Gatosano

Gatosano, named after the Spanish term for ‘healthy cat’, is a Harajuku bar that’s great for those who find partying hard a bit fatiguing. They cater especially to imbibers who want to ‘live healthily and beautifully from the inside out’, and serve up a range of over 40 shochu-based herbal spirits. Each one is claimed to have a different medicinal property, promising everything from beauty benefits to help with dieting. The stronger, more pungent ones are diluted with ginger ale or other sweeter drinks to make them a bit more palatable. But the one offering here that will really put hair on your chest is the one featuring seahorses – yes, real seahorses – steeped in shochu. Set up by Mr Takada, the owner who also works as an event promoter, Gatosano’s DJ booth occasionally sees visits by top underground spinners.