Japanese cafe #3

Again, I would like to introduce some unique cafes in Japan.
I don't know if it is common in your country or not, but cafes you can relax like you are at your home are getting popular in Japan.
Some people are using their living room as a cafe only on weekends, and some are offering space you can read your favorite book lying on the sofa.

One of examples is "ie-ie".
As "ie" means home in Japanese, the cafe's theme is "home".
This cafe-cum-living room is couple owned and operated.

The wife loves Japanese antiques and has been displaying her collection in the living room.

Some antiques are for sale and you can buy them at a reasonable price.

The old house renovated by the husband is the space like visiting grandma.

There is nothing special about it, but I think it is the point that can make guests feel comfortable.

The other one is so-called book cafe.

At "beyer", you can read your favorite book.

You can read sitting down a chair.

Also, you can lie around on the floor or sit on a zabuton.

In Japan, people used to live without chair and still now, some people don't have any chairs or couches in their living room and sprawl on carpet watching TV.

Thus, it is comfortable for Japanese to read a book lying on the floor.

Visiting there, I was the only guest at that time and it was so comfortable.

The cafe is on the second floor and the staff comes from the first floor only when guests ask them.

I think I will be able to introduce some other unique cafes later.

Japanese cafe #2

It has been getting necessary for recent Japanese cafes to have something unique as well as to offer a delicious cup of coffee.
A lot of cafes have some space even if the size of the cafe is very small to show or sell something like stationery, tableware, antiques, books or clothes which match the concept and image of the cafe.
Generally, a large cafe is less popular than a small one in Japan, so the number of small cafes are increasing and the owners are trying to make their rooms unique and comfortable.

Triton cafe in Kobe is one example of recent cafes.
The space is not large nor small, and you can spend time comfortably either by yourself or with your friends.

Food and desserts are nice, and you can visit there only to see the shop without having coffee.
This kind of cafe+shop is growing in popularity.

Some cafes are selling tableware as well as offering food and coffee.

One example is "Cafe Tabatha" in Nishinomiya.
You can have lunch or cup of coffee on the second floor of this cafe, and also see and buy some tableware on the first floor.
Food and drink are served with the same tableware as ones in the shop, so you can buy your favorite tableware after using them.
Plus, you can learn how to arrange food on dish at this kind of cafe.

Incidentally, "Cafe Tabatha" is inside of the owner's home.
This picture is the owner's living room as well as the cafe.
This type of "Ouchi-cafe", which means home cafe, is also increasing recently.

Japanese cafe #1

I came back temporarily to Japan and will be staying here over a month.
One of my hobbies is visiting cafes and I am looking forward to finding some new cafes during this staying.

Thus, I would like to talk about Japanese cafes.

Cafes in Japan have continued to grow in both number and variety.
When I was a child, cafes were not common yet and a place that you could have a cup of coffee was only "kissaten", which is an old-fashioned coffee shop.
My image of kissaten was that most of customers were older men, it smelled tobacco smoke, and darkish.

However, kissaten began to decline and European/American style cafes started to appear in 1990s.
At the beginning of cafe boom, some famous French or Italian restaurants opened cafes as their sister shops, and many women visited there to have delectable desserts.

Cafes that produced by famous designers were in the news as well and they got popular among fashion-conscious people.

Plus, some major apparel companies began to have their own cafes inside or next to their shops and people were getting to feel familiar to cafes.

In addition, I believe that the existence of Starbucks greatly influenced Japanese cafe boom.

I think that Starbucks has made people feel much familiar to cafes.

With the growth of cafes, the role of desserts has changed as well.

It used to be a kind of special event for Japanese people to eat a cake, but it became a common as people, especially women, began to order desserts with a cup of coffee/tea at a cafe.

I think that cafe boom is related to the development of desserts industry in Japan.

Now, European/American style cafes have been popular in Japan.
On the other hand, cafes which are unique in their location, size, and style are becoming mainstream when we call "cafe" recently.

I think that their style is not European nor American but very Japanese one.

Also, targeted people have been changing due to the diversification of style of cafes.

I would like to introduce some current Japanese cafes on next some entries.

Cafe Taraso

One of my hobbies is visiting cafes.
When I lived in Japan, I visited a lot of nice cafes in Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo.

This cafe is one of my favorite, but it is far from my town Kobe, so it is only once that I have been there.

Its name is "Taraso".
This cafe is in the very south of Aichi prefecture, very rural place, and which is on the Mikawa bay.
Walking down these stairs, the cafe appears.

You can see the very beautiful scenery from the deck.
It is so very quiet and the climate is pretty moderate.

I ate this honey butter toast as breakfast and it was so nice!

It made me feel so luxurious.
I want to visit there soon!