
When my friend invited me to Kobe, she asked if there was
anywhere in particular I wanted to go.
Starbucks, was the answer I gave.
In Japan, I’ve become somewhat of a Starbucks fanatic. I was
never like this in the states. Being from Portland, just about every local
coffee shop was a better option than Starbucks, but somehow that’s just no true
in Japan. Despite being on a quest for unique, local coffee shops in every
city, I often default to Starbucks. Their overly sweet lattes, spacious
seating, bathrooms, and the fact that you can sit for as long as you like
without being bothered (this seems to be true all over the world), keep me
coming back for more.
Japanese people must agree with me, because everywhere I go
in Japan, Starbucks is packed.
My friend, who is not a Starbucks fan, and only took me
begrudgingly (thanks, friend), suggested the Kobe Kitano Starbucks. This Starbucks is housed in a historic home,
which is reminiscent of Kobe’s Victorian past.
Although the seating is abundant in this sprawling Victorian
mansion, the holiday crowds brought this place to its knees, and as we
meandered through the mob of people, down the narrow Victorian hallways, and up
the red-carpeted staircase I thought, no wonder modern café design is what it
is.
Imagine a line of seventy people, starting at your kitchen
and snaking outside your front door, all waiting to order drinks and find a
seat among the eighty some chairs and couches that are already filled.
It was like a house party gone rogue.
So goes the story of Starbucks in Christmas time. Eventually
I convinced my friend to sit in the courtyard outside. I love outdoor seating,
even in winter, and Japanese people must disagree with me, because I rarely see
them sitting outside at a café.
We had a fabulous view for people watching, which I much
preferred to sitting inside a stuffy old house, though I did manage to sneak
back in for a few pictures…




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