Miyashita, the buyer for men's accessories on the first floor of Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building has recently become hooked on cigar bars. Cigars may seem intimidating, but he says they are surprisingly easy to enjoy. So, gathering close friends of the same generation, Miyashita will guide you through the fun of cigar bars, sharing a different kind of adult space and time.

Profile

Sota Miyashita

Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 1st Floor, Men's Accessories Buyer

A renowned buyer at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , with experience playing in the Koshien baseball tournament. After working as a men's shoe buyer, he became the buyer for men's accessories on the first floor last spring. He is also in charge of handling smoking accessories.

Kenta Iriguchi

Photographer

He began taking photographs at the age of 19, teaching himself the craft. He takes street style photos during fashion weeks in various countries and also works on a wide range of other projects, including brand lookbooks, architecture, and advertising. He co-hosts the podcast radio show "Sanpo DE Night" with buyer Miyashita. Instagram @mrportraiter

Azusa Iida

Illustrator/Artist

A rising illustrator whose experimental artwork focusing on "people" is striking. She creates CD jackets, magazines, and corporate collaboration products that reflect a fashion-forward perspective. Instagram @azusa_iida

Gather with close friends and enjoy a sophisticated evening at a cigar bar.

The three friends, all around the same age, became acquainted through their work and personal activities. While they usually meet at lively izakayas in places like Sangenjaya, this time their meeting place was a more sophisticated cigar bar. Located on the second floor of the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya, "R261 CIGAR & ROCK" is a hidden gem of a music cigar bar where you can enjoy music, drinks, and cigars.

Sota Miyashita (hereinafter, Miyashita): Please, go ahead!

Iriguchi Kenta (hereinafter, Iriguchi): Huh, is this the entrance to the shop?! There's a door inconspicuously hidden in the wall, so you could easily miss it at first glance.

Azusa Iida (hereinafter, Iida): It has a sophisticated atmosphere, like a hidden retreat. Excuse me for intruding...

Miyashita: This is the first time the three of us have come to a place like this, right? We usually go to izakayas (Japanese pubs), but now that we're in our 30s, we thought it would be nice to go to a more grown-up place for a change. I've also recently become in charge of smoking accessories, so cigars have become my new obsession.

Iriguchi: I thought he was a leather goods enthusiast, but I never knew he had this side to him...

Iida: It's a little dark inside, which creates a nice atmosphere. I don't usually come to places like this, so it's refreshing. Also, I've never smoked a cigar before, so I wonder if that's okay?

Miyashita: People tend to think cigars are intimidating, but they're actually quite easy to enjoy. Let's order some drinks and have a toast first.

If you're unsure what to have for your first drink before getting to your target cigar, what do you choose?

Iriguchi: When you smoke a cigar, is there a specific drink you should order first?

Miyashita: Considering that I'll be smoking a cigar later, I think something with a clean and refreshing scent would be good. Since we're at a bar, let's have the bartender make us a cocktail.


Listening to the bartender's advice, each of the three ordered a cocktail. Miyashita ordered a highball made with Calvados, Iida ordered a cocktail based on Campari with rooibos tea added for flavor, and Iriguchi ordered a sherry mojito.

Miyashita: Okay, let's start with a toast with cocktails!

Iriguchi: It makes me feel a bit formal.

Iida : Delicious! The aroma spreads so nicely, it's like... my nose is enjoying it? It has a gorgeous feeling that goes right up my nose.

Iriguchi : That's quite an expression (laughs). But this mojito certainly has a very refreshing aroma. Azusa's cocktails are so colorful and visually appealing.

Miyashita : We usually toast with beer, but if we're going to enjoy a cigar now, a vibrant cocktail that can stand up to its aroma would be a good match. So, I think I'll go and choose a cigar for today's main event.

Miyashita has selected some recommended cigars for two beginners!

Miyashita : This was your first time smoking a cigar, right? In that case, I think Davidoff cigars would be a good choice. They're aged for a long time, so they're not too harsh and are easy to smoke, even for first-timers and women, which is why they're popular.

Iriguchi : I don't even smoke normally, so this is a completely unknown world to me.

Miyashita : Kenta has always liked wine, so I chose one from the "Grand Cru" series.

Iriguchi : Grand Cru?

Miyashita : Originally, Davidoff was the first brand to create cigars with a focus on pairing with wine, and among them, the "Grand Cru" series is one that I can recommend to wine lovers.
How about we go with the "Signature No. 2," the brand's signature cigar, Azusa? This is the cigar that the founder, Zino Davidoff, smoked every day, and it's so mild that it's said to be fine to smoke even when you wake up in the morning, so I recommend it to women as well.

Iriguchi : You're incredibly knowledgeable!

Miyashita : I did my homework (laughs). I think I'll go with the "Robusto" from the "Nicaragua" series. By the way, the cigar rings on the labels of the two of us are white, but this series has black ones, and these are a bit heavier cigars that are for people who are used to smoking.

Iida : What is this? There's a cigar in it?

Miyashita : It's my cigar case.

Iida : As expected of a buyer of smoking accessories. A carbon case gives it a sophisticated feel.

The first step is the cigar cut, which creates the mouthpiece.

Miyashita: First, you cut the mouthpiece. Cigars have a closed mouthpiece, so you cut it with a special cigar cutter first.

Iriguchi : Even just the cutter looks substantial and cool. How do you cut with it?

Miyashita : The most common method is called a flat cut, where you place the blade at a point where the rounded tip of the cigar remains, and then cut it off decisively.

Iriguchi & Iida : Wow!

Miyashita: By the way, there are many shops that offer services from cutting the wood to lighting it, so beginners should not hesitate to leave it to the professionals.

Light it by charring it, and you're ready!

Miyashita : Once you've made the mouthpiece, light the other end slowly, as if you're gently heating it.

Iriguchi : The shopkeeper used matches, but I guess a turbo lighter or a burner would work too.

Miyashita : Matches ignite at a low temperature, so the first puff is smoother. On the other hand, burners ignite easily, making them easier for beginners to use. The trick to lighting a cigar is to keep the cigar and burner at a 45-degree angle so you don't burn your hands. Then, to avoid burning the outside, light the bottom of the ignition point.

Savor the cigar as you puff on it, and enjoy the aroma that fills your mouth.

Miyashita : Once it's lit, hold a little bit in your mouth and then slowly exhale it.

Iida : I feel like I might inhale it into my lungs.

Miyashita : It's different from smoking a cigarette because you have to puff on it.

Iida : Huh, my flame's gone out?

Miyashita : Unlike regular cigarettes, there's no paper wrapped around them to help them burn faster, so if you leave them out for a while, the fire will go out. When that happens, just relight them and start smoking again and they'll start burning again.

Iriguchi : Wow... This is my first time smoking it, but the smell is completely different from cigarette smoke.

Iida : That's true! It's different from the smoky smell of regular cigarettes; it's mellow and has a really nice aroma.

Ichiguchi : This goes really well with cocktails.

Miyashita : Cigars inevitably leave a slightly bitter aftertaste, so apparently, sweet and aromatic cocktails are a good way to neutralize that.

Iida : Cigars are so thick, I'm always wondering how to hold them.

Miyashita : Women look elegant when they hold a cigar from below.

Iida : Like this...?

Iriguchi : Just one gesture can really bring out a mature, feminine side.

Share a relaxed, adult time enhanced by cigars.

Miyashita : It wasn't as difficult as you might have thought, was it?

Iida : It was definitely not as difficult as I thought. Cigars are wonderful, including the way you smoke them.

Iriguchi : Even though I don't smoke, I found it easy to smoke. By the way, how long does it take to smoke one cigar?

Miyashita : It depends on the thickness and length of the cigar, but it's usually a little under an hour. On the other hand, because it takes at least that long to smoke one, you can share a relaxed time with the person you're smoking with.

Iriguchi : That's kind of romantic...

Iida: At our usual izakaya (Japanese pub), it's too hectic and we can't really have a relaxed conversation.

Iriguchi : If this were my usual izakaya, I'd already be on my fifth drink.

Iida : So we can drink like this too.

Miyashita : Now that we're in our 30s, our work has expanded and we're both getting busier, so I thought it would be nice to enjoy this kind of relaxed, mature time together.

Iriguchi : Enjoying music, alcohol, and a cigar like this is a truly grown-up way to spend time.

Iida : Oh! That's Neil Young playing right now! I used to listen to that song a lot when I was a kid!

Iriguchi: That's cool!!

Iida : I've been listening to oldies rock since I was a child because of my father's influence. I feel nostalgic for rock music from that era and I like it.

Miyashita : When you think of cigar bars, you usually think of jazz music, but this bar plays oldies rock. Cigars and rock music is an unusual combination, and it seems like they have a lot of music-loving customers.

Iida : While our usual lively izakaya is nice, I'd love for the three of us to get together again like this and spend some grown-up time listening to music.