“Cafe harpsichord” (Hirosaki City, Dote Town) on Hirosaki's Dote Town Street celebrated its 40th anniversary on March 20th.

The restaurant is run by two married couples, Mitsugu Ishii and Hiroko. Opened on March 20, 1980, when the fashion building "HIROSA", which was built on the site of the department store "Kakuwa Miyagawa", opened. It was on the 2nd floor of the front entrance, and it was a glass-enclosed tenant facing the Shimobemachi Scramble intersection. Mr. Ishii recalls, "The concept was a solid store that would make it difficult for customers who wear boots to enter."

The coffee at the time of opening was 300 yen per cup. "It was the tallest coffee in Hirosaki, where there are thousands of coffee shops," said Ishii. A chandelier was hung on the ceiling of the store, a two-layer carpet, a contact phone for each table, and the phone bill was paid at the time of accounting.

After graduating from high school, Ishii worked as a company employee in Tokyo, but returned to Hirosaki in three years. He started working at a coffee shop where his relatives were doing, and when he was 25, he opened a store in "Hi Rosa." "The coffee shop was called "Saten." Students used to have discussions, gathered in fashion, and used as a meeting place, there were various customers."

High Rosa closed in 1998 (Heisei 10). "The last 40 or so tenants have moved to the city, but the only thing that is still continuing is "IVY" (Ekimaemachi, Hirosaki City)," Ishii said. "Cembalo" moved to Renes Avenue (now Renes Ali). After business until 2005, moved to its current location.

Upon relocation, he worked to create an atmosphere that is easy for women to enter, and increased the number of menus other than coffee (500 yen). We also introduced a sweets menu (from 400 yen) and a one-plate lunch (700 yen). “Coffee alone made it difficult for the younger generation to accept it, and although we had an extremely large number of menus, we have now reduced it considerably,” Ishii said. "About five years ago, I started self-roasting. At the beginning of the store, I put in a siphon, started paper drip, and now Nell drip."

Mr. Ishii said, "I did it seriously," about the secrets that continued for 40 years. "I don't want to do the same as everyone because I don't have the ability to live in a group. I believe that I can do what people do, and I did everything myself without fear of failure. I don't think failure is failure in the first place."

“I will quit whenever I am not accepted by the younger generation,” says Ishii. "I would like to continue as long as there are customers who come for the coffee I made and who stop by when I return home," he said.

Business hours are from 10:30 to 17:00. Closed on Wednesdays.