Cafe Don – Kissaten

Japanese Kissaten (traditional coffee shops) are all but disappearing in Japan, here is my experience visiting Cafe Don in Hida Takayama.

Cafe Don has been opening at 7.30 am and serving the same menu every morning since Wada-san started the business in 1951. Based in the centre of Takayama, Cafe Don has a cozy dark wood interior, busy with family pictures, coffee paraphenalia, European cakes and locals propping up the counter. These old style European influenced ‘Kissaten’ (coffee shops) once so common in Japan are sadly disappearing as the American style coffee chains have made coffee fashionable but impersonal.

I ordered the ‘Morning Set’ (a favourite of the Japanese, usually consisting of toast about an inch thick, quartered with a massive blob of butter in the centre, a boiled egg, preserves, orange juice and coffee). And as I enjoyed breakfast I listened to the soothing voice of Tokyo based DJ Peter Barakan seemlessly moving from English to Japanese, one musical genre to another, through the fabulously warm wooden wall mounted speakers – I was immediately transported to a Japan of simpler times. 

I had a lovely conversation with the current generation of Wada’s about the general state of things in Japan, the history of Cafe Don and the significance of  ‘Kissaten’ to Japanese culture and life in Takayama. If that wasn’t enough 2-3 mins after leaving I hear ‘moshi-moshi’ as the daughter tracked me down and handed me some German baum cake slices as a souvenir of my visit. I was so touched, what a great start to the day !

If you are interested in Kissaten, there are many people documenting the life and history of these including ‘Kissa by Kissa’ by Japan resident and great writer Craig Mod.