Takeshi Kusunoki, a bartender at the Kure Harbor Club, points to plaques that military units have presented to the club for its support at Kure Pier 6, Japan, Sept. 5, 2024. Takeshi, who has worked at the club for 27 years, has been a familiar face for customers who go there for a taste of American life.
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KURE PIER 6, Japan – For U.S. military personnel longing for home while stationed in Japan, the Kure Harbor Club here seeks to feed their craving for American life.
The club, which is part of the U.S. Army Garrison Japan footprint at this small post near Hiroshima, offers an extensive menu of dishes, including steak, hamburgers and chicken wings.
And in the bar area, Takeshi Kusunoki, who has served drinks to customers for 27 years, provides a familiar face to those in need of a beverage and friendly conversation.
Takeshi, better known as “T-san,” has been a fixture at the club for such a long time that customers often remember him when they visit Kure again years later.
The 57-year-old bartender joked that he sometimes will call military members by the wrong rank because they’ve been promoted since the last time he’s met them.
“When it happens, I am so happy,” he said of seeing old friends.
In an area dominated by the presence of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force piers and commercial shipyards, the small bar allows customers to briefly disconnect and travel to another part of the world.
The bar, which has a nautical theme along with a bell that generous customers can ring if they want to buy a round for everyone, has large TVs playing American sports or shows and a dartboard and board games to entertain customers.
In this country, Takeshi said a bar is sometimes reserved for unique occasions since Japanese normally unwind at a Japanese-style pub known as an “izakaya.”
“For Japanese people, a bar is very special,” he said. “Most Japanese do not go there except for the high society people.”
When he began working at the Kure bar, Takeshi said he immediately liked the atmosphere and thought it gave him a purpose by serving others.
“The personnel, such as the Soldiers and [Army civilians], are very friendly,” he said. “I often felt that I was needed here to support the customers.”
Takeshi Kusunoki, a bartender at the Kure Harbor Club, looks at a photo of himself around the time he first became an employee at Kure Pier 6, Japan, Sept. 5, 2024. Takeshi, who has worked at the club for 27 years, has been a familiar face for customers who go there for a taste of American life.
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Takeshi Kusunoki, a bartender at the Kure Harbor Club, makes a drink inside the club’s bar area at Kure Pier 6, Japan, Sept. 5, 2024. Takeshi, who has worked at the club for 27 years, has been a familiar face for customers who go there for a taste of American life.
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Jessie Mottola, the installation’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation manager, said she frequently receives compliments about Takeshi and that some customers stop by just to see him.
“He’s very friendly, talkative and easygoing,” she said. “Customers love him and he’s easy to work with.”
With only eight employees, Mottola said the MWR staff keeps busy operating Kure’s MWR portfolio, which also includes a six-room hotel, gym, vehicle rentals and outdoor recreation equipment.
“Because it is an isolated and very small base, we need to have some sort of morale and entertainment or a semblance of home for them to be comfortable in,” Mottola said of U.S. military personnel.
Takeshi sometimes will cover down on other duties across the organization to assist his teammates.
For instance, when Gen. Charles A. Flynn, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, and his staff had lunch at the club in July, Takeshi volunteered to work as the cashier and serve food.
“When they start getting busy, he knows exactly what to do and just goes on over there to help out,” Mottola said. “He doesn’t say, ‘Hey, that’s not my job.’ So, I really appreciate that.”
Behind the bar, Takeshi greets an array of customers and always tries to cater to their tastes. When a U.S. Navy ship has a port call here, he said sailors will request him to concoct a drink from back home.
“During their stay, they often ask me to make some kind of cocktail,” he said. “I’ll then make it and name it after their ship.”
Japanese employees and JMSDF members will also stop by to experience a taste of America and chat with Takeshi, who is a big baseball fan. The bar has memorabilia from the local baseball team, the Hiroshima Carp, and some New York Mets items given to Takeshi from a Soldier previously stationed at the post.
The bar also has several plaques from units that have passed through the area, thanking the club for their support.
Over the years, Takeshi said that communication with customers has been one of the most essential parts of his job to help make guests feel welcomed.
“Making a relationship with the customers is very important to me,” he said, “so that it’s easier for them to come here and enjoy their time and relax.”
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