Enter Alone, Leave Connected: 'awabar Okinawa' in Naha Reopens with New Management
The standing bar 'awabar Okinawa' in Mutsumibashi Shopping Street, Naha, will reopen on June 1, 2026. Under new store manager Katsuru Matsumoto, the bar has introduced carbonation servers for improved drink quality and expanded its food menu. It continues its no-cover-charge, standing-style concept to foster a welcoming space for conversation and community.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 26, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 26, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 26, 2026 at 11:45 (13 min after Collected)
The standing bar 'awabar Okinawa,' located in the Mutsumibashi Shopping Street in Naha, will reopen on June 1, 2026.
Katsuru Matsumoto, a former regular, has taken over as the new store manager. After moving to Okinawa, his experience of forming connections at this bar inspired him to join its operation.
While maintaining its standing-style concept and no-cover-charge policy, the bar has introduced carbonation servers to improve drink quality and expanded its food menu, which features local ingredients. The aim is to continue being a place where even solo guests can easily enter and naturally strike up conversations.
Store manager Matsumoto, originally from Matsuura, Nagasaki, first visited Okinawa in December 2023. Not knowing the area, he stepped into awabar, thinking a standing bar would be easy to enter. He moved to Okinawa in February 2024 and revisited the bar four days later, where he met three friends with whom he still maintains relationships. In April of the same year, he met his current partner at the bar. While it is said that many people leave Okinawa within three years of moving, Matsumoto never felt lonely, thanks to this place. His personal experience of being supported by connections at this bar led to his decision to join the management.
Owner's Comment:
'I feel that awabar Okinawa is a place where people can naturally connect with each other in Okinawa. The atmosphere, where even a first-time visitor finds themselves chatting with someone before they know it, is the greatest charm of this shop.'
— Kunihiro Tanaka, Owner of awabar Okinawa / Representative Director and President, Sakura Internet Inc.
Opening Event | Okinawa Networking Event (Meet Up):
To commemorate the renewal, the bar will host a networking event for those who have connected at awabar Okinawa. The event is organized by Shun Ito, one of the friends Matsumoto met at the bar on his fourth day in Okinawa. The connections that began between customers have now led to the organization of this event. In line with awabar's atmosphere, the event is open to anyone looking to make new connections in Okinawa, regardless of profession or background.
awabar Okinawa Meet Up:
Date: Friday, June 19, 2026, 19:30 – 21:30
Location: awabar Okinawa (Mutsumibashi Shopping Street, 3-1-1 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa)
Participation Fee: 3,500 yen (All-you-can-drink and eat)
Booking: https://meetup.okinawa/event/1311/
Space & Menu:
By keeping the no-cover-charge, no-booking-required standing style, the bar aims to be a space where guests can easily stop by alone and naturally start conversations. This renewal includes the introduction of carbonation servers to enhance the quality of sparkling drinks like highballs.
- Cover Charge: None
- Orion Draft Beer: 500 yen
- Highball (Suntory Kakubin / Dewar's): 600 yen
- Food: From 300 yen
*All prices are exclusive of 10% consumption tax.
Renewal Open Special:
On the official opening day, Monday, June 1, 2026, visitors will receive one complimentary welcome drink (Orion The Draft Beer, Sparkling Penasol, or Gym-High).
Store Information:
Store Name: awabar Okinawa
Address: 3-1-1 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa (inside Mutsumibashi Shopping Street)
Format: BAR (Standing)
Business Hours: 19:00 – 25:00 (L.O. 24:30)
Closed: Wednesdays & Sundays
Price Range: From 500 yen (No cover charge, tax excluded)
Payment: Cashless only (No cash)
Renewal Opening Date: June 1, 2026
Instagram: @awabar_okinawa
https://www.instagram.com/awabar_okinawa/
Katsuru Matsumoto, a former regular, has taken over as the new store manager. After moving to Okinawa, his experience of forming connections at this bar inspired him to join its operation.
While maintaining its standing-style concept and no-cover-charge policy, the bar has introduced carbonation servers to improve drink quality and expanded its food menu, which features local ingredients. The aim is to continue being a place where even solo guests can easily enter and naturally strike up conversations.
Store manager Matsumoto, originally from Matsuura, Nagasaki, first visited Okinawa in December 2023. Not knowing the area, he stepped into awabar, thinking a standing bar would be easy to enter. He moved to Okinawa in February 2024 and revisited the bar four days later, where he met three friends with whom he still maintains relationships. In April of the same year, he met his current partner at the bar. While it is said that many people leave Okinawa within three years of moving, Matsumoto never felt lonely, thanks to this place. His personal experience of being supported by connections at this bar led to his decision to join the management.
Owner's Comment:
'I feel that awabar Okinawa is a place where people can naturally connect with each other in Okinawa. The atmosphere, where even a first-time visitor finds themselves chatting with someone before they know it, is the greatest charm of this shop.'
— Kunihiro Tanaka, Owner of awabar Okinawa / Representative Director and President, Sakura Internet Inc.
Opening Event | Okinawa Networking Event (Meet Up):
To commemorate the renewal, the bar will host a networking event for those who have connected at awabar Okinawa. The event is organized by Shun Ito, one of the friends Matsumoto met at the bar on his fourth day in Okinawa. The connections that began between customers have now led to the organization of this event. In line with awabar's atmosphere, the event is open to anyone looking to make new connections in Okinawa, regardless of profession or background.
awabar Okinawa Meet Up:
Date: Friday, June 19, 2026, 19:30 – 21:30
Location: awabar Okinawa (Mutsumibashi Shopping Street, 3-1-1 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa)
Participation Fee: 3,500 yen (All-you-can-drink and eat)
Booking: https://meetup.okinawa/event/1311/
Space & Menu:
By keeping the no-cover-charge, no-booking-required standing style, the bar aims to be a space where guests can easily stop by alone and naturally start conversations. This renewal includes the introduction of carbonation servers to enhance the quality of sparkling drinks like highballs.
- Cover Charge: None
- Orion Draft Beer: 500 yen
- Highball (Suntory Kakubin / Dewar's): 600 yen
- Food: From 300 yen
*All prices are exclusive of 10% consumption tax.
Renewal Open Special:
On the official opening day, Monday, June 1, 2026, visitors will receive one complimentary welcome drink (Orion The Draft Beer, Sparkling Penasol, or Gym-High).
Store Information:
Store Name: awabar Okinawa
Address: 3-1-1 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa (inside Mutsumibashi Shopping Street)
Format: BAR (Standing)
Business Hours: 19:00 – 25:00 (L.O. 24:30)
Closed: Wednesdays & Sundays
Price Range: From 500 yen (No cover charge, tax excluded)
Payment: Cashless only (No cash)
Renewal Opening Date: June 1, 2026
Instagram: @awabar_okinawa
https://www.instagram.com/awabar_okinawa/
FAQ
awabar Okinawaのリニューアルオープン日はいつですか？
2026年6月1日です。
awabar Okinawaの料金体系はどのようになっていますか？
チャージ料はなしで、ドリンクは500円〜、フードは300円〜となっています。支払いはキャッシュレス決済のみです。
新店長の経歴を教えてください。
新店長の松本勝氏は長崎県松浦市出身。客としてawabarに通い、人とのつながりに支えられた経験から運営参画を決めました。
リニューアルでどのような変更がありましたか？
炭酸サーバーを導入して炭酸系ドリンクの品質を向上させたほか、地元食材を活かしたフードメニューを拡充しました。
awabar Okinawaの営業時間と定休日を教えてください。
営業時間は19:00〜25:00（L.O. 24:30）、定休日は水曜日と日曜日です。