まめぞう
Originally from Kansai, but I have lived in Tokyo for a much longer time. I mainly live in the Joso area, and I am not very familiar with the Joto area as it quickly transitions to Abiko and Kashiwa. Ueno Station is the gateway for those coming from western Japan, while Ueno Station is the gateway for those coming from northern Japan, so the Ueno area is unfamiliar to me. There is a coffee shop called Katsura with three locations in the Ueno area, established in 1967 and run by a family. I decided to visit the Taito Ward Office Nishiyoko branch, which is open year-round (even during Obon) and serves customers from early morning. The atmosphere is old-fashioned and bustling, with a gathering of elderly people from the neighborhood in the morning. When traveling from Shinjuku to Ueno, I buy a connecting ticket for 280 yen for the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway at Shinjuku Station, take the Marunouchi Line from Shinjuku Station, and get off at Ueno-Hirokoji Station on the Asakusa Line. The ticket is not collected when passing through the ticket gate, so I keep it in my pocket. On the way back, I board from Ueno-Okachimachi Station on the Oedo Line and the ticket is collected at Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station. This means that when traveling from Shinjuku Station to Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station, stopping at Ueno-Hirokoji Station is considered a transfer, and with a paper ticket, there is unlimited time for transfers if it is within the same day. This is a trick known by train enthusiasts. There is an underground passage from Ueno-Hirokoji to Ueno Central Street, which allows for a comfortable walk of about 10 minutes. Heading towards Ueno Station on the Hibiya Line, I take the No. 1 exit to the surface, turn right, pass by Ueshima Coffee Shop on the right, continue along Showa Street after crossing Asakusa Street. I turn right between Nippon Rent-A-Car and Yoro no Taki, and enter a narrow alley. The "Katsura" I am aiming for is on the first floor of the black building on the right. I arrived just before the opening time of 8:30, and entered the shop with the door opened by a customer. There are two staff members, a man and a woman. With baroque music playing in the background, I am free to choose a seat, so I choose a table for four at the back on the left side. I order the "Blend Morning" (480 yen) with a "boiled egg" (50 yen). It seems that they have also decided to go completely non-smoking due to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Health Promotion Law enacted in April 2020. The temperature is comfortable, and the air is pleasant. There are many books, mainly art books, lined up. Baroque music fits well in this space at this time. After 8 minutes, the coffee arrives. It is served in a white cup and saucer with the KATSURA logo. It has a sweet aroma. Next, a plate of toast and a cute white container with a boiled egg are brought to me. They also left a small cake, inviting me to have some. The coffee is lightly roasted, easy to drink without bitterness. The English bread toast has a crispy surface with salted butter that adds flavor, and the inside is soft and delicious. The warm boiled egg is easy to peel, hard-boiled for about 14 minutes. The cake is a pound cake, slightly dry but tasty with a good sweetness. I feel like I could stay here for hours in this comfortable atmosphere. The water they brought is delicious. On the back of the receipt, it says "All starts from small excitement..." and I truly experienced that. When I paid 530 yen, they gave me a 10 yen service voucher. It is a great place.