There is a small inn near the Otaru North Canal. When you pass through the blue entrance of the inn, you will find a small café. The female owner opened this inn and café as a second life after retiring from work, making use of the old building. It opened about 4 years ago, and I remember it being featured on a TV program called "Paradise of Life" about 3 years ago. The owner's desire for guests to relax and unwind is evident in this small inn. I used the café room at the inn. The coffee I had was "Chicory Coffee". It is made from the root of a vegetable called "Chicory" grown on a farm in Nakafurano town, which I'm not very familiar with. I've heard of dandelion coffee before. Dandelion roots are roasted and then finely crushed... Is this Chicory coffee made in a similar way, like a coffee-like drink roasted from Chicory? Chicory coffee... It looks like "coffee" without any doubt. The bitterness and acidity are gentle, with a very soft flavor. When you drink it, a sweet aroma spreads gently in your mouth. I asked the staff, "Where are these beans from?" and they replied, "Chicory." The taste I had was undeniably fruity? and delicious "coffee". This shop is a little off the main street of Otaru. It might be nice to stop by while strolling around the Nakagawa area, which still retains the old charm of Otaru. I was guided inside the inn by the staff. There are two Japanese-style rooms and two Western-style rooms, which can accommodate about 10 people in total. (Japanese room 4200 yen/person, Western room 5000 yen/person) The Western-style room has a calm atmosphere with a classic modern feel. The inn's breakfast is 700 yen, and I would like to try it. As the tourist season approaches, there will be many overseas guests staying here. It was a shop that made me feel that leisurely drinking coffee is a very important way to spend time.

I had a wonderful stay in Hokkaido and Otaru for the first time. Walking along the canal where seagulls cry, I arrived at a small inn and slid open the door to enter. Inside, there was a cafe with wooden tables, where the hostess and her son welcomed me. I chose a Japanese-style room, which was very clean and well-maintained. The entire building, despite its age, was kept very clean, and it helped me relax after a long journey. In the morning, when I went down to the cafe for breakfast, I saw a regular customer reading the newspaper at a table, while the hostess in a fresh yellow shirt was in the kitchen. The breakfast brought by her son included rolled omelette, miso eggplant, grilled saury, white rice, etc., all beautifully arranged in lovely dishes with delicious flavors. I was so impressed by the heartfelt breakfast and care they provided, which gave me peace of mind as I was feeling stressed in the city at that time. Before leaving, I enjoyed chicory coffee in a charming antique cup and was given mugwort mochi brought by a regular customer from Otaru. It was another touching moment. I had a great time chatting with them at the cafe. Thank you for welcoming me warmly.

I booked a hotel for drinking in Otaru. Otaru is expensive, so if it was too pricey, I thought about taking the JR train to and from Sapporo. But if I fell asleep on the way back, it would be troublesome, and calculating the JR fare made it hard to decide which option was better. Feeling a bit lazy to do the math, I checked out Jalan and found a cheap hotel called "Kamome Hotel." When I put it in my navigation and said "I've arrived," I passed by it. I turned around and thought, "Is this the hotel?" It was indeed the hotel. Even though the exterior looked like that, the interior was quite clean. The only issue was the smell, but there was no choice. Both the bath and toilet were shared. I told myself, "Just for sleeping!" The host was very nice. Thank you for taking care of me. They also had a café. Since there was no breakfast, I brought my own beer. I forgot to take a picture, so please forgive me.