Discover a different shop every day! 716cafe (Nanairo Cafe) in Yamatocho, Nakano Ward, Tokyo

What is 716cafe?

We spoke to the owner, who said, "We opened as a cafe and bar in 2015. The '7' in 716cafe stands for the seven days of the week and the seven colors of the rainbow. With the concept of 'changing colors every day' and 'creating a different space every time', we started a daily cafe project in 2020."

716cafe's Special Features

The warm lighting and the warmth of the wood create a cozy space. Your mood will change depending on where you sit.

There are counter seats, tables for two and four people, and cute raised seating, so you can relax even with your children.

The owner was also holding his newborn Shih Tzu, Denki, and depending on the store you can bring your pet dog in.

Wednesday's Shop Introduction "Maru Cafe"

The longest-running shop at 716cafe is the Wednesday "Maru Cafe." We spoke with the owner, Sahoko Fukuhara, and her mother, Yukie Ichikawa, who is in charge of cooking.

What is the owner Fukuhara's main job?

The shop also sells merchandise created by Fukuhara, who is an illustrator by trade, including postcards, accessories, bibs and other practical and cute items.

The story behind the opening of Maru Cafe

(Owner Fukuhara (left) and chef Ichikawa (right))

The opportunity to open the restaurant came when Ichikawa and her husband had been running a Japanese restaurant for nearly 40 years, but it had to close due to deterioration. Fukuhara wondered how to preserve the flavors of her parents' cooking, and came up with the idea of opening a shared cafe rather than a permanent store, which she proposed to her parents. They started operating once or twice a month in June 2021, and are now open every Wednesday.

Lunch menu on the day of the interview

The main dish for the day was fried tuna. The side dishes were a colorful dish of handmade peanut tofu topped with shrimp and broad beans, soy pulp, rolled omelette, and kinpira burdock. You can also choose to have a rice ball set with miso soup or a rice set.

You'll be convinced of how delicious it is!

(Plum soda)

The main cook is Ichikawa's husband, a Japanese chef, so the quality of the food is as you would expect. He plans the menu every week, aiming to provide healthy food using seasonal ingredients.

The future of Maru Cafe

(Point card that earns stamps for every 500 yen spent)

"Many people may want to use the shared cafe as a foothold to open a brick-and-mortar store, but we're happy to continue operating one day a week," says Fukuhara. Ichikawa also says, "I'm worried about the physical demands of operating every day, but one day a week allows us to set up a weekly rhythm, so we want to continue at the current pace." I see! It really makes me realize that everyone has different thoughts. This is truly diversity and inclusion.

The future of 716cafe

(A seat for two where you can have a quiet conversation, lit by a lovely lamp)

Finally, when we asked the owner of 716cafe what kind of cafe he would like to develop, he replied, "Keep it as it is." He said, "The cafe and its regular customers have been established on each day of the week, so I would like to continue this trend."

716cafe is a wonderful place where you can find a different shop every day. Please drop by. See you!

716cafe

Location: 3-21-1 Yamatocho, Nakano-ku

access

・20 minutes walk from Toritsu-Kasei Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line

・9 minutes walk from the north exit of Koenji Station on the JR Chuo Line

・From the north exit of JR Chuo Line "Nakano Station", take the Kanto Bus [A45] bound for Asagaya Station, get off at "Yamatocho 3-chome", then walk for 3 minutes

Opening hours: Varies by store, please check website

Closed: Irregular holidays

Maru Cafe

Opening days: Wednesday

Business hours: 10:30 to 15:30