Anime, music, and entertainment
make for lively conversation at Ray.
Run by a friendly music lover,
this cozy local bar makes guests feel right at home.

I’m running the shop under my real name now, but “Rei” was the stage name I used back when I was still working there.

I wanted to leave a mark of all the hard work I’ve put in, so I used my stage name as the shop’s name. Also, “Ray” means something like “ray of light” or “to shine,” so it has that sparkly feel to it, and I thought that was nice, too.

I’ve been working in the food and beverage industry since I was about 15. Since I originally wanted to be a bartender, I worked as a staff member at bars and Local Bar before opening my own place. The reason I decided to become the manager at Local Bar was simply because it seemed like more fun. I love talking to people, and I love drinking, so I guess it was my calling.

The reason I decided to become a hostess at Local Bar was simply because it seemed like more fun. I like talking to people, and I like drinking, so I guess it was my calling.

Because it looked cool. lol

For people coming from outside the city, it might be because we were recommended as their first stop. Even regulars, when they happen to drop by on a whim, often say, “Is there a place like this here? I had no idea!”

I used to be a fan of visual kei bands. A so-called “bangya”*. The reason I got into bands was because there was this guy who was like an older brother to me—someone who looked after me a lot back then—and he was in a band that played a pretty intense genre.

That person’s band used to frequently share the stage* with a band called Davinci, which Ayase—the composer for YOASOBI*—used to be a member of. So, I kept going to their shows, but eventually my tastes changed, and I stopped being a “bangya.”

※Bangya: A passionate female fan of visual kei bands.
※Co-headlining: Performing live on the same stage on the same day.
※YOASOBI: A Japanese music unit that sets novels to music.

It’s totally just a personal hobby. (laughs) I just listen to the music I like. We play videos, too. But it also gives me something to talk about with customers. Our coasters have the coldrain* logo on them, and we have festival posters up, so fans sometimes notice them.

※coldrain: A five-piece Japanese loud rock band.

When it comes to festivals, I’ve been to the WANIMA* festival in Kumamoto, and I’ve also been to Kyoto Daisakusen*. It all depends on whether I win tickets, though. lol Also, if you’re in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Wai Ban* is a must! I go to their live shows pretty often, too.

※WANIMA: A three-piece rock band from Kumamoto Prefecture.
※Kyoto Daisakusen: An outdoor rock festival held in Kyoto and organized by 10-FEET.
※Wai-ban: “WILD BUNCH FEST.” A large-scale outdoor music festival in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

It all started when I was around 17—I used to stay over at a really close female friend’s house a lot. She was always watching *Angel Beats!*※ at home. I started watching it with her partway through, and I thought, “This is so freakin’ fun!” so I went back and rewatched the whole series from episode one. I guess that’s when I really got hooked on anime. By the way, I still love *Cardcaptor Sakura*※, which I used to watch as a kid.

※*Angel Beats!*: A TV anime produced by P.A.WORKS.
※*Cardcaptor Sakura*: A manga and TV anime based on the original work by CLAMP.

When someone recommends something to me, saying, “This is fun,” and I think it sounds interesting, I’ll give it a try—whether it’s something that caught my eye in an ad or a new season of an anime I’ve been watching for a while. When I get hooked on an anime, I end up rewatching it over and over. I’m still watching *Re:Zero*※, for example. By the way, Rem-rin is my favorite character. Lately, it’s probably *Freiren*※. I’ve rewatched it so many times!

*Re:Zero: A TV anime based on the light novel *Re:Zero—Starting Life in Another World*.
*Freiren: A TV anime based on the manga *Freiren: Funeral March*, serialized in *Weekly Shonen Sunday*.

In 2024, I cosplayed as Freiren. I also cosplayed as Kagura from *Gintama*, Zenitsu from *Demon Slayer*, C.C.* from *Code Geass*, Sinon from *Sword Art Online*, and Yumeko Jabami from *Kakegurui*.

*C.C.: C.C. A character from Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

That's nice in its own way. lol

The age range is probably pretty broad. I’d say most of our customers are in their 30s or older.
If someone in their 20s comes in, it’s usually someone I’ve known for a long time, or a junior colleague or subordinate brought in by one of our regulars.

There are actually a lot of Vocaloid songs, too! Since I’m pretty knowledgeable about old Vocaloid songs, I often hear people say things like, “I’m going to sing some Vocaloid songs!”
You can even hear death metal growls every now and then. lol

I love a cozy, homey atmosphere where I can walk in, open the door, and say "I'm home", so I'd love it if we could all hang out like friends, have a lively time drinking, and just have fun. Haha

I’d love it if you could just come in today with the mindset of “Let’s just have a casual chat.” Lately, with our regulars, it feels more like “You’ve had a rough day!” than “Welcome!” (laughs)

It makes me happy when customers who don’t usually go bar-hopping come to our place because they have nowhere else to go.

There are customers who haven’t been here in years—they just find themselves heading this way before they know it, asking, “How have you been?” It makes me happy that they still remember the bar and me like that. Also, there are many customers who used to come here regularly when they were in Hagi on business trips a few years ago, and we’re still in touch with a lot of them. They come by for a drink every now and then. That makes me happy, too.