atmosphere, the event is open to anyone looking to make new connections in Okinawa, regardless of profession or background.

awabar Okinawa Meet Up: Date: Friday, June 19, 2026, 19:30 – 21:30 Location: awabar Okinawa (Mutsumibashi Shopping Street, 3-1-1 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa) Participation Fee: 3,500 yen (All-you-can-drink and eat) Booking: https://meetup.okinawa/event/1311/

Space & Menu: By keeping the no-cover-charge, no-booking-required standing style, the bar aims to be a space where guests can easily stop by alone and naturally start conversations. This renewal includes the introduction of carbonation servers to enhance the quality of sparkling drinks like highballs. - Cover Charge: None - Orion Draft Beer: 500 yen - Highball (Suntory Kakubin / Dewar's): 600 yen - Food: From 300 yen *All prices are exclusive of 10% consumption tax.

Renewal Open Special: On the official opening day, Monday, June 1, 2026, visitors will receive one complimentary welcome drink (Orion The Draft Beer, Sparkling Penasol, or Gym-High).

Store Information: Store Name: awabar Okinawa Address: 3-1-1 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa (inside Mutsumibashi Shopping Street) Format: BAR (Standing) Business Hours: 19:00 – 25:00 (L.O. 24:30) Closed: Wednesdays & Sundays Price Range: From 500 yen (No cover charge, tax excluded) Payment: Cashless only (No cash) Renewal Opening Date: June 1, 2026 Instagram: @awabar_okinawa https://www.instagram.com/awabar_okinawa/