27. Deep Asakusa, Midnight Coffee Shop

Asakusa is a world-renowned tourist attraction. North of Sensoji Temple, in the deep “back Asakusa” area that does not appear in guidebooks, there is a coffee shop that has been in business for over 40 years. Its specialty is Neapolitan. The store opens at 9:00 a.m. and stays open until 5:00 a.m. The store is full of locals, including Asakusa entertainers who live nearby, former innkeepers, and rickshaw drivers. At midnight, the store is rented out to cab drivers who take a break.... This is a story of Edo nikko (people of Edo) whose true feelings are exchanged without any pretense of decoration.