In Kyoto, which is blessed with underground water to the extent that it is said that if you dig 4 meters, you will find underground water gushing out of the ground," he says. He says he began to wonder if he could dig a well and serve cocktails with water as the main ingredient if he were to open a restaurant.

To be honest, I was nervous about digging a well and seeing if the water would come out," says Saito. He installed a water tap next to the store so that people from all walks of life could freely use the well water that he had successfully dug. He hoped that nearby restaurants and residents would visit the well to fetch water, thereby creating a connection with the local community.

The bar counter, arranged in a T-shape, has a well running in the center and a torii (a gateway to a Shinto shrine) in the shape of a garden of a temple or shrine. The flooring, which was designed with gravel in mind, and the trees and bonsai decorated inside the restaurant create a mysterious atmosphere. Other interesting items are the distillation vessels and countless glass containers. Inside them is another of Mr. Saito's specialties.

It contains water that has been distilled, which became a hobby while working as a bartender. The drinks we serve are flavored by distilling ingredients found in nature, such as flowers and flavored woods, and we select the ingredients, change the temperature and method of distillation, and do tastings to create the best distilled water," he says. Two types of sprays containing distilled water are placed on the bar counter so that customers can add flavors to their cocktails and chasers at their own timing.

The drink menu features six signature cocktails inspired by Kyoto's famous water, as well as a variety of cocktails made with distilled water. The groundwater is mellow and gentle on the palate, and the distilled water adds an extra charm to the cocktails, which are sure to enrich the minds and bodies of many people and communicate the importance of water.