Rustic, welcoming, friendly, relaxed -- these are not the adjectives you associate most readily with Daikanyama these days. Long since gutted as a neighborhood, there's precious little sense of community left among all the brand-name boutiques and slick, designer restaurants that have taken over the area.

Obviously nobody told the people down at Karakoma. From the folksy decor and laid-back atmosphere to the cheerful greeting as you arrive, this is a place that celebrates the traditional values. They even have a giant tanuki (raccoon dog) figurine, for heaven's sake, peeking out from among the foliage by the wood-clad front door.

Karakoma has only been going a couple of years, but it forsakes any attempt at coolness in favor of a refined simplicity. It has well-patinated columns and beams, bamboo screens and antique wooden panels along one wall. A shelf of shochu bottles decorates the counter by the kitchen. There are a few delicate flower arrangements, a couple of gourd-shaped, washi-covered lamps and, hanging from the ceiling, real gourds into which small speakers have been cunningly fitted.