...The thirst for Irish pubs seems almost unquenchable. According to Takashi Toyama, a representative of Enterprise Ireland, about 70 Irish pubs now dot the country, 40 of which opened in the past five years. This equates to about one pub per 25 Irish people registered with the embassy here...Taro Maeda, president of New Tokyo Restaurant Co., which operates Duffy's in Ginza, Tokyo, said the expansion of Irish pubs is a trend indicative of changing lifestyles. "Many people don't want to stand on formality anymore when they go out, but they want to do something trendy," Maeda said. "Irish pubs, with their casual, friendly atmosphere, fit the bill nicely"...But an Irish pub would not be an Irish pub without Guinness, and Japan's taste for the stout has been growing since Sapporo Breweries Ltd. began importing and selling it in 1964. These pubs in this country have turbocharged the demand for Guinness and Kilkenny, with sales of the brews at Irish pubs here showing the highest growth in Asia, according to Toyama..."Just having a place for customers to stand and serving Guinness doesn't make an Irish pub," said Hiroko Ueno..."The beauty of an Irish pub is the staff's closeness with the customers...they are more like friends. It shouldn't just be a restaurant you go to eat and drink--it has more of a family feel, where you go to meet people"...more...