- English (United States)
- Japanese
Yamanoguchi shopping arcade in Sakai city has a long history and used to be very popular like Namba area. There is a café which deals in paper products in the arcade, called Kami Café. Just in case you were wondering, Kami means paper in Japanese. The café has been quite busy since it opened 2 and a half years ago and their cute paper products and original business cards are very attractive.
Kami Café in the Yamanoguchi shopping arcade
Discover how great Sakai is
Mrs. Matsunaga, the owner, is originally from Sakai and has two children. Her older sister has established a web site about local info in Sakai, which is called “Tour de Sakai,” and she has been working there as a writer as well.
Before she opened her café, she interviewed many people and thought there were a lot of people who were doing big things in Sakai. “Once I’d realized that fact, I wanted to introduce them to as many people as possible,” she said. She also thought that it was her mission and her duty to do so.
Mrs. Matsunaga, the owner of Kami Café
Unique menu items
She sells coffee from “Jet Coffee” in Sakai and the coffee shop roasts their beans in a roaster made from an original Japanese steel used in sword blades called “Tamahagane.” The coffee at Kami Cafe is served in a special bowl; that is used for Japanese tea ceremony, and comes with sweet fermented soybeans, that are made in the Hosen Japanese confectionery shop.
The coffee is served in a special bowl and the Kami parfaitis is served in a paper bowl
One of their popular menu items is the Kami parfait (kind of sundae). It has two different flavors, coffee or green tea, and is served in a paper bowl. Coffee jelly made in Mikiya Coffee shop is added to the coffee flavor one, and soybean jam made in the Hosen Japanese confectionery shop, is added to the other. Both the Mikiya Coffee shop and the Hosen Japanese confectionery shops are based in Sakai, so Mrs. Matsunaga really feels good about using their products.loves products in Sakai. I had a green tea parfait and I thought the paper bowl was great since it wasn’t cold on my hand.
Introducing Sakai to many people
Paper products are really special to her since her mother is the owner of a printing company. She was thinking that she should open a café and sell paper products because she had lots of experience in the restaurant business too. Most of the paper products she sells at her café have a connection to Sakai in some way, like patterns or designs. Popular products like stamps, tape and stationery remind us of the city of Sakai. I felt like writing a letter to someone using the products. People now mainly contact each other by email and text message, but there is nothing like a hand written letter for family and friends.
Mrs. Matsunaga passionately told us that she wanted tourists as well as locals to come into her café and she also wanted to introduce these people to a variety of great products from Sakai.
She has developed “Sakai Patterns” which is various patterns on paper products related to Sakai, such as the old lighthouse and the keyhole tumulus.
Original business cards can be made by order as well. She always asks the customers about their preferences for the business cards regarding colors, design, etc. She feels happy if a customer is satisfied with the business cards that she produces.
She wants people to love their business cards because it is the first thing we give when we meet people on business, and she also thinks that a business card can express who you are.
What is more, she is happy if customers want to order their own original paper products.
Revitalization the local area
One of Kami Café’s missions is to revitalize the local area. There is a group called the Yume club, in which 170 shops and companies are registered, and the group has been trying to enliven Sakai city. Kami Café is in the group and helps to boost up the local area.She said she wanted to introduce the greatness of Sakai city to the world through her products.
