I don’t usually go to cafés much.
Coffee at Korean cafés is mostly espresso-based, right?
Things like Americanos and café lattes.
I’m not really into that kind of coffee.
My taste leans toward hand-drip coffee.
So when I travel in Japan, I stop by cafés now and then.
Japan seems to have far more cafés doing hand drip than espresso-based coffee.
But compared to Korea, there seem to be noticeably fewer cafés.
In Korea, it’s common to find several cafés in a single alley.
In Japan, you often have to open Google Maps just to find one.
This trip was in midsummer, so I stopped at cafés here and there to cool off.
Here are those cafés, gathered together.
:: The Original Shirokuma, Tenmonkan Mujyaki
This could be called the most famous spot in Kagoshima.
It’s Tenmonkan Mujyaki Main Store(天文館むじゃき 本店).
Come into the arcade next to Centerrace Tenmonkan, and you’ll see a shop with a long line of people.
That’s the one.
This is the original shop that created Shirokuma(白熊), a shaved ice found only in Kagoshima.
Classic Japanese shaved ice, called kakigori(かき氷), is simple.
Ice made from frozen water is shaved, and syrup is poured on top.
On top of that, there are slight variations by region and by shop.
Shirokuma, the signature shaved ice here, is known for its many toppings and rich milky flavor, much like Korean bingsu.
This place also shaves ice made from frozen water.
Then it’s covered with a special milk they developed themselves and topped with a variety of fruit.
My guess is that they layer the ice and milk alternately.
It’s hard to say they just piled up the ice and poured milk over it.
The milk flavor soaks into every corner.
At first I thought it was simply condensed milk.
But it wasn’t sticky-sweet like condensed milk.
So I looked into it, and that milk seemed to be the secret of Shirokuma.
There are variations with different names depending on the toppings.
But if it’s your first visit, I’d suggest trying the Shirokuma first.
:: On the Way to the City Museum of Art, Café Chamonix
This is Café Chamonix(カフェ シャモニー).
I stopped here for a short break while walking to the Kagoshima City Museum of Art, worn out by the heat.
It’s not a place with especially good coffee or a particularly great atmosphere.
It’s right in the middle of the way from Tenmonkan to the City Museum of Art, so it’s a good spot for a short break.
It’s directly across from Kagoshima Central Park, so it’s easy to find, too.
It came in very handy on this trip, too.
It was a really sweltering day.
I was walking to the City Museum of Art, and just when I felt I couldn’t walk any further in the heat, I found this place.
Inside, with the air conditioning on, I cooled off with a cold iced coffee.
It was like a moment of salvation.
The atmosphere is plainly tidy, and the coffee is decently good.
The master is quietly kind, too.
It probably turns into a place serving food and drinks in the evening.
:: A Relaxed Place with a Unique Feel, COMMON COFFEE COUNTER
I don’t really enjoy shopping at Don Quijote.
Its products feel like they’re only for tourists, things even Japanese people don’t know well.
I’d rather go to a drugstore like Matsukiyo(マツキヨ), or shop at a local supermarket.
In Kagoshima, I sometimes stop by a neighborhood supermarket to pick up Japanese sauces and food.
There’s a nice café nearby.
It’s COMMON COFFEE COUNTER.
When I first walked in, I was a bit thrown.
I couldn’t see the usual café tables or chairs.
Those things placed freely in the corners, looking like props, turned out to be the chairs and tables.
The owner also seems like a free-spirited person.
Quiet music was flowing from old Altec speakers.
There were two turntables, too.
I could choose from a few kinds of beans, and I went with Ethiopia.
I like coffee centered on acidity.
On top of that, a toasty flavor comes up along with it, which was fun.
You could tell the beans were roasted really well, and the drip seemed carefully done, too.
While I was resting with my coffee, a Korean couple came in.
Ah, it must already be well known among Koreans.
