I have been to Otaru many times, but I had never entered this shop before. However, on this day, the weather was bad, with heavy snow falling. It was cold and hard to see, making it difficult to walk. So, I decided to go in and ended up in the 2nd building out of the 7. You have to choose a cup at the counter, with 6 different options of varying prices. I chose a glass cup as I'm not a fan of Hello Kitty. Hot coffee and tea are refillable, while iced drinks can be refilled once. There were other options, but I forgot. The tea was nothing special, but it was nice to be able to take the cup home after washing it with water and putting it in the box provided. A slice of butter cake was also included, which was delicious. The cup is small, so it doesn't hold much, but it's perfect for espresso or as a sake cup if you chose a glass cup.

I cannot revisit "Gin no Kane" even if I want to. It's too far away. From my memo: Took a ferry to Otaru, arrived at 4:30 in the morning. Visited Kamiiso Cape, had sea urchin rice bowl for breakfast, explored Sakaimachi in Otaru, had grilled hokke set meal for lunch, and returned to Sakaimachi. Before heading to Sapporo, my wife and kids wanted to quench their thirst. They asked the driver for a good cafe, and he recommended "Gin no Kane". The cafe operates on a system where you buy cups or glasses and can enjoy coffee or soft drinks. Hot drinks like coffee and tea are refillable, while you can have two servings of iced or soft drinks. Pound cake is served as a complimentary snack. We chose Kitty-chan glasses and I had an iced coffee. The glasses were small, about the size of a Yakult bottle. There was a clione in the tank, floating elegantly. After finishing our drinks, we washed the glasses ourselves and put them in the box provided. The taste was nothing special, but it's a great place for making memories.

Hot drinks are free refills, and you can get one free refill for cold drinks!