Whenever I travel and stumble into a place I love, I immediately want to know who’s behind it. Call it nosy, call it journalism — whatever it is, I’ve found that if a spot is cool, the human behind it is always cooler.

Tasting Notes is an interview series spotlighting the people behind the places that linger in your memory long after a trip ends — the tastemakers curating the experience, the talent shaping the menus and the personalities giving each place its soul.

The Night I Found It

For the first installment, I found myself wandering a dim side street in Asakusa, Tokyo, on my final night in Japan.

I set out from my stay at OTHER SPACE Asakusa with my heart set on two things: a final bowl of ramen and a glass (or two) of sake. After a week of eating and drinking my way through Tokyo and Kyoto, those two staples seemed like the quintessential ending to my first trip to Japan.

I found the ramen first — a bowl of spicy miso ramen from Noriaki Bibi. Within minutes of punching my order into the vending machine, a steaming bowl of rich, fatty broth brightened with yuzu and ginger appeared in front of me. I tied on the provided paper bib and inhaled the soup, taking comfort in seeing the businessman next to me secure his own bib before slurping away.

After I said my thank yous, I ventured back out through the calm streets of Asakusa in search of somewhere cozy to settle in for sake. I wasn’t set on visiting anywhere in particular. I was full and happy, strolling at the kind of leisurely pace that would drive a New Yorker insane.
I was stretching time, turning right on a street simply because it had beautiful lanterns, then turning left because, well, why not.

Then I saw it.

A facade covered in thousands of sticky notes. A soft buzz of laughter spilling out into the street. A name made up of two simple words: Not Suspicious.

I opened the door and found my way to a bar stool. The bar was small — the kind of intimate locale I had grown fond of in Japan — with just enough space for the bar counter and the dozen or so seats circling around it. The lighting was low but soft, casting a golden glow on the countless handwritten notes and crayon doodles taped across the walls, the ceiling and even the bar itself.

It felt as if a yearbook had come to life. Every inch of the space was lovingly plastered with scraps of paper sharing hometowns, sketches, caricatures, inside jokes and messages to future patrons.

*Facade of Not Suspicious, located in Asakusa, Tokyo.*

As I settled into a seat and studied the menu, I noticed a woman with cherry blossom pink hair move seamlessly between chatting to the bartender and welcoming guests.

This was Sakura, the owner of Not Suspicious.

We became quick friends, adding each other on Instagram, snapping a selfie and talking about life in Tokyo.

Less than two months later, we caught up again to talk about her bartending journey and how her bar came to be.

The Conversation

The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Amanda Rubalcava, founder of Ruby Provisions in conversation with Sakura, owner of Not Suspicious.

The Name & The Notes

Hi Sakura! It’s great to see you again. Can you tell me how you got your start working in bars and hospitality in Japan?

“I started working at a bar in Roppongi when I was 20 years old. After that, I worked in various jobs outside of the bar industry before returning to bartending.”

What inspired you to open Not Suspicious?

“Before opening Not Suspicious, I worked at an international traveler-focused bar in Shinjuku Golden Gai. That experience was extremely meaningful and enjoyable for me, but the bar ended up being sold during COVID.”

She explains how the pandemic had forced many bars and restaurants in Tokyo to shutter, leaving bartenders and managers suddenly without work. For Sakura, though, bartending wasn’t just a job — it had become one of her passions.

“A lot of bartenders had to change their jobs, but I couldn’t give this up,” she says. “I kept wondering — what should I do? And every day, the news kept announcing that well-located restaurants were closing one after another.”

Then, one day while watching the news, she got an idea. While COVID unfortunately meant closures, it also meant sudden availability of prime locations to open up a new bar.

“I realized — maybe this is my one chance in life.”

Where did the name “Not Suspicious” come from?

“In Japan, many small bars look a little… suspicious,” she jokes.

She explains that in touristy areas like Golden Gai, small bars often charge a cover fee, anywhere from 500 to 1,000 yen, simply for a seat. For travelers unfamiliar with the system and unable to speak or read Japanese, this system could be confusing.

To avoid deterring future guests, Sakura wanted to make one thing clear with her bar — “We are not suspicious!,” she laughs. “No tax. No extra charge. It’s a simple system. When you are traveling — new country, new language, new culture — everything can feel a bit suspicious.”

From the outside, the bar’s note-covered facade adds to its intrigue.

“But when you go inside,” she says, smiling, “it’s not suspicious.”

How did the handwritten notes begin?

“Honestly, that was not my business idea,” she recalls. “The first time it happened was at the bar I worked at in Shinjuku.”

“One traveler asked for pen and paper. He drew something nice and asked me if he could put it on the wall.”

It quickly became a trend. Day after day, the walls filled up with notes and drawings from travelers around the world.

“When I opened my own bar, I wanted to keep this culture alive. It was so fun to see all the places that people were visiting from.”

Inspiration & Atmosphere

How do you want people to feel the moment they walk in?

“I want them to think, ‘I want to come back.’ Very simple — but not always easy.”

Where do you draw inspiration for your cocktails?

“The concept is that I like to take something Japanese and mix it with a standard cocktail."

“For example, one popular drink we have is the Suspicious Soy Sauce. The cocktail takes its inspiration from a White Russian, but with something unexpected.”

The Suspicious Soy Sauce , built with vodka, coffee liqueur and cream over ice, gets its name from a subtle dash of soy sauce. The saltiness balances the sweetness, making it a customer favorite.

Other items on the menu include the Tokyo Negroni, the Adult Matcha Latte and the Onsen Gin and Tonic.

For sake lovers or first-time tasters, Sakura keeps three of her favorite bottles in rotation.

“I choose three styles: dry, fruity and sweet. Guests can compare them. It becomes an experience.”

Tokyo & Tourism

Have you noticed more international guests in recent years?

“Yes, I think so. American guests especially — they love alcohol, art and friendly communication,” laughs Sakura.

Today, roughly 90 percent of Not Suspicious’ guests are tourists, with the remaining visitors coming from other parts of Japan.

“We really welcome U.S. guests. It’s so fun to talk with them. There are so many different characters.”

No matter where guests are from, the atmosphere remains the same: lively, conversational and fun.

Is there something you want visitors to know about Japanese bar culture?

“In Japan, small bars are very normal,” she says. “It feels like a community, where the bartender and guests drink together. This is normal in Japan.”

Because the spaces are intimate, conversation flows easily and friendships often form.

Sakura herself loves traveling and visiting bars abroad. On a recent trip to Scotland, she toured whisky distilleries and spent evenings as the guest instead of the host.

If someone walks into your bar alone for the first time, what do you hope they leave with?

“In my bar, guests meet people from new countries and new cultures. Sometimes they come from countries we see fighting in the news.”

“But in this social bar, when you say cheers — ‘kanpai’ — you can feel that the person next to you is not bad.”

“My one dream is that people leave this bar feeling like we can keep peace in the world.”

She smiles.

“Owning a bar in Tokyo is very tough. But I really love it.”

Visit Not Suspicious

Address: Japan, 〒111-0032 Tokyo, Taito City, Asakusa, 1 Chome−20−2 フジキッチン 1階

Instagram: @notsuspicious_asakusa

Tasting Notes: A Bar Called Not Suspicious