To help you get a foot in the door of this world of pure coffee shops, Rina Namba, who has visited thousands of pure coffee shops, will introduce you to some carefully selected shops where you can experience the diverse charms of pure coffee shops. These four shops, each with their own unique character, may open the door to your interest in pure coffee shops you may not have seen before.
*Prices include tax.
INDEX
- It's like a full course meal. The master's hospitality fills the entire table: Yoto (Tottori Prefecture)
- Happiness as you wait for your homemade pancakes while watching the fish swimming gently: Fujiya (Ehime Prefecture)
- What's important in life is good coffee, good music, and fun conversation?: Parlor Ako (Ishikawa Prefecture)
- A precious place protected by mother and child. The secret red room where dreams come true: Coffee Room Morinaga (Wakayama Prefecture)
This time's traveller: Rina Namba
The second director of the Tokyo Coffee Shop Research Institute. He spends his days visiting pure coffee shops. He is fascinated by things that are strongly influenced by the Showa era, and he enjoys the space of a pure coffee shop, which is also a cultural heritage of that time, as his own room on a different day. Starting with the blog "Pure Coffee Shop Collection," he has written 12 books related to pure coffee shops. His latest book, "Pure Coffee Shops and Sweets: Nagoya Edition" (Seibundo Shinkosha), will be released in August 2023. He is working at his own pace to spread the appeal of pure coffee shops.
Instagram: @retrokissa2017
X (old Twitter): @retrokissa
When you think about traveling, there are probably many different reasons for doing so. Historical buildings, delicious local cuisine, magnificent nature... The main reason I go out somewhere is because I want to try a traditional coffee shop that I've never tried before.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many coffee shops have shortened their opening hours, so you'll want to make sure you have enough time to visit them when you're traveling. It's nice to take a leisurely train or car ride, but if you're going somewhere far away, a plane trip is more convenient as it cuts down on the time it takes to get there and allows you to enjoy your time there longer.
A staple of my travels is to visit a local coffee shop when I arrive. The people who live there are experts on the town, and they know it better than anyone else, so they can give me great hints to start my trip.
It's like a full course meal. The master's hospitality fills the entire table: Yoto (Tottori Prefecture)
In June 2023, I visited Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture for the first time. One of the reasons I wanted to visit this town was "Yoto", which was founded in 1969. The simple exterior and cloudy window glass made it impossible to see inside the restaurant, which made me even more excited. The moment I opened the door, the master's eyes met and he said "Welcome", but he seemed very busy behind the large counter.
The exterior of the Western-style lamp
As I sat down and looked up, my eye was caught by the morning menu posted on the wall. There were 14 different types of menu, starting with A and ending with N, and it seemed like I would never get bored even if I came every morning.
Looking around the store, you'll see many interesting items, such as a table with game cabinets, a potted coffee tree that has grown over time, and the top of a siphon inserted into a plate with the words "Coffee is the art of the moment" written on it.
After some hesitation, I ordered the "Egg Sandwich Set" (1,000 yen), which was so luxurious that it came with three slices of toasted bread sandwiched between hot egg rolls, a salad so voluminous it seemed like a day's worth of vegetables, a slice of melon, 105 pieces of homemade pudding made every morning, coffee jelly topped with ice cream, and even coffee. I was worried if this price was okay, so I asked, and he simply replied, "I do it all by myself."
Egg sandwich set
The owner, dressed in a white shirt and vest with a maroon bow tie, used to work in a different industry, but after 54 years here, he may have found his true calling. He is open every day except New Year's Day, from 6:00 am to 6:30 pm, and his style is something not everyone can imitate, so I take my hat off to him.
Master of the Lamp
Western-style lamp
| address | ： | 2-110 Fujimi-cho, Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| access | ： | Take the limousine bus from Izumo Enmusubi Airport → Get off at JR Matsue Station (approx. 35 minutes) → Take the JR train from Matsue Station → Get off at Yonago Station (approx. 26 minutes) → Take the bus from Yonago Station → Get off at Takashimaya Public Hall (approx. 7 minutes) → Walk to the Western Lighthouse (approx. 2 minutes) |
| phone | ： | 0859-32-3870 |
| business hours | ： | 6:00～18:30 |
Happiness as you wait for your homemade pancakes while watching the fish swimming gently: Fujiya (Ehime Prefecture)
I visited Ehime Prefecture in October. I had visited Kagawa Prefecture and Kochi Prefecture a few years ago and had really wanted to visit the remaining two prefectures in Shikoku. Among them, I found a pure coffee shop that I had longed to visit in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture.
The shop's name is "Fujiya." It is characterized by different colored awnings on the first and second floors, and overgrown plants hanging over the entrance. The sign reads "Jun Kissa" (pure coffee shop), and behind the noren curtains are tasteful sample cases placed on a green carpet, and there is also a room like a reception room in the semi-outdoor space.
As soon as you step inside the restaurant, you'll be greeted by a breathtakingly beautiful space. The seats along the river, where you can watch the small fish swaying outside the window, are reminiscent of train box seats and are romantic, while the seats in the back are enveloped in exotic wallpaper and the light of a large chandelier... It's hard to decide where to sit.
There are plants everywhere and different lights of different designs are softly lit.
The most popular menu item here is the hotcakes, which are hand-baked to order, and near the kitchen there are felt hotcake decorations made by the madam's daughter. Among the many fascinating details, what particularly caught my eye was the piece of wood hanging at the head of the train as a partition between the seats behind.
"When we first opened the restaurant, there would be ship debris lying around when we went to the sea. My father would pick them up, polish them up and display them," Madame told me. It was a wonderful experience to see the richness of ideas that go into creating a unique space. Because the view is different depending on where you sit, it is impossible to describe the charm of this place in just one visit. It was a place that made me strongly want to visit again soon.
Fujiya
| address | ： | 1-1-11 Kogane-cho, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| access | ： | Take the limousine bus from Matsuyama Airport → Get off at JR Matsuyama Station (approx. 15 minutes) → Take the JR Yosan Line Limited Express from Matsuyama Station → Get off at Imabari Station (approx. 38 minutes) → Walk to Fujiya (approx. 16 minutes) |
| phone | ： | 0898-31-3848 |
| business hours | ： | 10:30～17:30 |
| Closed Day | ： | Wednesday |
What's important in life is good coffee, good music, and fun conversation?: Parlor Ako (Ishikawa Prefecture)
There are many cases where a coffee shop brings you to a town you were previously unfamiliar with. In researching for my book "Cream Soda Coffee Shop Tour" published in 2018, I visited 26 prefectures and observed the original cream sodas in each.
The exterior of "Parlor Ako"
Among them, we visited "Parlor Aco" in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, which will celebrate its 55th anniversary on November 8, 2023. The shop is equipped with huge JBL Olympus speakers that allow you to enjoy immersive sound as if a concert was taking place right in front of you. It is a shop where you can relax while listening to the best jazz music playing from the speakers.
When you hear "jazz cafe," it sounds like a high hurdle, but this isn't the case at all. The lively and kind owner, who turned 92 this year, will welcome you even if you just want to chat over a cream soda or coffee. The tables with red and cream colored chairs are comfortable, but if you're there, we recommend the counter seats where you can fully enjoy the good music.
Enjoy music from the giant JBL Olympus speakers
The sayings written by the master, whose motto is "Coffee time enriches people's lives and existence," resonate with me deeply, and I sometimes think about them even after I return from my trip.
Don't forget to check out the illuminated menu sign that is still on display, the matchboxes featuring the cafe's former cat (currently not available for distribution), and the lovely business cards featuring a cute girl with curly hair.
Parlor Aco
| address | ： | 23-2 Ameyacho, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| access | ： | Take the Airport Line Bus from Komatsu Airport → Get off at "Komatsu Station" (about 12 minutes) → Walk to Parlor Aco (about 5 minutes) |
| phone | ： | 0761-23-1306 |
| business hours | ： | 7:30～18:00 |
| ： | @parlorako |
A precious place protected by mother and child. The secret red room where dreams come true: Coffee Room Morinaga (Wakayama Prefecture)
It was during an interview that I came across Coffee Room Morinaga, said to be the oldest coffee shop in Wakayama. It was founded by the husband of Hirakawa Ayaka (her mother), who still works there today, and about 10 years later Ayaka married her and started running the shop together, and now she runs it with her daughter Mori Miwa. The name of the shop was apparently taken from Morinaga Milk Caramel because it is "something that everyone knows and is easy to remember." It is certainly a name that is hard to forget once you hear it.
The exterior of Coffee Room Morinaga
The sign under the eaves makes you wonder who painted it, the cute slightly worn round handle, the door that used to be automatic, the dazzling gold name of the cafe written on it, the two-tiered sample case lined with the cafe's signature menu items...you're sure to feel excited even before you enter.
The restaurant is largely divided into two, and the small room at the back is bathed in a fantastic red-orange light, with a painting of a red Mt. Fuji and a statue of the head of the Kannon Bodhisattva creating a bewitching atmosphere. There is a rumor that if two people sit at this seat, their love will come true...
The space in front facing the street is bright with sunlight streaming in, making it the perfect place to stare out into the open. I visited on a sunny day, but I'd also like to experience a rainy day when I can gaze out at the view.
When I first saw the wooden carvings on the wall, I was excited and thought, "I want to make them into brooches and wear them on my chest." I was surprised at how dexterous they were all made by Hirakawa. He still creates new pieces on days when he's feeling well.
Handmade wood carvings by Hirakawa
From the left, daughter Miwa Mori and mother Ayaka Hirakawa
When I think back on my time here, I realize that traveling isn't about rushing around to special places, but about continually searching for a place where you can feel at home.
Coffee Room Morinaga
| address | ： | 2-68 Misonocho, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| access | ： | Take a local bus from Nanki Shirahama Airport → Get off at "Shirahama Station" (about 35 minutes) → Take the JR Kuroshio from "Shirahama Station" → Get off at "Wakayama Station" (about 1 hour 28 minutes) → Walk to Coffee Room Morinaga (about 7 minutes) |
| phone | ： | 073-422-2420 |
| business hours | ： | 8:00～17:00 |
| Closed Day | ： | Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays |
| ： | @coffee_room_morinaga |
Every coffee shop is a very important place for the people who live there. I visit for a short time, and go home with various realizations and memories. I think that is what makes a "good trip." Since nothing lasts forever in this world, if you come across something or a place that moves you, why not just jump in and do it as you please? With a love for the pure coffee shops I have yet to see in my heart, I would like to continue traveling around the country.
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The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
