I met Haruki Murakami in the most Wenqing cafe in Japan.

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A famous Kyoto coffee shop, no focus on floral skills, no hand flashy skills, the owner insisted on not selling commercial meals or dinners. The "Elephant Factory Coffee" in the gap has dominated the top three famous coffee shops in Kyoto for many years, and is quite popular. What's the charm?

In Elephant, you can find yourself through a cup of coffee.

Japan, 604-0021 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, the town of Toshiya into the HK town of Miyamoto

Wen Tu | Tanlu Xiao Z

"ELEPHANT FACTORY COFFEE Elephant Factory Coffee" attracts me as deeply as a magnet. If you are in Kyoto, you should go there no matter what.

In the ranking of Kyoto coffee shops, Elephant Factory Coffee has long occupied one of the top three seats in famous coffee shops. It is also a coffee shop that Japanese food magazines always give high marks. In fact, there is another reason why Elephant Factory Coffee is famous: it is named after the comic book "Elephant Factory Happy End" written by Haruki Murakami and Anxi Shuiwan.

Japan, 604-0021 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, the town of Toshiya into the HK town of Miyamoto

"Elephant" is located in Kawahara-cho, Kyoto and is notoriously hard to find. After walking through the streets and twists and turns, I found that it was hidden in the depths of an extremely inconspicuous fireproof alley. The night was as cold as water. I was relieved to see the famous shop move of the elephant family, and finally found it. The cafe is located on the second floor and has to go up a narrow staircase.

Japan, 604-0021 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, the town of Toshiya into the HK town of Miyamoto

Haruki Murakami's favorite independent cafe

The small shop of "Elephant" almost makes you feel that it does not match its fame, but it is full of a unique aesthetic atmosphere. Thick log floor, mottled antique furniture, rough cement walls set off against the gentle light, people feel extremely warm.

Books are randomly placed everywhere in the house, the warm yellow lights are dense but not bright, and the whole space is filled with a steady and quiet atmosphere. It's perfect for reading an interesting book while drinking coffee.

Japan, 604-0021 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, the town of Toshiya into the HK town of Miyamoto

"Elephant" was founded in 2007. From the beginning of business, the designer-turned-store owner, Mr. Kui, stubbornly insisted on not selling commercial meals or dinners, and the protagonist here is always delicious coffee.

After tasting coffee all over Japan, Mr. Hokkaido decided to choose his own small amount of roasted coffee beans, which are characterized by deep roasting, strong bitterness, strong smoke, and a flavor precipitated over the years.

Japan, 604-0021 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, the town of Toshiya into the HK town of Miyamoto

"Elephant" coffee ranges from 650 to 750 yen (about 35 to 40 yuan), and the price is really not expensive. Only hand brewed coffee is available here, there is no Italian or other fancy coffee. Next to each type of coffee, it clearly indicates that the taste of coffee is sour or bitter. In addition to the protagonist of coffee, there are tea, juice, and a small amount of toast cake to choose from. However, since I came here for coffee, I decided to try a deep-fried, home-baked one with a bitter taste.

Japan, 604-0021 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, the town of Toshiya into the HK town of Miyamoto

The jazz flowing through the space had a soothing power, and about 30 minutes later, my coffee was finally on the table. The coffee is quite good, dark as the night, with a strong bitter taste at the beginning of the mouth, but miraculously disappeared when it slipped into the mouth and throat, leaving only a full and mellow aroma of coffee.

It is a great happiness to have a cup of "delicious and tasty" hot coffee in a foreign country on a winter night. Sometimes, the so-called life is just the warmth of a cup of coffee.

Japan, 604-0021 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, the town of Toshiya into the HK town of Miyamoto

Why is "Elephant" so popular?

The first year is the hardest, and there are still few guests. It is only after we have spent it that we have today. There has never been any special business opportunity, but Mr. Yu always believes that a cup of coffee with an ideal and warm temperature will have an invisible force to attract people of predestined fate to get together. Guests who have been here will introduce new guests, word of mouth, and slowly a group of guests who like the "elephant" space will settle down.

The night is getting deeper and deeper, but there are more and more guests in the shop. Order, sit down, enjoy delicious coffee, and let emotions and thoughts run freely in this long, narrow space.

Sometimes when I think about it, what really attracts us is not so much the flavor of the coffee itself as the mood brought about by it.

Japan, 604-0021 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, the town of Toshiya into the HK town of Miyamoto

It is difficult to classify the "Elephant" coffee shop into what kind of coffee shop you think it is, what kind of coffee shop it is. Because it's so special.

If you have a chance to go to Kyoto, you might as well go to this maverick coffee shop with a style of humanism and philosophy. In Elephant, you can find yourself through a cup of coffee. I think this is its greatest charm.

How to find the Elephant

Address: Japan, 604-0021, the capital of the capital, the capital city, the central Beijing district, the city of Miyamoya, enter the town of Miyamoto-cho, HK

Open from 1: 00 p.m. to 1: 00 a.m.