In July 2023, the coffee shop Yozora no Coffee opened in a traditional house in the Bikan Historical Area of Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
It operates one day a week, on Friday evenings, alongside Nijiiro Shoten, which is open at the same location during the day.
When we visited the shop wondering, “Why is it open only one day a week?”, we found a peaceful place to take a relaxing break surrounded by the aroma of coffee, and learned about the owner’s kind-hearted vision.
Here we introduce Yozora no Coffee, run by an owner with experience as a support worker at a facility for people with disabilities.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in February 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A peaceful space open just one day a week
Yozora no Coffee opened in July 2023 as the evening operation of Nijiiro Shoten, which is open during the day at the same location in Higashimachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
In the quiet streets of the Bikan Historical Area, where there are relatively few passersby, its lights come on one day a week, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays.
The interior, with the charm of a traditional house, is filled with warm-toned lighting and the sound of quiet music.
The Manabino Blend brewed for me had a clean, easy-to-drink taste. As I took a break with freshly ground coffee, I felt the gentle passage of time.
It felt as though a gentle atmosphere enveloped the shop, letting all the tension drain from my shoulders.
Taking the plunge to open a coffee shop after working in a different field
The owner is Yuhei Yokoro, who previously worked as a support worker at an employment support facility for people with disabilities.
After being diagnosed with a developmental disability, Yokoro began to want to create a place where people with disabilities and people without disabilities could thrive equally.
His inspiration for pursuing a career in coffee came from a successful experience: work he had planned himself, making coffee drip bags, gave people with disabilities a sense of purpose, and they stopped taking time off work.
While working as a support worker, he wondered, “Could coffee be used to do something?” He visited coffee bean retailers and coffee shops to learn what he didn’t know, and taught himself how to roast and brew coffee.
A menu created in pursuit of a cup you never tire of
Yokoro roasted coffee again and again, drank cup after cup, and kept working to create a taste he could be satisfied with.
People he asked for advice told him, “Even if it’s just one kind, make a coffee you can drink every morning for a long time, and sell that.” The result was the Manabino Blend.
After much trial and error, he developed a menu of six coffee drinks.
| Yozora no Coffee menu | Name | 500 yen each, tax included |
|---|---|---|
| Blends | Yozora no Coffee | Rich, full-bodied bitterness |
| Manabino Blend | Distinctive aroma and a clean taste | |
| Chocolat (NEW) | A pleasant bitterness that lasts from the first sip to the last | |
| Decaffeinated | Brazil | Bitterness and aroma come through immediately, followed by a clean finish |
| Milk-based | Latte, leaning toward au lait | Richly brewed coffee topped with smooth, foamed milk |
| Milk Coffee | Coffee mixed with milk and vanilla syrup for a comforting taste |
Aiming to create a place where people with and without disabilities can work together
Yokoro, who works as a nursery school teacher and a teacher at a free school during the day, told us what inspired him to open the shop, stories from after it opened, and his dreams for the future.
What inspired you to open Yozora no Coffee?
Yokoro (honorific omitted)
I shared on social media (Tarinai Benkyoka) that I was pursuing my dream of making coffee, and served coffee at events. That’s when the owner of Nijiiro Shoten approached me.
Since we shared the same goal, we decided to start operating as the evening section.
How has it been since you started operating?
Yokoro
There were days when we had no customers, and there were times when I felt like giving up. But I’ve had all kinds of encounters: groups of mothers with children with disabilities, couples with disabilities who came on dates, and people with developmental disabilities who came to talk.
When people open up to me, even though we’ve just met, and tell me, “I feel better now,” the look on their faces makes me happier than anything else. It makes me feel happy.
What kind of shop do you hope to create?
Yokoro
I hope it can become a place where people with and without disabilities can interact without barriers, where people sitting next to each other strike up conversations.
Sometimes we open on days other than Friday for events. I think we’ll have to consider expanding our opening days in the future.
And someday, I’d like this to become a place where people with and without disabilities can work together.
From the Writer
The aroma of the coffee I drank after the interview helped ease my tension.
The gentle atmosphere inside the shop is just like its shy owner, Yokoro.
There are all kinds of coffee moments: a treat for a job well done, or a chance to unwind. Why not take a break at Yozora no Coffee on a Friday evening?
Yozora no Coffee details
| Name | Yozora no Coffee |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-24 Higashimachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-3900 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | Friday, 6 p.m.–10 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 12 seats: two tables for three, three tables for two |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style restroom, accessible restroom |
| Child-friendly facilities | Diaper-changing table Strollers allowed inside |
| Accessibility | Accessible restroom Wheelchair access |
| Website | Yozora no Coffee |
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