Yufuin, my favorite
spot(No.1) tea room "Kotokoto-ya"
March 1, 1996
Yufuin, my favorite
spot(No.1) tea room "Kotokoto-ya"March 1, 1996
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Mt. Yufu is shining white in the deep blue sky dressed with crystallized
mist.
Yufuin is at the coldest on such days. But a stream, the origin of Oita river, gathers hot springs water and runs through the town, releasing steam here and there. Yes, Yufuin is a town of hot springs. |
| Brushing both hands against each other, I walk down a river side trail
to one of my favorite spots --"Kotokoto-ya." When opening a creaking
wooden door with a handmade glass window, the aroma of coffee drifts out
as warm air brushing my frozen cheek. My snug reserved seat is in the right
end of the counter.
Misako-san, one of my intimate friends in Yufuin, pops up her head over the counter to welcome me. "Hello, Misako, nice to see you again" I smile back. "Today, I'll take the usual coffee and oh, yes, wild strawberry ice cream, please" |
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One day in last early summer, when I browsed by alone, the pub kitchen
was occupied by countless bamboo colanders full of crimson wild strawberries.
An open door released sour sweet aroma abundantly just like today.
Misako-san, along with a female helper, was repeatedly cleansing strawberries with rushing water. In a big pot nearby, strawberry jam was simmering and bubbling. So, the pub was named ｡ﾉKotokoto-ya｡ﾉ-like the sound of a simmering pot. "Half of the fresh berries picked in the morning was directly brought here to make jam, and the other half was reserved in a refrigerator." Misako pleasantly said and smiled. |
| I taste ice cream made of the very strawberry. It brings the burst
of an early summer day into my mouth. The taste of coffee in a Limoges
cup warms me up. I look around the room.
Big wooden beams supporting the ceiling, wooden floor polished up by shoe bottoms, a big table and oval-and-round-shaped antique chairs are arranged spaciously. In twos and threes, people in their cozy corners make themselves at home. As if I were here yesterday and the day before yesterday, I ask for another cup of coffee from a copper server. |
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