Osaka is a city where "coffee shop culture" has been deeply rooted since ancient times. Its history dates back to before the war, and it has been loved as a place where people gather and chat. In fact, Osaka has had the most number of coffee shops in the country for many years, and each one blends into the cityscape, reflecting the changing lifestyle of Osaka with the times.

Hiraoka Coffee Shop, located a 10-minute walk from Hotel Resol Resol Trinity Osaka, is an essential presence when talking about Osaka's cafe culture.

As one of the oldest coffee shops still standing in the Kansai region, it has a history of over 100 years, and continues to brew coffee using the same "boiling method" that it used when it first opened. When you open the door to the shop, you'll find yourself in a retro space that evokes the atmosphere of the Taisho era.

From a soy sauce brewery to the unknown world of coffee

The story of Hiraoka Coffee Shop begins with one young man. Founder Chujiro Ogawa was born into a family that made soy sauce in Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, and was destined to carry on that tradition. However, with the changing times, demand for soy sauce was declining, and he began to worry about the future of his family business.

It was during this time that he happened upon a cup of coffee at Cafe Paulista in Ginza. The moment he took a sip, he was struck by the aroma and deep flavor, and became convinced that "the age of coffee is coming." He left the family business, got married, and moved to Kansai, where he decided to take on the unknown world of coffee.

Chujiro founded Hiraoka Coffee Shop in Osaka in 1921. At the time, coffee shops were not yet common in Osaka, but Chujiro continued to carefully brew each cup of coffee, making use of the spirit of handiwork he had cultivated through soy sauce production.

Before long, Hiraoka Coffee became a place of relaxation for Osaka businessmen and firmly established itself in the city. Throughout its long history spanning the Taisho, Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras, the taste and traditions of the coffee have been passed down through three generations to this day.

The "boiling method" passed down from generation to generation

The interior of the store is decorated with furnishings from the time the store first opened, and the atmosphere is filled with the accumulated thoughts of the past owners. It's as if you can feel the passage of time from the Taisho era to the Reiwa era just by being here.

The biggest feature of Hiraoka Coffee Shop is that it brews coffee using the boiling method, which has remained unchanged since the shop first opened.

The boiling method involves slowly boiling coarsely ground beans in a 100-year-old pot passed down from the founder, then carefully filtering them through a plain-woven cotton cloth made of thick threads. This cotton cloth has a fine weave, which is said to suppress impurities while bringing out the natural sweetness and aroma of the beans. Boiling creates a mellow, rich flavor, resulting in a cup with a soft mouthfeel and a gentle aftertaste.

The current owner's passion for continuing the 100-year history

Currently, the shop is run by third-generation owner Ogawa Ryusui, who values "offering high-quality coffee" above all else.

"If we stick too closely to what we've been doing for 100 years, we'll become stubborn and be left behind by the times. That's why, without changing what we value, we want to continue our history by flexibly changing how we do things."

When the new owner took over, he apparently struggled to change the way things had been done up until then. However, he has gradually sought to adapt his style to suit the times, such as changing the flavor of his standard menu from one that is based on a sharp taste to one that melts away the moment it enters the mouth.

In the past, the main clientele was made up of businessmen working for banks and insurance companies, but with the rise of IT companies and the COVID-19 pandemic, the shop now also attracts many tourists. While catering to a changing customer base with the times, Hiraoka Coffee Shop continues to maintain its identity.

Preserving the history of the area and nurturing it through transformation

"I don't think we need to stick to the café format. As long as we can maintain the vision of our predecessor, which was to bring coffee to Japanese dining tables, the format doesn't matter. I want to bring the joy of coffee to as many people as possible."

Rather than simply preserving its 100-year history, Hiraoka Coffee is flexibly growing in step with the times. With unchanging passion and challenges, it will continue to weave warm moments on the streets of Osaka.

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平岡珈琲店 
電話： 090-6244-3708
住所：大阪府大阪市中央区瓦町3丁目6-11
アクセス： Osaka Metro 御堂筋線 本町駅 1番出口から徒歩3分
HP  ：https://www.cafe-hiraoka.jp/
SNS：https://www.instagram.com/cafe_hiraoka/
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