Shigeta Misawa Visits: Hiroshima City's "Beer Stand Shigetomi"

This project features reports from Dentsu Inc.'s communication planners, currently active on the front lines, about "places and spots that have recently caught their attention."

A "Non-Competitive" Regional Revitalization Model Realized Through Miracle Draft Beer

This time, planner Shigeta Misawa visited Beer Stand Shigetomi, located beside a liquor wholesaler in Hiroshima's iconic Nagarekawa entertainment district. It offers completely different beer flavors based on pouring techniques. Operating only from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the rule is two drinks per person. Aiming to revitalize the local restaurant district, its philosophy is "drink quickly and move on to other spots."

Hiroshi Shigetomi, president of Shigetomi Liquor Store, was born in 1962. He is the third-generation owner of the pre-war established "Shigetomi Liquor Store" and a renowned master of beer pouring among beer enthusiasts. Beyond operating Beer Stand Shigetomi, he promotes beer's appeal through various initiatives: launching the "Hiroshima Draft Beer University" to teach proper pouring techniques and independently producing the film "The History of Japanese Beer (Beer History)."

This time, Mr. Misawa focused on the following three points:

① What led to the positioning of "coexisting" rather than "competing" with other izakayas and similar establishments?
② What points do you pay attention to in achieving this symbiosis?
③ How do you define the core value you provide to customers?

Interview with Hiroshi Shigetomi, President of Shigetomi Liquor Store!

【Q1】

Beyond the concept of "revitalizing the community with draft beer," your entire business model is unique. What led you to choose this current format?

"Beer Stand Shigetomi" is a small corner drinking spot (where you can drink the store's products on the spot) with a capacity of about 10 people, set up next to the liquor store "Shigetomi Liquor Store" that I inherited from my father. Here, I use a "Heisei-era tap" and a "Showa-era tap" to offer five types of draft beer. However, we only handle one brand at a time. Depending on the season, I offer common brands people drink regularly as distinct menu items like "Single Pour," "Triple Pour," or "Mild," differing only in the pouring technique. Each tap has unique flow rates and foam density, and factors like the angle of the glass and foam volume during pouring surprisingly alter the mouthfeel and taste. Customers visit from all over Japan to experience this.

Another distinctive feature is our operating hours: only from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with a limit of two drinks per person. We also don't serve snacks. We tell customers, "After two drinks, please move on to the next izakaya." Regulars seem to call us a "pre-drinks spot" or "0-kai izakaya," a place to get pumped up before the main drinking party.

We established these rules precisely because we are a liquor store opening an izakaya. We wanted to create the opposite situation of taking customers away from the nearby izakayas we supply. After the bubble burst, the economy in this area, including my own liquor store, had been declining. I felt the need to work together with the surrounding izakayas to revitalize the area. I hope that customers who come to this town interested in the beer I pour will then move on to their second stop, helping to stimulate the local economy.

Mr. Shigetomi didn't start with this style either. He eventually arrived at it after running his own izakaya and other ventures. His phrase, "Don't hoard customers; share them," was truly golden. (Misawa)

【Q2】

Mr. Shigetomi, you promote the "Hiroshima Genki Project" starting with beer. What's the thinking behind that?

It might be surprising coming from someone in the beer business, but the ones I truly want to see smiling are "Hiroshima's children." It started when my daughter was in third grade and I became PTA president. I realized that to make the children smile, you first have to make their parents smile. What I could do for the children, I thought, was to increase the amount of delicious draft beer in Hiroshima and energize tired adults.

Beer is meant to be enjoyed as a pairing with "the day you've lived." Life brings various stresses, but if you think that the more those stresses build up, the more delicious beer becomes, you can stay positive even during tough times. I hope the adults of Hiroshima can embrace that value.

I want to bring peace to Hiroshima by making it a place where you can enjoy great beer anywhere. When trying to create "peace" in Hiroshima, the history of the atomic bomb often makes it feel like a heavy topic. That's precisely why I want to focus on something more accessible and everyday.

Currently, I'm recognized as "one of Japan's top beer pourers," but to put it bluntly, I'd love to see this skill spread to every izakaya in Hiroshima. I want the prefecture to become a place where you can enjoy high-quality beer anywhere, to the point where people say, "Shigetomi's beer is the worst in Hiroshima."

Even in my daily work, means and ends often get confused. But beer is merely the means; my goal is clear: to bring smiles and vitality to Hiroshima, the place where I was born.

【Q3】

Your craft beer pouring events and activities are expanding nationwide and into new fields. What are your future prospects?

Lately, I'm grateful to be traveling nationwide, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, including Tokyo, as various bars and breweries reach out. While the beers I pour aren't Hiroshima-made, I hope my pouring style and beer philosophy itself become recognized as "Hiroshima-made" across Japan, establishing Hiroshima as a beer city.

Of course, I also want to energize the entire beer industry. Many people who drink beer poured by me say, "This is the first time I thought beer was delicious." So, I believe activities are needed to increase beer fans in Japan, including those who dislike beer. My independent filmmaking is part of that effort.

Incidentally, and this might come as a surprise, I'm actually not that big a beer fan myself (laughs). But sometimes, taking a step back allows you to see and do things you couldn't otherwise. Moving forward, I want to keep exploring beer's potential from my unique perspective while pouring delicious glasses for a wide range of people.

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Yoshimoriya Izakaya

Manager Hiroshi Yakuma shares his insights!

From Mr. Shigetomi, I learned not only how to pour beer but also server cleaning and maintenance methods, and his particular focus on glasses. I teach all my staff these things too. He's more than just a beer supplier to us.

You can tell if a place has "Shigetomi's touch" with just one sip of their beer. Lately, I feel like there are quite a few more places like this popping up around here. While the increase in rival shops is a bit of a headache (laughs), inspired by Mr. Shigetomi's passion for revitalizing the entire area, I hope we can all work together to make it even more vibrant.

Finally... (by Misawa)

Amidst all the buzz about Western-style marketing and disruption these days, I'd been feeling a bit unsettled, wondering if there might be a uniquely Japanese way. This time, I visited Mr. Shigetomi seeking hints for a distinctly Japanese style—one that moves beyond price competition and builds a strong community. His perspective—that "sharing customers" and "opening up your skills and knowledge to raise the overall level of society ultimately creates a positive cycle"—is something I definitely want to keep in mind when thinking about business and planning. Finally, when you visit Shigetomi Sake Shop, be sure to try both the "single pour" and the "sharp pour" and compare them!