RINGO SAKABA SWINGIN’

Last Updated: 19 September, 2024

Since the beginning, inCiderJapan has always made it a point to only highlight places that we have been to in order to reliably vouch for first hand quality. Having said that, if there was ever a place that we haven’t been yet and are absolutely craving to, then Ringo Sakaba Swingin’ is that place. Opened in late 2019 in a quiet neighbourhood section of Kyoto’s Nakagyo ward, Ringo Sakaba Swingin’ is now a very well known establishment within Japan’s cider circles and highly reputable.

^{Author’s note: We have since visited and can absolutely vouch for first hand quality!}

Run by the adorable dynamic duo of Waku-san (the one with the glasses) who cooks, and Tama-chan (the one with the beret) who serves and hosts, Ringo Sakaba Swingin’ features a continually rotating three ciders on tap, ciders in bottles (usually around ten kinds), and sake – all paired with whatever food Waku-san feels like preparing on the day because “cider matches everything”.

The shop is purposefully small, with nine counter seats and two tables that can accommodate three people each, the perfect atmosphere for people to gather, associate, and chill out. Elegantly quaint with a slightly retro touch, the catchy name “Ringo Sakaba Swingin’“ comes from Waku-san’s enjoyment of jazz music and his observation that getting drunk can also get one playfully swinging.

When we asked the reason for them starting up what amounts to a cider izakaya (a Japanese pub) in Kansai, where cider culture is even less noticeable than it is in Kanto, we learned that Waku-san spent nearly four years before working for craft beer places where one of the taps always had a cider on. He also went to Portland in 2017 where he discovered the euphoria that is Schilling Cider House (inCiderJapan Issue 6) and, remarking that there wasn’t anything like it at all in Kyoto, wanted to create a venue with a similar feel. Waku-san chose cider because the craft beer scene was already booming in the area; he wanted to do something new, something locals really didn’t know about yet.

Things were just getting started when Covid reared its ugly head, but fortunately for them, its influence wasn’t as adverse as could have been. “Our regular customers were really supportive,” says Waku-san. Tama-chan adds, “It was more because of Covid that we wanted to stay open for them. We wanted them to be able to come and take a break with others and forget about their troubles.” 

They also had an answer for those who were unable to get out, including fans from out of town. During the height of the country’s state of emergency and imposed restricted business hours, Ringo Sakaba Swingin’ began a series of Instagram Live feeds, where anyone could tune in and connect while safely watching the smiling antics of Waku-san and beret-sporting Tama-chan (she admits she has some 20 of them) behind the counter. inCiderJapan was a regular viewer; seeing them going about their business as they unselfishly cheered others on only cemented our desire to one day visit and show our respect.

And while we are still hustling to make plans to get out to that side of Japan, we encourage the rest of you not to wait. If you happen to be near or in the area of Kyoto City Hall, do yourself a favour and drop in on Ringo Sakaba Swingin’. Check out their Instagram or Facebook account before you do to see what they have on draft as well as Tama-chan’s daily handwritten and illustrated menus for the evening’s dishes.

If anybody deserves thanks and recognition from the cider community for doing more to make others happy and satiated through cider, our vote goes to  Ringo Sakaba Swingin’.