Nanane:When I started out in the mid ' weren't too many women bartenders in Japan. I worked for six years for a famous bartender and I won several cocktail competitions during that time. In 1990, I won second place at the "Martini Grand Prix" competiton in Portugal.

Naju:I'm from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior to meeting Nanae, I had my own Asian food business in Ikebukuro where I sold spices, meats amd so on.

Nanae: We met in a salsa bar about two years ago. At that time I was starting to think about opening my own place. We dicided to do something together. Today, I run the bar and he makes home-cooked Bangladeshi food and is the house DJ.

Naju: I love music, especially soul , and salsa.

Nanae: I also have a live jazz night once a month and I sing. I love jazz because my family are jazz musicians. When I started this place, I naturally wanted to perform , and I thought it would be a nice to have live music. I opened Heart Cocktail in Ginza because I have been working in this are for a long time and know it well. Ginza is known for its expensive bars and clubs. I rearlly wanted to open an inexpensive bar here where people could relax and enjoy themselves.

Naju: I think running a successful business in Japan is 50% luck and 50% real business activity.

Business is good, thogh we work long hours.
Nanae: Working together is okay. Customers who have known me for a long time as a bartende expect to see me in my formal attire then, all of a sudden I'm working in this funky atomosphere with this guy standing beside me.

Naju: We enjoy the business and have fun making our custmoers happy!

If you have an interesting Life in Japan story, Tokyo Classified would like to hear from you. Please fax the Editor at 3423-6931 or send email to editor@tokyoclassified.com Tom Holliday performs at What the Dickens.