SUPPIN CAFE BAR NATURALIA: A NEW GIRLS BAR IN JAPAN WITH A TWIST
Say you're like me and you are (or were) a big fan of Japanese pop culture, anime, manga, idols (both 2D and 3D), the works. Say you've grown older, matured, your tastes evolved. You don't get that excited anymore seeing the newest series of moe cuties romping in pajamas. The newest single of that girl group you used to like. (Do you even recognize the main members anymore?). It's not like your passion died out, you're just more relaxed, you seek different things, hobbies a bit more refined. Maybe, at the same time, you've grown fond of enjoying a hearty glass of whiskey (or, better yet, "Japanese Sake" – Nihonshu). Well, I have a new treat for you! In your pop culture quest, you've surely bumped into maid cafes. Often bubbly pink venues for customers to be served incredibly kawaii pancakes and omelets. And play games with equally bubbly, kawaii girls. But you, as you are now, crave something more true, more realistic than this plastic world. In this case, you go one step further, and might want to try a so-called "Girls Bar". On paper, it sounds pretty much the same as a maid cafe. You sit down, order drinks and food while occasionally chatting with the female servers. Just like maid cafes, a girls bar has all sorts of concepts and themes. You can find a swimsuit girls bar, a magical girls bar, maybe even a ninja-themed girls bar. As soon as you step foot into one, however, you'll understand: the atmosphere is much more adult, and the distance with the girls much smaller. You can usually offer them a drink and enjoy it together. It's a much more intimate environment overall.
THE NEW SUPPIN CAFE GIRLS BAR: NATURALIA
Just as many as maid cafes, girls bars too can be found in extreme numbers throughout Japan. There is just so many, that they all start to look the same, and their services are practically identical too. But once in a while, you find new, weird and crazy concepts being introduced into the scene. (Stores need to stand out from the competition aye). In this post, we will introduce a new type of attraction. A hybrid between a maid cafe and a girls bar with a little twist called "Naturalia". The name is a big hint. The concept behind the inception of this bar is gathering girls au naturel, with hair barely dyed, no excessive nail decorations, non-smoking and with no experience working in nightlife. In other words, only the 'genuine' and 'pure' types. The owners apparently grew tired of going to bars and only finding way-too-dolled up girls with flashy hair colors, dangerously sharp fake nails and smart-ass attitudes that reeked of "kyabakura". Of course, this isn't the case for all girls bars in Japan. But for those that have been before I am sure you know what the owners of Naturalia are talking about. A girls bar may be very intimidating for some. So as a refreshing change of pace, I recommend you try something more low-key and experience the so-called 'pure' experience provided by Naturalia. The girls/waitresses here do not use any (or very very little) make-up, wear casual clothing and no crazy hair colors and hairdos. The perfect example of that "cute girl next door" in her most relaxed form. You just need to sit at the counter and order to enjoy a pleasant, heartwarming chat together, while having a relaxing drink.
SYSTEM PRICING AT NATURALIA
This Sapporo-born brand has grown in popularity and expanded to other cities such as Tokyo (Shibuya, Shinjuku) and Osaka (Nipponbashi, Umeda) as well. All branches are open from 3/4 PM to midnight and offer the same pricing system: Males: 300 Yen/10 minutes (until 5 PM) 400 Yen/10 minutes (5 PM - midnight) Charge fee: 500 Yen (free if you become a member) Females: 200 Yen/10 minutes (any time) Charge fee: 500 Yen (free if you become a member) All prices above include the all-you-can-drink menu. Beer, shochu, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, etc. (Some drinks require an additional charge, however). Snacks and side dishes are 100 Yen and above.
THE NATURALIA EXPERIENCE
First of all, the gritty details. Naturalia's pricing is actually very very reasonable. Staying one hour, even in the more expensive evening time slot, would cost 2400 Yen, plus any drinks for your companion and snacks. In girls bar terms, that's not expensive at all, and the all-you-can-drink is a very big plus. Naturalia's opening hours starting rather early and is another extremely convenient point. In the evening hours, there's a higher chance of the place being crowded because of middle-aged salarymen (the prominent customer type) stopping by on their way home from work. So if you aim to enjoy the atmosphere and company as leisurely possible, the earlier hours (3 – 6 PM) are definitely more accessible. Yes, it's a bit early to start drinking, but...there are sacrifices to be made to achieve your goals! So how do things work when you get inside? First, you will get seated, then a natural non-dolled up 'Suppin' girl will come and explain the system. Order what you like, then relax and have a chat! Low Key and Easy!
A FEW WORDS OF CAUTION
A couple precautions to be mentioned about Naturalia are the following. As with any other girls bar, you need a fairly high level of Japanese proficiency in order to truly enjoy the place. In maid cafes, you can't talk as much and there are games to play to have fun even without much conversation. But in a girls bar, enjoying the lively, intimate, lighthearted chatting (which becomes more involved the more you frequent the bar) is arguably the highest appeal. On the other hand, if you can clear this condition you'll have a large advantage over the average patrons. Female servers in girls bar are usually exceptionally quick in remembering names and faces, but for foreigners, even a single visit is enough. You'll soon be able to enjoy the pleasure of being called by your chosen name as you step through the door. The second precaution to remember is more tied to Naturalia's concept: your friendly neighborhood maiden will be your server. So you cannot expect to find a beauty pageant-level selection. Some will be beautiful, some pretty, some maybe a little plain. But you can be sure that they will all give you a warm welcome and "heal your tired heart", as the owner states in the Naturalia's homepage.
IN CONCLUSION
Girls bars are definitely not an uncommon sight in bustling cities. But among the many similar venues present in crowded cities, the concept offered by Naturalia is actually very rare. The servers you will meet here, and the cozy atmosphere you will find here isn't really present in other girls' bars. It's true that you might not find flashy or sexy uniforms and the mood might be subdued at times. But for those who prefer less 'in-your-face' interactions but want to go to a girls bar, this might be the place for you. This is all assuming that you can deal with a Japanese girl without any makeup on. I know many Bros out there who have experienced the 'who the hell are you?!' after seeing their girlfriend without makeup on for the first time. But I am sure there are loads of Bros who appreciate a Japanese girl's real beauty.
STORE DETAILS:
Umeda Store Address: 2 Chome-10-20 Sonezaki, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu 530-0057 Kawai Building II 3F Japanese Address: 大阪府大阪市北区曾根崎2丁目10-20河合ビルⅡ 3F Nihonbashi Store Address: Chome-7-26 Nipponbashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu 556-0005 Wonder3 Building 7F Japanese Address:大阪市浪速区日本橋4丁目7-26ワンダー3ビル7F Nihonbashi Store Twitter: @naturalia_npb
