[Inoda Coffee]
“イノダコーヒ (Inoda Coffee)” is a long-established coffee shop in Kyoto. Inoda Coffee Sanjo shop, located a 2-minute walk from our Sanjo showroom, reopened last week after a 2.5-year absence.
Kyoto City has long ranked first in Japan in terms of the amount of coffee purchased per household per year. In 1940, Inoda Coffee's history began when its first president, Shichiro Inoda, started wholesaling coffee at the current location of the main store. Since then, with the phrase “Morning in Kyoto starts with the aroma of Inoda Coffee,” Inoda Coffee has become a favorite of many cultural figures such as writers, painters, and musicians. Currently, there are 9 stores in Kyoto and other cities in Japan. The store name “コーヒ” comes from the fact that coffee was originally called “コーヒ,” and the store name expresses the desire to carefully preserve these small stories and atmosphere without letting them fade away.
Personally, I think Inoda Coffee's main shop is in the Hall of Fame among the many coffee shops in Japan. Before I started living in Kyoto, I visited this store at the beginning and end of my stay whenever I came to Kyoto, and after I started living in Kyoto, I wanted to take my family and friends there whenever they came to Kyoto. It is an inclusive place that probably has such a special presence not only for me but for many others. As soon as you enter, the space looks like an open hall with white round tables, large windows, and high ceilings; the retro old building with red gingham check tablecloths; the terrace seats with refreshing blue gingham check tablecloths; and the second floor decorated with carefully selected furnishings. Every time I come here, I can experience the atmosphere of various coffee shops, and it is one of my favorite things to see which seat I am assigned.
The Sanjo shop, located near the main store and famous for its austere, mature atmosphere with an oval counter surrounding the kitchen, was already closed when I moved to Kyoto due to aging and other reasons. The Sanjo branch has finally reopened. The concept of the new Sanjo shop is “New Classical.” Half of the space has new chair colors and tables, while the other half retains the atmosphere of the old Sanjo shop, and the oval counter is still there. The oval counter is still there, and the wooden frames are still there after being cleaned, giving a sense of the history that has been passed down from generation to generation. I ordered the Sanjo Morning Set, which is only available at the Sanjo shop. Thick Hokkaido bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese, fresh salad, mini toasts, and “Pearls of Arabia,” a blend that has been around since the company's founding. A new, proper, quality morning, just like Inoda. With the old men reading their newspapers and the waitress brewing coffee out of the corner of my eye, I was able to spend a luxurious and relaxing morning, thinking, “This is what a morning in Kyoto is all about.”
I am sure that this place will continue to be a part of the memories of many people, both those who live in Kyoto and those who visit Kyoto, and weave a long time in the future. Please stop by the Sanjo Showroom when you have a cup of coffee at the Inoda Coffee Sanjo shop or the Inoda Coffee main shop.
Sanjo Showroom
https://shokunin.com/en/showroom/sanjo.html
Inoda Coffee Main Shop
https://maps.app.goo.gl/f64gMp6nwxxcqrAu7
Inoda Coffee Sanjo Shop
https://maps.app.goo.gl/UKhEh4Gya5AjHnYZ9
Inoda Coffee
https://www.inoda-coffee.co.jp/english/
References
https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/tokei/monthly/tokeikyoto/tk2016/tkroom201603.pdf
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c9751e6b473d8e6cad14f94c169848f39bb92a9d
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A4%E3%83%8E%E3%83%80%E3%82%B3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%92
https://www.stat.go.jp/data/kakei/5.html
