Okazaki City is one of the central core cities in Aichi Prefecture, and is easily accessible from Nagoya Station, about 30 minutes by Meitetsu Limited Express or 30 minutes by car, making it an ideal city for sightseeing and living. It is known as the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and is known as a town where history and culture live. Shintaro Uchida, who runs a mobile cafe in various parts of Aichi Prefecture, mainly in the Okazaki area, has been running a relaxing place for people in this area for over 10 years, and his cappuccinos, which feature cute illustrations, are loved by many people.

Open a cafe in your own style

Uchida-san used to work at a coffee shop. Looking back on that time, he vaguely thought, "I want to have my own shop someday." At that time, he picked up a book at Village Vanguard in Okazaki City, where he is still based, that asked, "Why not start a cafe?" As he leafed through the pages, he came across a picture of someone running a cafe out of a car, and thought, "I didn't know there was a way to do this," and felt a new possibility.

At the time, operating a cafe from a food truck was still rare, and it was a constant process of trial and error. However, Uchida was fortunate to be a regular at mobile food truck cafes in Okazaki, Nagoya, and Toyota, and was able to consult with the owners and gradually create the ideal form for his business. While many food trucks were decorated in primary colors, Uchida painted his own in pale pastel colors, based on the sax blue of his beloved general store. The sophisticated colors caught the eye of many people, and he soon became a leader in food truck culture in Aichi Prefecture.

"It's stylish and eye-catching, but somehow warm," says one regular customer. These words convey Uchida's attention to detail, as well as the connections he has made with people and the breath of new culture that has spread through the food car.

A new place where relationships can be made with people who don't need titles

Uchida says that at first, he had a hard time finding a place to set up shop, but he was able to rent a corner of the parking lot at Village Vanguard in Okazaki City, where he is still based today, and thus "Going Cafe" quietly began.

After two or three years, the number of events they take part in increases, and their scope of activities expands. "When I'm here, all kinds of people talk to me," says Uchida. Uchida smiles gently and says that Going Cafe, which has been in business for 15 years, is a place that only comes into being because of connections with people. "I love listening to people's stories," says Uchida, who continues to open stores in various places, but still values his work at Village Vanguard. This is a place where core regular customers come at their own times to share a moment of their daily lives. Some people have met and married here, some ask for life advice, some enjoy casual chatting, and first-time visitors naturally exchange conversations. It is a warm space where you can just drop in without feeling pressured.

Connecting with people creates new places

Going Cafe is not just a place that serves coffee; it also creates opportunities for people to naturally meet and connect with each other.

Regular customers bring their friends, or people who happen to be there chat with each other, and the connections that are made there eventually form a new community. Sometimes encounters here lead to unexpected collaborations, such as planning an event. "All kinds of people always gather at Going," says a regular customer with a smile. Uchida's warm personality and openness to accepting all kinds of people naturally connect people with each other, and before he knows it, he has built a wide network of contacts.

"Going Cafe" continues to be a special place that brings small encounters and warm connections into everyday life through the free-spirited style of mobile sales.

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Going Cafe

Address: 1-3 Nishimarune, Horamachi, Okazaki City (Village Vanguard Okazaki store parking lot)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/going.cafe/

HP: http://blog.livedoor.jp/goingcafe/ 

*For details on business hours and holidays, please check the link above.