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Jam Bar

By 19th January 2008August 27th, 2013

One cool little bar that sometimes gets overlooked in favour of its bigger, brasher brothers, is JAM Bar. It’s got nothing to do with the fruit conserve but instead took its name from its musical roots, basically meaning get together and improvise. It’s located in what was until last season, one of the busiest little bar and pub streets in Hirafu – alongside Wild Bill’s and the old Fatty’s semi-trailer bar. With Fatty’s gone and Hank’s around the corner also history, Jam is getting a little lonely, but inside the doors it’s still very much alive and kicking. Owner Shinya Katou was at one stage Hokkaido’s number one alpen snowboarder, although he gave that up after breaking his back. These days he’s happier cruising in the powder, and at night mixing drinks and playing tunes for his local regulars and the ever-increasing number of foreign holidaymakers keen to chill out in this classic little Japanese bar.

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