This article appeared in Tokyo Weekender Vol. 3. To read the entire issue, click here .
In 1865, 19 talented young samurai from the Satsuma Domain — present-day Kagoshima Prefecture — departed the shores of their homeland, headed to Great Britain. Their goal was to learn about the advanced technology of the Western world, and they were doing so at risk of their lives, secreting away in a time when Japan’s strict national seclusion policy was still in place. In the course of their journey, the young men traveled to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bombay and beyond, tasting new flavors like pineapple and ice cream, and witnessing mind-blowing things like sprawling modern architecture and people kissing in public.
The men, now known as the Satsuma students, arrived on the shores of Southampton after two months at sea. Enrolling at University College London, they intently studied modern science and technology and, once they returned to their homeland, became vital leaders of the modern Japanese government, spurring their nation’s advance. The SG Tavern, the newest venture from Shingo Gokan, a world-famous bartender and founder of the SG Group, draws its inspiration from this episode in Japanese history.
Serving Gokan’s award-winning cocktails alongside luxurious fusion food from Yoshihiro Narisawa, one of Japan’s most prominent chefs, it’s a culmination of everything Gokan learned as a world-traveling bartender, combined with the skills he’s acquired and refined in his home.