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2023.10.8
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Inside Used Book & Reading Cafe Dairikimochi

Photo taken at the time of establishment in 1966

The owner of "Used Book & Reading Cafe Dairikimochi" near Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine in Fukakusa, Kyoto tells us the story behind its opening! Why did he revive his parents' diner as a book café?

September 1, 2023 open

 Dairiki Shokudo was established in this area in 1966 and operated for about 50 years. Kentaro Ogawa, who grew up watching his parents running the restaurant, has revived it as a new restaurant.

Mr. Ogawa, owner of the used book and reading café Dairiki Mochi

My parents' restaurant was a blast anyway, filling the stomachs of students at a nearby university. With Corona as an opportunity to have more time on my hands, I decided to take over and reopen the restaurant, which had been closed for about five years," he said.
The menu at the new restaurant is themed around coffee and anko (bean paste), fermented foods and dashi (Japanese soup stock). For meals, the restaurant recommends the one-soup, one-vegetable set meal, which features nuka-zuke pickles that can be tasted like a salad.

Secondhand Book & Reading Cafe: A One-Soup Set Meal at Dairiki Mochi

All the nukazuke pickles of the one-soup, one-vegetable set meal for 1,000 yen. Unusual pickles such as fig, avocado, tofu, and konjak are also available. Rice is grown by Roku Saito in Miyama, Kyoto.

The flavor of his parents' mochi has been passed down to him, and the yomogi mochi, which used to be the most popular, is still available here. The fresh mugwort and homemade red bean paste are used to recreate his father's yomogi mochi.

Used Book & Reading Cafe Dairiki Mochi Mugwort Cake

Sweets with anko (red bean paste), photo shows two packs of yomogi rice cakes, 400 yen (sales ended on October 3, to be resumed next spring); from October, two packs of two-color o-hagi, 400 yen.

For beverages, the shop offers coffee blends from Fukakusa's Kiraku-do, specialty coffee from Miyama's Pupuku-do, Japanese black tea from Sumizome's Tsubakido Tea Shop, and sake from the nearby Nakamo Sake Shop. Introducing local and Kyoto "good things" is also an important concept of the store.

Secondhand book & reading cafe Great power rice cake one soup, one vegetable set meal rice flour cookies

Rice-flour cookies made by Ogawa's niece, mico, are also available for 150 yen. She is working on gluten-free sweets using quality ingredients such as cane sugar.

Inside Used Book & Reading Cafe Dairikimochi

I would like to work together with them to make my hometown more vibrant. Since I love to read, this is a book café where you can also enjoy books, and this store is filled with my ideals and thoughts. I would be happy if everyone could enjoy it as well.

Inside Used Book & Reading Cafe Dairikimochi

We look forward to watching the future of Ogawa's restaurant, which aims to convey the appeal of fermented foods and enliven the local community.

Exterior view of Used Book & Reading Cafe Dairiki Mochi

Kentaro Ogawa, owner (right). He returned to his hometown about 10 years ago after traveling around the country as a businessman. He has revived and restarted his restaurant, making use of the culinary skills he learned from his parents.

Used Book & Reading Cafe Dairikimochi

  • FURUHON & DOKUSHO CAFE Dai-Riki-Mochi
  • September 1, 2023 open
  • 6-293-2 Fukakusa Naojibashi, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
  • 5 min. walk from Fujimori Sta. of Keihan Co.
    12 minutes walk from JR Inari Station
  • Tel. 075-641-2878
  • 11:00-21:00 (LO/20:30)
  • Closed on Thursdays, Sundays, and public holidays
  • All seats non-smoking No private room No parking
  • https://www.instagram.com/bookcafe_dairiki_mochi/
  • 5 bicycle parking spaces

    PHOTO/Taka Natsumi, TEXT/Eiko Itakura
*Please note that the information contained herein is subject to change without notice.
*Since this site uses automatic translation, the translation may differ from the original Japanese content.

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