Hokodo Coffee

In Kobe’s Motomachi shopping district, there is a coffee shop called Hokodo Coffee that claims to be the “oldest coffee shop in Japan”. When I see something like this, my reflex is to wonder if it is true. But after doing a little research, I found out that whether or not it is really the oldest coffee shop in Japan, it is definitely a store with a long history and tradition that it would not be wrong to call itself so.

So, the next question that naturally arises is, “What does Japan’s oldest coffee taste like? ” So, I went to the coffee store one weekend after noon to experience the coffee for myself. If I had the experience of drinking the oldest coffee in Japan, I would be able to brag about it to all the coffee lovers in Japan…

Founded in 1874 by a wholesaler of Uji tea since the Edo period…Hokodo Coffee is a cafe like this…

According to the Kobe Motomachi Shopping Arcade website, Hokodo Coffee opened its doors in 1874, the same year that the shopping arcade was established. The parent company, Hokodo, was a wholesaler of Uji tea leaves founded in the Edo period (Tempo era, 1603-1868), but with the opening of the Port of Kobe, the company began exporting Uji tea leaves overseas and also began purchasing coffee beans from India. The coffee beans were used to brew coffee, which was then served to customers in Kobe, and that was the beginning of Hokodo Coffee. If the coffee is as good as it was back then, it is well worth the trip to Kobe to spend a cup of coffee time.

Hokodo has two stores, one selling tea leaves and the other a coffee shop. While the main Hokodo store on the right has a stately atmosphere of an old-fashioned high-end tea store, the Hokodo Coffee on the left has a woody, modern interior with a friendly atmosphere that anyone can feel free to use. A quick count shows that the restaurant seats 26 customers in total, including four counter seats. A stone mortar that seems to have been used to grind coffee beans in the old days is casually displayed, which stimulates one’s imagination, “I wonder what it would be like if I grind coffee beans with this?”…

This is the taste of coffee 150 years ago! How was it to try Hokodo Coffee’s signature menu item, Meiji Reissue Stone Ground Coffee Rintaro?

Let me introduce you to the signature menu item I ordered at Hokodo Coffee that day, the Meiji Reissue Stone Ground Coffee Rintaro (price: 550 yen including tax). Here is the image…

I am very sorry that the image does not convey the aroma, but there is a nice deep roasted bitter aroma coming from this coffee cup. By the way, they use only Indian beans as they did back then, and this is the first time I learned that coffee beans have been grown in India for a long time.

As for the coffee taste…it tastes bitter as I imagined, with almost no acidity. It is bitter, but the taste is relatively light, so it is easy to drink. Also, I can feel a little bit of powdery taste. Perhaps the coffee beans, which have been ground very finely with a millstone, have passed through the mesh of the French press.

This powderiness gave me a primitive impression, but it also made me believe that people 150 years ago were drinking the same coffee as this one. There may be differences in opinion about the powderiness of the coffee, but I think that if it were eliminated, the coffee would be no different from coffee at other coffee shops. In a sense, I think it is a coffee that is rarely available in cafes these days. If I may say so, I would like to drink this coffee in a more historical and austere atmosphere…

【Bonus】This time, a bonus is Hokodo Coffee‘s limited quantity food menu, “Kuroge Wagyu Curry (single item, priced 950 yen including tax)”. Curry with Kuroge Wagyu Beef for only 950 yen! The name sounds exciting, but the curry actually came out with only three small slices of beef and no other ingredients, leaving the curry “plain”. The curry itself, however, was well made, with a thick but fine roux and a deep, rich, spicy flavor that gradually takes effect later. I have no complaints in terms of cost performance, and on the contrary, I thought that putting “Kuroge Wagyu Beef” in the name would have given a negative impression.

Other drink menu at Hokodo Coffee (prices include tax)

• Daily hot coffee 500 yen
• Drizzled iced coffee 500 yen
• Cafe au lait (hot or iced) 550 yen
• Coffee float 600 yen
• Seasonal juice 500 yen
• Milk (hot or iced) 400 yen

Stone Ground Coffee Rintaro can also be purchased by mail order… Access to Hokodo Coffee is a two-minute walk from the nearest station, Minato-Motomachi Station on the Kobe Municipal Subway Kaigan Line

In addition to being sold in the store as a drip bag type product, Hokodo Coffee‘s signature product, Rintaro coffee beans can also be ordered through mail order using the Online Shop...

According to the mail order page, this coffee bean is only for French presses, so please be careful about that before purchasing. Aside from that, I personally feel that this stone ground coffee Rintaro is very suitable for drinking outdoors, such as camping. If you have such an opportunity, please try the stone-ground coffee in the great outdoors.

Now, here are the details of the coffee store…

From Motomachi Station on the JR Kobe Line, it is a 4-minute walk.

P.S. If you are looking for a cozy cafe in Hyogo, please stop by this article below…