"Acoustic Book Cafebar By" - a book cafe in Gamagori surrounded by your favorite things 

The Katahara area of Gamagori City is famous as a sightseeing spot, with hydrangeas blooming in early summer in Hydrangea Village and the Katahara Onsen hot springs. Acoustic book cafebar by opened here in 2014.

This popular café attracts fans from all over the city and many other places. This time, I'm going to introduce the thoughts of the cafe, its cuisine, and the books available in the store.

The café built by their own hands.

A white house along the main street is "Acoustic book cafebar by". The round doors, greenery, and other natural elements give it a very nice appearance.

It opened in 2014 and has been open for 7 years this year. The café has been loved by many people. The building was originally an udon shop, and it was renovated by painting the walls white, making the signboard by hand, and so on.

There are signs made of driftwood, the name of the store decorating even the smallest part of the triangular roof, and so on. To create an immediate image of the book café, bookshelves were built with bricks to resemble books, and every inch of the building can be enjoyed.

There is also a handmade garden outside the shop. In addition to flowers, they also grow herbs used in cooking. You will be fascinated by the stylish garden.

The owner couple created most of the white walls, tables, and chairs in the cafe hoping to create a a natural and spontaneous space with comfortable atmosphere for customers to spend time.

The choice of interior decorations, such as photographs, ocean-inspired decor, and plants, makes you want to take pictures of them.

A cafe with books proposed by a former bookstore clerk

Mr. and Mrs. Nishimura, owners of "acoustic book cafebar by" (Left: Ikuya Nishimura, Right: Tomoko Nishimura). It features a gentle cafe space created by them full of smiles. Both of them are former booksellers. They opened a cafe to create a space that they like.

– Please tell us how you decided to open the restaurant.

Ikuya: "I used to work as a bookstore clerk, selecting books and making proposals. I love books, so when I wanted more people to read books, I thought about creating a cafe and opened it in 2014."

Tomoko: "We started DIY by ourselves from scratch with nothing. We started with no idea how to paint or how to make a table, and we did DIY every day for three months."

- The atmosphere is filled with the couple's favorite things, which is soothing! Please tell us about the origin of the name of the cafe.

Ikuya: "We talked about having an easy-to-understand name for the cafe. We like acoustic music, we like books, and we wanted have café and bar. I am from Kumamoto Prefecture and one of the dialects we use is 'bai (by)'. I like the word 'Yoka-bai (good)!', so that's one of the reasons I named it that way.

– As a former bookstore clerk, your selection of books is amazing!

Tomoko: "Thank you very much! We hope you'll spend some cafe time with our book corner, where we've collected our favorite books."

Ikuya: Tens of thousands of books are published every year. Here, new and used books of all genres are arranged.Two years ago, we started selling books, and we proposed the idea that people could read them in the café or enjoy them at home."

– It's fun just looking at books of various genres.

Ikuya: "We have a wide variety of books. From picture books to business books, we want you to choose what you feel at that moment. We love books too, and books are part of our life. We hope that by learning about the feelings and backgrounds that can be read from books, people will be able to further discover the interesting world of books.

- Please tell us about any happy events you have experienced in the 7 years of running the café.

Ikuya: "I am simply happy that we are able to continue what has been a dream of ours as a couple as we run the cafe on a daily basis. There are difficulties in maintaining the café, but we realize that it has been seven years. I hope we can continue to cherish our everyday life and enjoy it in our own way."

Relaxing! Introducing delicious café meals!

The food is prepared by his wife, Tomoko. Her carefully prepared dishes are well received by regular customers, and she offers lunch, drinks, desserts, and dinner.

This is the lunch “Luroufan (1,200 yen)”. It is a popular menu as a taste of Taiwan's homemade dish. A dish with plenty of melty pork stewed in sweet and salty spices.

The pork is a hearty pork that meets Japanese tastes. It is even more delicious when served with boiled eggs and grilled vegetables. Lunch includes soup and a drink.

Ikuya is in charge of drinks. This is a hot cafe latte (450 yen) where you can enjoy cute latte art! Depending on the day, He might draw a cat or a rabbit. It seems that there are many customers who take pictures.

Ice caffe latte is also very popular. It is a dish that matches rich espresso in moist milk.

Recommended books by Mr. and Mrs. Nishimura

Book corner in the cafe. New and used books are available for sale. The concept is "encountering books that will change your life". The lineup includes a variety of books, including books that are easy to read even for people who do not usually read books, as well as full-fledged business books and other books. Here are some of the books recommended by Mr. and Mrs. Nishimura.

Tsumiki no Ie
Text: Kenya Hirata
Illustrated by Kunio Kato
Publisher: Hakusensha

Winner of the 81st American Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, 2008 France Annecy International Animated Film Festival Crystal Award (top award), double winner of the Children's Jury Award, 2008 12th Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival Animation Division Grand Prize, etc. A picture book based on the short animation "Tsumiki no Ie".

Ikuya: "I like the touch of the pictures, and it's a picture book that even adults can read as a book about life, like a travel story."

Where the wind returns
Author: Hayao Miyazaki

A completely uncut collection of interviews from "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" to "Spirited Away".

Tomoko: “I myself love Ghibli movies, and I really like Hayao Miyazaki as well. This book is recommended for Ghibli fans, as you can learn about the backbone from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind to Spirited Away. is."

I wrote you a letter because your sadness is beautiful
Author: Eisuke Wakamatsu

A book that gently conveys the importance of grief. Thinker Eisuke Wakamatsu presents 11 letters to you who are in pain.

Ikuya: "Things to think about after the death of a loved one, love is better than sadness. This is a book that will make you love any kind of sadness."

A natural café surrounded by delicious food and carefully selected books. It is also recommended to visit by yourself, as you can spend your time in a relaxed atmosphere. Why not try a wonderful encounter here?

Photo / Shigemi Shimizu (One Life Communication Co., Ltd.)