In a living space that values good old things, the owner himself works the farm and grows the crops.
Using organic wheat and rice, the company proposes safe, high-quality food for the body,
Cafe + antiques KOKOPELLI", an antique old private house cafe

European-style old house café in harmony with nature

It is located about 20 minutes by car from Kumamoto Castle in the center of Kumamoto City, in the direction of Mount Kinpusan to the west, near ”Honmyoji Park” where a statue of Kiyomasa Kato was built, and ”Reigando-do”, known for the "Book of Five Rings" by Musashi Miyamoto (see details at the end of this report). The café "cafe+antiques KOKOPELLI" is located near "Honmyouji Park" where a statue of Kiyomasa Kato was built and "Reigando-do" known for the "Book of Five Rings" of Musashi Miyamoto (see the last part of the report for more details).
With the theme of "a space that is kind to the heart," the café not only values good old things and healthy food and practices them in its own life, but also proposes such a daily way of life itself through the café.
The owner, Seimi Hashimoto, started the business in 1999 in the center of Kumamoto City with only a café menu of baked sweets, cakes, and drinks, with the desire to "create a café where people can spend time for themselves and relax. She later moved to the current location in 2013 in search of a "lifestyle in harmony with nature" while working in agriculture. The interior, with its massive pillars and beams, is decorated with antiques collected in Europe and furniture purchased in the U.K., creating a relaxing space.

The café menu features organic rice and wheat grown on the owner's own "Kokopelli Farm" as staples, a healthy and safe lunch using plenty of home-grown vegetables, fresh local fruit, and baked goods filled with carefully selected ingredients. The restaurant offers a relaxing and healing experience for both body and soul, enveloped in a creative space created by the clean air of nature and the history of the area. Furthermore, the antique goods on display and the vintage goods in the showcase are also for sale, making it an attractive place not only for shopping, but also for just looking around.

 

On the way to the store from Kumamoto City, we went on a tour of Kumamoto's historical sites!

(Kumamoto Castle→Kiyomasa Kato statue→Miyamoto Musashi and Reigen-do Cave→Kokopelli!)

The route from the center of Kumamoto City to "cafe+antiques KOKOPELLI" is dotted with spots associated with famous historical figures, so why not take a trip down memory lane and think about the history of Kumamoto?

First of all, you will see "Kumamoto Castle" in the center of Kumamoto City, and it will be easy to find your way from there. Take Prefectural Route 1, which runs right by Kumamoto Castle, to "Honmyoji Park".

A short detour to "Honmyoji Park," where there is a statue of Kiyomasa Kato.

In Honmyoji Park, there is a statue of Kiyomasa Kato, the first lord of the Kumamoto domain, and from the hill on which the stone statue stands, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Kumamoto City.

After passing Honmyoji Park, you will be on a mountain road all the way. Anyway, please follow Prefectural Road No. 1 toward "Reigando Cave!

The "Touge no Chaya Park" is located on the way. After this, the road continues downhill.

Anyway, we are going to "Lingan-dong".

There is an information sign at the end of the ▲ slope (top left of the image). Go straight through the intersection. Here you will change from Prefectural Route 1 to Prefectural Route 101. (upper right in the image).

Continue in the direction of "Iwato no Sato Koen" and "Reigon-do Five Hundred Arhats".

▲On the way, there is a spectacular view of the vast terraced fields!

Statue of Musashi Miyamoto at Iwato no Sato. Miyamoto Musashi was a swordsman and military strategist who created the Niten Ichiryu method of wielding two swords. At the same time, he was an artist who left behind numerous ink and wash paintings and artifacts that have become national important cultural properties.

A sign for "Kokopelli" was found right next to the entrance of Iwato no Sato Park! ↓↓↓

▲ Continue down to a slightly narrower path.

Turn right at the T-junction. The signboard is a landmark!

Go down the left side of the stone pillar of Ungan-zenji Temple of the Soto sect, which enshrines Reigando-do. Kokopelli" is located right in front of the entrance of Reigando-do at the end of this slope.

The parking lot is located at the bottom of the hill. Please park in order from the back of the lot as far as possible.

▲At the end of the street is just a parking lot, from which you can go left to Kokopelli and right to "Reigando-do". For your information, detailed information on "Reigando-do" is provided in the last part of the report.

*Please see the end of the report for information on Reigon-dong.

 

Around the store Lots of animals Kokopelli Farm

 

Small animals by the side of the road are also friends of the kokopelli! Birds play a major role in keeping the rice paddies healthy by eating insects when growing rice and wheat. When you take a walk, a goat will peek out at you♪ (upper right image)

The two-story house in the center of the image is Kokopelli. On the way there, they were also selling sweet and tasty "Kinpu Mikan" oranges from Kumamoto Prefecture!

The entrance is located a short distance up a gentle slope.

 

Store Appearance

At the entrance of the store is a handmade sign made of gently textured wood planks, which provides very clear directions.

The lawned garden on the other side of the sign, the antique brick staircase, the stone wall more than 130 years old, and the old house that the owner and his wife have restored blend into the grand nature of the surrounding mountains and terraced fields that stretch far into the distance. An impressive pathway leads through the large garden to the entrance.

The garden is equipped with terrace seating and children's play equipment, allowing you to relax and enjoy your time with your children.

 

Store Interior

As you enter the store, a large, massive shoe box, built to size, catches your eye. Please take off your footwear here to enter the store!

Right next to it was a long corridor painted white along the wall, shining brightly in the sun.

▲Open rack located right in front of the entrance of the front door. Antique goods, lamps and other interior items are sold here.

▲A further down the hallway is the powder room and restroom. This room is also entirely handmade! Antique stained glass stands out in the clean space surrounded by pure white walls.

 ▲Desk in the powder room (left). The antique clock and chair are stylish!
Furniture such as stools and desks are also available for sale, so those wishing to purchase larger items may want to consult with the owner in advance.

 The thick columns and beams and well-worn floors shine in the light streaming in through the large windows. In fact, when the owner first saw this building, it was in a weathered condition.
The hands and thoughts of people can breathe life into a house!" In order to make many people feel this sentiment, Kokopelli is not only developing café stores, but also offering advice on remodeling that proposes "revitalization.

The weight of time and the texture of a building with a long history cannot be expressed no matter how convenient the times become. That is why I am naturally attracted to the ”power” of good old things," says owner Hashimoto. The tables, stools, and sundries in the store are all antiques and vintage items purchased directly from Europe, mainly England. Just by sitting at one of the table sets, you can experience the tasteful space created by "time" that you cannot get in everyday life.

 The antiques lined up in a cramped space include kitchen goods such as dishes, cutlery and small pots, stationery goods such as pens and playing cards, accessories and vintage cameras, etc. All kinds of genres are available in a reasonable range from several hundred yen to several tens of thousands of yen, and even the smallest goods have an "aura Even the smallest of goods are clad in the unique "aura" of antiques.
There was also a corner for consignment sales of accessories and sundry goods in hopes of supporting local artists.

 

Introduction of recommended gourmet menus☆.

Tapas plate with naan, olive marinade and salad

Single item 1,300 yen
Set A (with drink and today's petit cake) 1,600 yen
B set (with drink and choice of cake from showcase) 1,700 yen

Tapas" are Spanish small plates. This restaurant offers a popular menu that combines a variety of these small dishes into a single large plate set.
On this day, the set included squid landed in the Ariake Sea in Kumamoto, high-quality and large shrimp, home-grown vegetables, vegetables and mushrooms from Kumamoto and Kyushu, and other Spanish dishes grilled over an open fire in an earthenware pot-like grill, finished with olive oil, marinated vegetables, soup, and salad.

 The homemade naan (top left) is baked to order! The aroma of the flour is fluffy and rich. We recommend dipping it in the olive oil sauce, which contains the umami of seafood and vegetables!
The café au lait (top right) is made with Oguni Jersey milk, which has a rich flavor. The ceramic cups are made by Touka Kobo in Amakusa, which the owner was attracted by the texture of the clay. It is exciting not only to see the food, but also the pottery dishes carefully selected to match the kokopelli☆.

Other arrangements can be made for vegetarians and allergy sufferers, so please consult with us in advance.

 

Other Menu

lunch

(A set includes a drink and a small cake of the day, and B set includes a drink and a cake from the showcase)

Brown rice cream risotto with bacon and komatsuna (with salad)
Single item 1,100 yen / A set 1,400 yen / B set 1,600 yen

　Nutritious risotto made with fresh Kumamoto vegetable broth, two kinds of bacon, komatsuna, cream and cheese.

Asian plate of stewed pork with soup, rice and salad
Single item 1,200 yen / Set A 1,500 yen / Set B 1,700 yen

　A soft, original kakuni stew with a rich aromatic Asian taste, flavored with a spice called anise (octagonal horn).

Drink Menu

Oguni Jersey milk is used.

HotDrink

Organic coffee 450 yen
Hazelnut coffee 450 yen
Cappuccino 500 yen
Yorkshire Gold Tea: 450 yen
Earl Grey black tea 450 yen
Milk tea 500 yen

□ColdDrink

Iced coffee 500 yen
Iced cafe au lait 500 yen
Earl Grey Black Tea Iced Tea: 500 yen
Iced milk tea 500 yen
Raspberry iced tea: 500 yen
Apple juice 500 yen
Tropical fruit juice 500 yen

 

Cake take-out

 Baked sweets and cakes” are the ”starting point” of Kokopelli. The owner uses Takachiho butter, milk, seasonal fruits, dried nuts, and other ingredients that he sources from his favorite supplier because he believes they are ”on the same wavelength. Many repeat customers have been coming to the bakery since it first opened.

↓ from the front, left turn ↓.
New York Cheesecake 380 yen
Cheroot Tart 350 yen
Opera 400 yen
Banana Cheesecake 350 yen
Raspberry gateau chocolat 380 yen
Pear tart 350 yen, etc.

In addition to ▲ cake, there is a wide variety of lovely original sweets such as cranberry/walnut brownies (500 yen), baked sweets using wasanbon and rice flour, and dried fruit cakes!

 In addition to antique goods, the store sells organic rice and wheat grown at Kokopelli Farm without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, as well as the owner's favorite English tea, hazelnut coffee, and English sweets. Natural materials are also used in the packaging, making the products popular as souvenirs and gifts.

Kokopelli Farm is operated by young people interested in farming and those who wish to be in contact with nature, in cooperation with the owner and his wife. If you are interested, why not contact them☆.

Kokopelli rice: 5 kg (3,500 yen), 3 kg (2,400 yen), 450 g (3 cups) (500 yen)
Kokopelli Petit Petit Petit Barley 500 yen

 

Interview with Seimi Hashimoto, Owner

When your body and mind feel good, your energy naturally fills up and before you know it, your body and mind are healed. I would like to continue my efforts to propose good old-fashioned products, safe food for the body, and a space that is kind to the soul, so that people can feel such a good feeling.

Q: When did you open?

In 1999, I opened a store in Tsuboi-cho near the center of Kumamoto City.

Q: What made you decide to open the restaurant?

I love to travel and have visited many countries around the world in my spare time. I went to many places, from urban areas to country towns rich in nature, and in every region there was a culture of comfortable ”cafes” where people could relax and forget about the time, or enjoy their time alone with a magazine. There were many coffee shops in Kumamoto as well, but at that time, there were not many cafes where people could spend their time by themselves. That is why I wanted a café where people could spend the comfortable time I envisioned, so I opened this café.

Q: Was your style then the same as it is today?

Yes, I did. Originally, I was interested in antiques and old things, so I found an old building and renovated it myself, sought out antique goods locally every time I traveled, and displayed my collection that I had been steadily collecting. We didn't have as many seats as we do now, but I think the concept gradually caught on and customers began to feel comfortable and at ease spending time there."

Q: What kind of development did you do at that store?

At first, the café was just baked goods and drinks, which was my specialty. I was planning to start slowly, but after I was introduced on a local TV program, the number of customers suddenly started to increase, and instead of taking it easy, I became so busy that I couldn't afford to take it easy. ...... However, I was grateful for these good encounters and tried my best to cherish the happy relationships I had with them. In the meantime, I began to receive requests to sell the sundries I displayed and to serve lunch, but since people came to Kokopelli to ask for them, I was determined to be particular about it, and increased the number of antique sundries, carefully selected ingredients for the lunch menu, and so on. Please visit ....... But, although it is good to be particular, we are a laid-back shop, so I think we are where we are today because our customers understand us and have been with us for a long time. I am truly grateful for that (laughs)."

Q: What is the origin of the store name "Kokopelli"?

I couldn't come up with a good name until a week before the opening, no matter how hard I tried to think of one. That's why I couldn't even make a signboard or a billboard (laughs). (Laughs.) But it is an important name that will remain with us for a long time, so I wanted to go with something that would satisfy my ”gut feeling. At that time, I opened a book on mythology that I was casually attracted to at a bookstore and found ”Kokopelli" written there. I was intuitively drawn to it."

Q: What does "Kokopelli" mean?

I immediately looked up ”Kokopelli,” one of the spirits of the Native Americans, who is said to bring life to the earth when he plays his flute and travels around sprinkling happiness. I also found out through research that the reddish-brown lands of the Native Americans are said to be "sacred lands," which linked me to the mysterious landscapes I had repeatedly dreamed of since I was a child. Unrealistic, perhaps (laughs). I chose this store name because I was happy with the feeling I had when I was drawn to it by inspiration.

Q: Did you have any concerns about relocating a popular restaurant from the city center to a location far from the city center?

I wanted to open a café because I wanted to create a space where people could relax and take it easy, whether in a big city or in the countryside, and this concept would not change. So I had no worries. I came across this old house by chance when I was looking for an old building to be my home, and I came across this place. It was in an incredibly weathered state, so it took over two years to revitalize it, and during that time it was covered with plastic sheets the entire time. After this building finally took shape, we developed it in a parallel fashion on a trial basis, opening the old store and this store only on weekends."

The tour participants showed us an album that describes the long road to the revitalization of the original building!

 

Q: I understand that the first restaurant you opened was involved in a fire?

That's right. ....... Just then, at a truly tremendous time, I was involved in a fire that made my former store impossible to operate. ...... In that fire, I lost not only the store, furniture, and other tangible things, but also a lot of my thoughts and energy, and I almost gave up on restarting the business. ...... However, as I gazed at the old house, receiving words of encouragement from the staff and customers who had been with me since the establishment of the business, somehow I gradually felt more and more empowered, and at some point I thought about completely relocating, and from there I made the decision to start in earnest toward revitalization.

 Q: What are your goals for the future?

We are still committed to improving the space to make it more comfortable for the staff who have supported us since our establishment and for the customers who support us," he said. In the future, on the hardware side, we will continue to revitalize rooms that are still untouched to create more relaxing spaces, and on the software side, we will work to get our unique farm interwoven with nature and animals back on track, such as helping emotionally traumatized people regain their identity through farm work. For example, we would be happy if we could help people who are emotionally traumatized regain their sense of self through farm work, or help people who are not good at interacting with other people to become more positive by facing the great outdoors.

Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to respond to our request!

 

Reigando Cave

Reigando-do” is located near cafe+antiques KOKOPELLI and is famous as the place where Musashi Miyamoto wrote ”The Book of Five Rings". Since it is called "Musashi of Winning Luck," it attracts many worshippers every day and has become a popular sightseeing spot in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Ungan Zenji Temple, Soto Zen sect

Address: 589 Matsuo Hirayama, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto City
Phone: 096-329-8854/FAX: 096-329-8960
Hours: 8:00-17:00
Admission: Adults 200 yen / Children 100 yen

 The stone steps leading to Ungan Seonji Temple have been preserved as they were when the temple was built about 700 years ago. At the entrance of Reigando-do Cave, there are good luck charms for winning, including "The Book of Five Rings," and valuable cultural assets related to Musashi Miyamoto are on display on the path of worship.

▲The Five Hundred Arhats were dedicated over 24 years starting in 1779, 150 years after the Musashi Period. Many of the heads have fallen off or decayed due to the effects of earthquakes at Mount Kinpusan, an active volcano, and we witness an unimaginable history.

Looking up at the ceiling, there remains the inscription "Lingyan-dong," which is said to have been carved by Toryo Eiyo, the original Zen monk who came to Japan from Ningbo, China, during the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (1336-1392).

 This image is seen from right in front of the place where Musashi Miyamoto himself sat. From the hill, you can see the whole city beyond the trees.

 

Access

cafe antiques KOKOPELLI

Address: 592 Hirayama, Matsuo-cho, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Phone: 096-245-8187
Business hours: 11:00-17:00
Closed: No regular holidays
URL:http://www.cafe-kokopelli.com/

 

MAP

592 Hirayama, Matsuo-cho, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto 861-5282

 

Interview and editorial staff

Model Report: Nozomi Nakamoto
Photography and production: VOKE Ltd.