Epi.13-Note: Japanese Café Culture

A “ghost café” appeared in the story.
I believe that cafés where real ghosts actually appear are virtually nonexistent in reality, but there may be a few cafés where staff serve customers while wearing ghost-themed costumes.

Cafés exist all over the world, and I think each country has its own distinctive atmosphere.
In Japan, cafés are positioned as places to pass time or to enjoy quiet moments.
When visiting with two or more people, conversation is also enjoyed, but care is taken not to speak louder than necessary.

Recently, there have also been people holding remote meetings in cafés, but it makes me wonder whether that is acceptable from a compliance standpoint.

This applies to cafés in general.
In cafés that specialize in stylish sweets, the clientele changes and the atmosphere is likely to feel a bit more lively, and if you go to a maid café, it may be even more energetic.

Now then, are you familiar with something called a “cat café”?
It is a café where cats are adored, taking care not to offend the cats’ moods.
When it comes to animal-themed cafés, cats form the dominant presence, but there are also, in smaller numbers, cafés featuring birds of prey, rabbit cafés, and the like.

These are not unique to Japan.
Among the types introduced at the beginning—“spaces that value time”—there is a form that is specialized in this idea.
That is the “kissaten.”
When translated into English, it too becomes a “café,” but it can be said to be something entirely different.

Inside cafés with nostalgic interiors, quiet music plays, allowing visitors to enjoy a calm, unhurried time.
When it comes to the light meals that are considered classics in this form known as the “kissaten,” Napolitan pasta and curry are the standard choices.
I am not sure why, but simply finding those words on the menu somehow makes me feel at ease.

Among these kissaten, those found around Nagoya have a particularly distinctive setup.
In this region, many cafés offer good-value meals during breakfast hours.
More specifically, when you order a drink, toast and salad are provided free of charge.

If this has caught your interest, try searching for “コメダ珈琲店” or “Komeda’s Coffee.”
Some foreign YouTubers have also posted introductory videos about it.

This last example is not so much “unique to Japan” as it is “unique to Nagoya.”
However, Komeda Coffee itself operates locations all across Japan, so there may be one at a destination you visit during your travels.

Incidentally, the city of Nagoya belongs to Aichi Prefecture, and when considering the economic scale that includes Nagoya City and its surrounding area, it ranks third after Tokyo and Osaka.

This is merely a personal view, but I think cafés are spaces where the people who live in that country can feel at ease.
As a Japanese person, I feel relaxed when I go to a quiet café, but whether foreign travelers can feel equally comfortable in Japanese cafés is not necessarily the case.

Still, when you visit Japan, I hope you will consider adding café hopping to your travel plans.

Until next time.