if coffee shop — Restaurant in Takayama

If you find yourself in Hida-Takayama, consider yourself lucky because it's a charming hamlet in the middle of the Japanese Alps. Yes, there are Alps in Japan. Now there's a variety of reasons why this isolated town was so appealing to us, and one reason why was this unexpected coffeehouse on quiet Hirokoji Street just a block away from Takayama Station as my husband and I were winding down our Alpine stay.

We stopped in what we thought was a rather nondescript cafe on the outside, Except the inscription emblazoned on both sides of its corner location: "Blend Coffee & Sweet Soul Music" was intriguing enough for us to enter during their rather constricted hours of 1-6PM when we found ourselves surrounded by immaculately maintained instruments and antique furniture. Vintage albums scattered on a table indicated a clear love of jazz and soul music.

You could tell that from the owner Ichiro's quiet demeanor, cool hair, and vast vinyl collection that the cafe reflects his passion. You can hear the scratches on the beloved records he meticulously plays as he served us delicious Iced Coffee for the student-discounted price of ¥500. We were enjoying the chill vibe so much we were openly wondering if a return to Hida-Takayama was in the cards sooner rather than later.

COFFEE - 5 stars...brewed and iced to match the chill vibe AMBIANCE - 5 stars...like stepping back into a mid-century music parlor SERVICE - 5 stars...Ichiro is cool TOTAL - 5 stars...step back into the past in...

I happened upon this cool cafe just before leaving Takayama. Something told me to pop in so I backtracked and entered hoping to grab a coffee on the go. The owner said they didnt provide takeaway and I should sit a while. Im so Holly I did because its a beautiful cafe, with a story in every corner. Its full of instruments (all owned and played by the owner and inherited like the cafe from his father). If you ask him he will tell you the most beautiful cool story about his father who owned the cafe and fought in the war and hated Americans but found an affinity for American music. Its such a cool story. He's even had guests like Haruomi Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra visit! The vibe and aura of the space and the owner is one of the highlights of...

Well you got it right, there is only one thing on the menu. Quirky music was playing when we arrived. The tables and chairs were set out in a line, which felt like a behavioural experiment. Coffee arrived quickly and we were only charged the half charge for having one cup only. We were a little nervous and probably would have taken another cup if approached. I have fallen in love with drip coffee. The second reason for coming (after the coffee) is the music which was excellent. The owner spoke in English about our travel - thank you, appreciate the interest! Family back home found our photo of the one...