After walking for about 15 minutes from HOTEL RESOL STAY AKIHABARA, you will start to see signs of "bookstores" and realize that you have entered Jimbocho. Jimbocho is one of the world's leading second-hand book districts, and even today it is an area where many book lovers gather.

"Mafumi Coffee Shop" is a coffee shop located in the Jimbocho area. In a shop surrounded by books, you can enjoy coffee and sweets carefully selected by the owner, Oyama Mafumi.

My encounter with Tsuta Coffee Shop, which led me to open a coffee shop

Before running Shinto Coffee, Oyama was involved in sociological research. He has always loved coffee and has visited many famous coffee shops. He had always wanted to open his own coffee shop, but initially thought of it as something to look forward to in retirement.

The catalyst that changed his mind was his encounter with the famous Tsuta Coffee Shop. Tsuta Coffee Shop was a famous coffee shop in Aoyama that was loved by many people. Oyama-san looks back on Tsuta Coffee Shop as follows.

"Tsutaka Coffee has a long counter, and strangers sit side by side drinking coffee together. One might be a company president in Aoyama, while another might be a graduate student like me at the time. But we're all equals when we drink coffee together, which costs the same. I thought it was rare to find a space in a coffee shop where people from all walks of life could sit side by side and talk on an equal footing.

Also, Tsuta Coffee Shop has a beautiful garden, and you can enjoy your coffee while looking at the garden from inside the shop. The interior is beautiful, the garden is beautiful, and the relationship with the customers is beautiful. And, of course, there is delicious coffee, and the owner is really interesting. It was a really beautiful space that couldn't be more different.

Oyama, who fell in love with Tsuta Coffee, was a frequent customer, but one day the owner asked him if he wanted to open a shop with him, so he decided to help out. After working at Tsuta Coffee for four years, Oyama naturally began to think that he wanted to have his own shop, and so he opened Shinto Coffee in 2016.

Why did they stock thousands of books in the coffee shop?

One of the biggest features of Shinto Coffee Shop is the thousands of books inside the shop. The walls of the shop are lined with bookshelves, and the books are lined up everywhere. The genres of the books on offer are very wide, from specialized books to manga, so even just browsing the shelves is enjoyable for book lovers.

Oyama decided to stock books at Shinto Coffee Shop because he felt that books were an essential element for the store.

"I want a coffee shop to have good coffee, a nice atmosphere, and an interesting owner. I thought that if there was one more element to the coffee shop, it would continue to exist. That's when I thought of the thousands of books I had in my home."

While maintaining the basic principles of a coffee shop, books are an important element in creating Shinto Coffee Shop. Now, books play a major role in maintaining the tranquil and warm atmosphere of Shinto Coffee Shop.

Only one type of coffee is used. Using technology to bring out the various charms of coffee beans

Shinto Coffee Shop only sells Brazilian Santos No2 Screen 19 coffee beans. Oyama says that he doesn't feel the need to use multiple varieties because he can create different flavors with the same coffee beans by changing the roasting and brewing method. Therefore, at Shinto Coffee Shop, you can enjoy the various flavors of one type of coffee bean.

That's why they are particular about the roasting and brewing methods. For example, when brewing cold coffee, Shinto Coffee uses a method called "Dutch." Dutch brewing is a very time-consuming and labor-intensive method, as the coffee is extracted slowly over a period of 5 to 16 hours.

However, Oyama still uses Dutch because he believes it is the "right way."

"There are many ways to cool hot coffee, and I believe each method is correct. But the Dutch method was the best way to provide the coffee flavor I had in mind.

By using the Dutch method, the coffee does not oxidize after extraction, so I can deliver the coffee flavor I have in mind to my customers. It's a very difficult method, but I use it because I think it's the right one for me."

We pursue ways to deliver the coffee flavor that Oyama wants to deliver. This approach creates the "naturally delicious coffee" that is the foundation of any coffee shop.

A place where you can spend your time however you want, whenever you want

When you open the door to Shinto Coffee Shop, you'll find a wonderful space. There's delicious coffee, an interesting owner, new books and new people to meet. Shinto Coffee Shop really seems to have a lot to offer.

When asked when he would like people to use the shop, Oyama replied lightly, "Customers can use it however they like."

"Our shop does not limit its uses. You can use it for meetings, to read a book, or just to relax. If you feel like talking about a book or casual conversation, there are people here to talk with you. The time you spend there is also up to you to decide. Ultimately, I always hope that people leave our shop feeling happy."

In our daily lives, we are almost always looking for a purpose beyond our time and actions. But if you come to Shinto Coffee Shop, you can enjoy a book, have a casual conversation with someone, or just lose yourself in thought.

There is room for customers to decide how they want to spend their time, and they can share that time with someone in a relaxed atmosphere. Perhaps that is the charm and best part of a coffee shop.

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Shinto Coffee Shop

Address: 3-1-7 Kanda Ogawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

HP:http://coffeemafumi.html.xdomain.jp/

SNS:https://twitter.com/mafumicoffee

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