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Night view Bar jazz Gourmet

On the west side of Kobe, I discovered the Sky Cafe where you can enjoy jazz, night views, drinks, and sweets!

The title is full of power words, but there is a café that offers the best of the best. And instead of Sannomiya or Motomachi, it's in Maiko, the 'west side of Kobe'!

The name of that shop is"Kanto Kotoro"。 The name sounds strange, but what kind of place is it?

[Table of Contents]

First, enjoy the breathtaking view of the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge

A 5-minute walk from JR Maiko Station. On the top floor (6th floor) of an apartment building right next to Hotel Maiko Villa, there is a café called 'Kanto Kotoro.'

This is the part framed in red.

When you get off the elevator, a large cloud appears above the door! It's already a fairy tale right from the entrance.

When the door was opened...... Wow, this feels like another world!! Moreover, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge is right in front of you.

I never thought there was such a scenic café near Maiko Station.

As the sun began to set, I ordered the restaurant's signature dish, 'Kanto Kotoro.' A non-alcoholic cocktail made with strawberry syrup, peach syrup, and Calpis, topped with cloud-like cotton candy.

The signature menu item, 'Kanto Kotoro.' It's the same color as the sky.

Kantokotoro means something like 'sky lake' in the Ainu language. Because it's located on the top floor of an apartment building, the concept of the shop was inspired by the sky and clouds.

Of course, you can enjoy the spectacular view of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, but the cloud-shaped interior and drinks create a cozy atmosphere that feels as if you've blended into a fantasy world.

Enjoy the night view while dining and enjoying the bar

As time passes, the atmosphere inside the shop instantly becomes more moody.

The lamp reflected on the glass window is beautiful.

The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge has begun to be illuminated. If you ask the staff at the shop, you can also go out onto the balcony.

Although I introduced it as a café, it's a place where you can really enjoy a good meal. This time, I had the mixed grill where you can enjoy hamburg steak, sautéed chicken, and two large sausages on a teppan plate. Other options include pasta, curry, and doria.

Mixed grill. Includes rice for 1,600 yen including tax

They have a wide variety of drinks and cocktails for you, so you can enjoy a bar as well. This is the shop's original non-alcoholic cocktail, 'Ocean.'

Ocean (750 yen including tax). Of course, alcohol can also be added

What's more, the abundance of sweets is a great plus.

Very Very French Toast, 1,050 yen including tax (Photo: Kanto Kotoro)

Open all day from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PMThe menu is the same all day except for the courses,

　・As a restaurant where you can eat properly,
　・As a bar (including ♪ a fast-paced bar)
　・As a café where you can enjoy sweets (also ♪ a night café)

It's a shop where you can use it in many ways.

Experience authentic jazz live performances at Maiko

And above all, the true essence of Kanto Kotoro is...... Hold authentic jazz live performances!

On February 23, jazz trumpetersMiki HiroseThere was a live performance by the Jazz Chamber Project, led by the Jazz Chamber Project.

Mr. Hirose is one of Japan's leading trumpeters, mainly active in Kobe. He also appeared as a performer in the jazz scene in the NHK morning drama series 'Come Come Everybody.'

This live show featured wind instruments as the main focus, with no piano or drums, which was unusual for jazz.

"I wanted to do something like chamber music with jazz," Hirose says. The band name Jazz Chamber Project means 'chamber' in music.

Because of this, although it is jazz, the music has a slightly classical style. After the event, some customers were overjoyed, saying, "What a wonderful arrangement!"

Many people seemed to visit Kanto Kotoro for the first time, with comments like "The view is amazing" and "The interior is cute."

At the Kanto Kotoro live show, you can enjoy not only drinks but also rice during the performance. It's a space where you can satisfy both your ears and your stomach.

Challenges from my 50s, 10th anniversary approaching

Sky, clouds, breathtaking scenery, jazz... Kanto Kotoro has many faces. It opened in 2016 and is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The shop is run by the owner, Kanna Nakamura, her husband Akihiro, and their son Kazuma.

From left: Akihiro Nakamura, Kanna, Kazuma

Kanna-san loved jazz and regularly attended live shows. As I get older, I become more of a supporter of the 'fun' I have received from musicians, live houses, and restaurants, and I want to give back to society.

Around the time her husband approached retirement and she began to think about a second life, she wanted to open a café where she could perform jazz live music, so she returned from Shizuoka, where she had lived for over 20 years, to her hometown of Kobe. I found my current property.

On the wall near the piano, there are illustrations of staff notation and musical notes.

Until then, Kanna-san had only been one of the jazz fans. Even if you set up a 'box' called a café, you hardly have any connections with musicians.

Through introductions from friends and live shows I attended as an audience member,"I'm running a shop—could you please appear on me?"Through direct negotiations and other communications, we gradually build connections with the musicians.

Nowadays, many musicians have come to love Kanto Kotro as a live house and appear on it repeatedly.

To all the performers this time. Trumpeter Hirose also appears about twice a year

And on the audience side, there are repeat customers who trust Kanna-san's aesthetic sense, saying, "If it's a musician invited by Kanto Kotoro,"

He also introduced a professional piano class called C5 at the request of his favorite jazz pianist, and attended bartending school .......

Kanna-san, who was in her 50s when she first opened,"Looking back myself, I still feel, 'Well done.'"He laughs. I was moved by their enthusiasm and spirit of challenge, and I gained courage to realize that age really doesn't matter.

The shop also has many picture books that Kanna loves

Upcoming jazz live schedule

This is the upcoming jazz live event scheduled at Kanto Kotro.

4/25(Sat) 18:00~

Mondieu is a rare gypsy jazz band in Japan. What is Gypsy jazz like? I'm really curious about it.

4/26 (Sun) 15:00~

Two consecutive days of live performances! This is a solo live performance by Saori Kobayashi, a pianist from Hyogo Prefecture.

5/23(Sat) 19:00~

"Sonorala" with vocals, piano, and clarinet. Clarinet player Takaki Suzuki also appeared at Hirose's live show in February.

7/11(Sat) 19:00~

Nao Takeuchi, tenor saxophone, clarinet, and flute player, and pianist Sachiko Ikuta. The two, who hit it off during their first session at Kanto Kotoro last year, are returning again this year.

For inquiries and applications, please check the official Kanto Kotro website in the Information section.

As a café, restaurant, bar, and jazz live house. Just as the sky changes color with the weather and time, Kanto Kotoro is a café that seems to show a different face every time you visit.

INFORMATIONInformation

Kantokotoro

https://kantokotoro.com/

[Writer Profile]
Hitomi Goraku
A writer from and living in Kobe. Active in economic media outlets such as NewsPicks.
Until March 2025, he served as a writer for Kobe City's official note.
I'm not a big drinker but enjoy the atmosphere of bars, and I've been hooked on bar hopping for years.
My dream is to live in a house with a veranda and a view of the sea.