Connecting Cafe [Sen] - A traditional house cafe where you can enjoy daily changing food and drinks from different owners every day.

Did you know that there is a traditional house café in Soja City, Okayama Prefecture, where you can enjoy different owners' daily food and drinks?

Tsunagaru Cafe [ Sen ] serves as a challenge space for future café owners who are thinking, "I want to run a café from now on," and it is a wonderful café where customers can enjoy different dishes every day.

The personalities of the daily owners are diverse.

You can find Japanese cuisine, Western cuisine, homemade bread, ramen, unique dishes using mint, and creative dishes that pair well with alcohol.

In fact, Tsunagaru Cafe [ Sen ] started from a girl's wish, "I want to run a café!" It is a café born from connections between people.

Let me introduce Tsunagaru Cafe [ Sen ], which was created from the connections of local people.

Tsunagaru Cafe [ Sen ] utilizes a 180-year-old traditional house

Tsunagaru Cafe [ Sen ] is a café created by restoring the home of Hori Wahei, a pioneer in the Western painting world.

Although it is a 180-year-old traditional house, it was restored by the "NPO Corporation Soja Shopping Street Traditional House Utilization Association," which managed it after it had been left untouched by anyone.

The interior has a nostalgic design that reflects the charm of a traditional house, providing a calm and relaxing space.

From the seats inside, you can see the garden well.

You can enjoy the view of the garden while having your meal.

The interior is spacious, and there is also a gallery and a retail space besides the café.

In the gallery, an exhibition titled "Hori Wahei Exhibition" featuring works by Hori Wahei has been held in the past.

In the retail space, small items from artists inside and outside Soja City are sold.

Since the interview was on a Friday, the unique dish restaurant using mint, Hakka cafe, was open.

Regardless of the daily menu, I ordered the common Hakka tea.

It was my first time drinking mint tea, and it was very refreshing, with a taste reminiscent of ginger tea.

I am curious about what the daily café offers.

Let's take a look at the offerings starting from Monday!

Tsunagaru Cafe [ Sen ]'s daily café

Tsunagaru Cafe [ Sen ] is a challenge space for future café owners who are thinking, "I want to run a café from now on," but the food is authentic.

The food and drinks made by owners from various specialties are all attractive...!

For details about the cafés that interest you, please check their social media.

Also, you can check the content of today's café on the Tsunagaru Cafe [ Sen ] Facebook page.

Monday: Gohan-ya Kanade

Gohan-ya Kanade is a café where you can enjoy home-cooked meals using seasonal ingredients from Soja City, with the thought of "I want you to eat the meals of the past."

In the seasonal lunch menu, you can enjoy seasonal ingredients, Soja's recommended red rice, and the local specialty, tama tofu.

The seasonal lunch menu varies each time.

The menu is introduced on Facebook, so please check it out.

Tuesday and Saturday: Fondant Miel

Fondant Miel is a café and lunch spot with a gentle flavor and colorful Western-style dishes created by a natural food coordinator owner.

Fluffy hamburgers and butter chicken curry are popular menu items, and there are many repeat customers.

There are also daily cakes, muffins, and scones, so you can enjoy café time at a leisurely pace.

Fondant Miel is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so the same owner operates it.

They upload the weekly menu on SNS, so please check it out.

Wednesday: cafe & deli COPAN

cafe & deli COPAN is a café opened by an owner who utilizes their experience as an instructor in cooking classes and runs a bread class at home.

You can enjoy handmade bread and quiche, along with colorful and healthy side dishes, soups, and desserts.

The menu is introduced on Instagram, so be sure to check it out.

Thursday: Mendokoro Sudachiya (麺処すだち屋) *Opened in July 2019

Mendokoro Sudachiya serves ramen made by a wonderful young female owner, featuring a light broth with a rich amber color and thin noodles, topped with sliced sudachi citrus.

Details will be available after July, so please look forward to it.

Friday: Hakka cafe (ハッカ カフェ)

Hakka cafe is a café operated by the Hakka Project of the Hori family, which was established in 2016 in the former Hori Waho residence.

Japanese mint once accounted for 90% of the world's production, but now it is almost entirely imported.

In fact, Soja City is said to be the birthplace of mint cultivation.

With the theme of "preserving and passing on the story of the disappearing mint," you can enjoy food and drinks made with mint and vegetables from Sumida Farm.

Mint is included in every menu item, so it will be exciting to find out which ones have the mint flavor.

The menu is introduced on the Facebook page of "Tsunagaru Cafe [Sen-線]," so be sure to check it out.

Monday Night: Yoru to Gohan (夜トゴハン)

Yoru to Gohan is a night-only eatery run by the catering team Hitoto Gohan, based in Maniwa City, traveling around the prefecture.

You can enjoy a daily changing rice bowl set and small dishes that bring out the natural flavors of Okayama Prefecture's ingredients, along with delicious local sake and natural wines.

It is recommended for those who want to spend a special time with course meals limited to one group per day and private group parties.

At the time of the interview (June 2019), there were cafés like the above, but there may be other cafés that open irregularly, and a student cafeteria run by Okayama Prefectural University may also be held.

When you actually go, be sure to check the social media of each café for their regular holidays in advance.

Next, I asked the representative, Kanamaru Yukiko, about the store.

Data for Tsunagaru Cafe [Sen-線]

Name	Tsunagaru Cafe [Sen-線]
Address	2-5-20 Soja, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture
Contact	080-1925-9379
Parking	Available Since the parking location can be easily mistaken, be sure to check the directions from the access.
Business Hours	Monday: Gohan ya Kanade 11:30 AM - 4:00 PM 　　　　Yoru to Gohan 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Tuesday & Saturday: Fondant Miel 11:30 AM - 4:00 PM Wednesday: cafe & deli COPAN 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM Thursday: Mendokoro Sudachiya 11:30 AM - 4:00 PM Friday: Hakka cafe 11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Regular Holidays	Sunday Daily changing cafés may also have regular holidays. Be sure to check various social media and websites in advance. On Sundays, a student cafeteria run by Okayama Prefectural University is held irregularly. Since there is no online announcement, please check on-site.
Payment Methods	Cash
Reservation Availability	Yes Reservations must be made by contacting each store's phone number. The phone number for Tsunagaru Cafe [Sen-線] (080-1925-9379) connects to the chairman Kanamaru of the NPO "Soja Shopping Street Old House Utilization Association," so please be careful when making reservations.
Seating	26 seats total Counter seats: 4 4-person table seats: 4 2-person table seats: 3
Smoking	Completely non-smoking
Toilet	Western-style toilet
Website	NPO Soja Shopping Street Old House Utilization Association

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