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Starbucks in Aomori is hot topic right now because of its architecture

5 Comments
By Preston Phro, RocketNews24

After opening in April, a Starbucks location in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, has received quite a bit of attention online for its surprisingly beautiful architecture and design. Yes, we’re serious, the hot topic in Japan right now is this Starbucks location.

First, we should point out that this isn’t any normal Starbucks joint — it’s actually been built inside Kyu Daihachi Shidancho Kansha, what was once an official residence for a division commander. The building was originally built in 1917, though it was dismantled and reassembled in its current location in 1959.

Located next to Hirosaki Park, the Starbucks location and, indeed, the entire area, is overflowing with historicity and there are plenty of “Western-style” buildings that harken back the early days of Japan’s modernization. Put simply, it’s a great place to spend an afternoon, so if you’re sightseeing in Aomori, you might as well stop by.

In addition to the fashionable Starbucks location, it seems that the nearby park is offering a chance to “experience harvesting,” so this could be a good place to take the whole family.

Obviously, you’re probably not going to want to go all the way to Aomori just to drink some coffee in a fancy Starbucks location. But if you do find yourself in the area and you need some caffeine to wash down all the apples you’ve eaten, this is the place to go.

In case you’re not familiar with Hirosaki City, it used to be a “castle town” and has played a major role in the region since Hirosaki Castle was built in the 1600s. Their tourist information website also boasts of “clear seasonal differences” in Aomori, which is probably a fancy way of saying they get a lot of snow in the winter.

The city is also famous for its many historical buildings, which obviously include those in both Japanese and Western styles. If the Starbucks looks this good, just imagine how the rest of the city looks.

Aomori in general is known for its beautiful scenery, and Hirosaki is no different. With plenty of greenery and fresh air, we’re starting to think about stepping out to get some coffee…it’s just five hours from downtown Tokyo by train.

If you’re interested in learning more about the northern town, be sure to check out their tourist information website.

Location Information Hirosaki Koen-mae Address: 1-1 Kamishiroganecho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8207 Phone number: 0172-39-4051 Business hours: 07:00 ~ 21:00 Website

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5 Comments
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Great to see beautiful old buildings preserved and repurposed like this. Belatedly becoming more common in Japan in a very welcome development.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

One would expect Starbucks to offer something special considering the price of the coffee compared to the actual cost of about 5~10 yen/cup for the beans. For the same 300 yen (for a short coffee in Tokyo) I can buy 50 grams of high quality estate beans and at about 7 gm/cup, by European standards, this makes 7 cups of excellent coffee, not the low-grade wash they splash out at mostly mono-culture Starbucks cafes.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No matter how nice or historical the architecture, in the end it's still selling Starbucks burnt beans coffee.

I prefer freshly brewed 7-11 coffee to this swill they try to pass as coffee any day.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@genjuro "...Starbucks burnt beans coffee." Couldn't have said it better. I thought I was the only person in the country that hated Starbucks. Apparently not. I'm assuming there's a facebook group for us to join.. oh no wait, I don't have facebook....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

that is an innovative way to preserve an old building and make a Starbucks popular.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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