Tsugaru Shamisen Live House – Anzu
While you could come and just enjoy the delicious food, the live shamisen music by local musicians is the main attraction here. Plan to arrive early, remove your shoes, and sit at low tables to start eating before the daily 7:30 pm performance. It's local fare from the Tsugaru region, which tends to be more rustic and more focused on preservation due to the area's harsh winters, so expect stews and fermented items (including squid!) that are on the saltier side, along with many items you'd recognize at any izakaya like grilled fish and things on skewers. Pickled vegetables pair nicely with the local sake. This remote region has a strong identity and produces foods that even people from Japan wouldn't recognize, so if you are an adventurous diner, point and anticipate. Dinner includes a cover charge of ¥700 and entertainment charge of ¥800 per person.
