Published September 7, 2009 on washingtonpost.com

TOKYO / Osamu Kouke has defined his life through hard work and family.  He presides over an izakaya – a cheery bar where he and his family dispense food, liquor, music and joy. It’s a vital community center, where patrons and workers serenade each other with tales of everday triumph and woe – the kind of place that’s becoming extinct.