A thumping good time at Kyoto's Honky Tonk Bar

band playing at the Honky Tonk Bar, Kyoto

On our last visit to Kyoto 7 years ago, our guide, Aki, took us to the Honky Tonk Bar where he is a regular.  The Honky Tonk, located in a remote part of Kyoto, hasn't changed a bit since we were last here.

It's a Country and Western dive, complete with Japanese C & W band, local singers and a dance floor which gets more active as the evening wears on.  On Monday nights, anyone who wants to sing C & W, in English, of course, gets a chance to join the band for a song or two.  And, Aki, who is a charming crooner, sang a number of times last night, to wild cheers from our group of enthusiasts. 

Aki crooning at the Honky Tonk Bar

Aki loves to sing Country and Western tunes, complete with his Western clothes and black 10 gallon hat.  He was joined by several Japanese women and a couple of men who were there for the pure pleasure of singing their favorite music to the accompaniment of an animated band playing with skill and fervor.  Honky Tonk has been just the same for nearly 45 years, so obviously C & W has at least some following in Japan.

Don and Aki singing "Country Roads" at the Honky Tonk bar

We had a wonderful time, singing along and, a couple us, dancing while the beer flowed and the music thumped.  Don took his turn with Aki to sing "Country Roads" which the Japanese patrons thought was a highlight of the night.