Hello, and welcome — or welcome back. I'm the owner of 19HITOYASUMI COFFEE. I'm delighted to share that we have opened our newest location, 19HITOYASUMI Toyama Sogawa, at Youtown Sogawa, 3-1 Sogawa, Toyama City. We held a pre-opening on Saturday, April 25th, 2025, with our grand opening on Tuesday, May 6th. As our team is still growing and refining its craft, we've chosen to begin quietly — no social media campaigns, no press launches — focusing entirely on being present for the people who find us and walk through our door.

In this post, I'd like to share honestly what brought us here, and what we hope to build in this city.

Twenty Years in the West of Toyama.

Our story begins in Takaoka, in the western reaches of Toyama Prefecture. What started as a neighborhood dining spot gradually evolved, over the past two decades, into something more focused: a home for specialty coffee and handcrafted sweets. We learned to roast our own beans, to taste each lot carefully, to let quality speak for itself.

During those years, we made a deliberate choice to stay in the west — in Takaoka, Nanto, and Tonami — and build real roots there. The eastern and western parts of Toyama Prefecture have subtly different histories, cultures, and sensibilities. We wanted to earn our place in the west before venturing further. That patience, I believe, is what made us ready for this moment.

Why Toyama City? Why Now?

In March 2024, the Hokuriku Shinkansen extended its reach to Tsuruga, connecting the region more seamlessly to the rest of Japan. For me, this wasn't simply a transportation upgrade — it signaled a shift in how Toyama is understood by the wider world.

Then, in January 2025, The New York Times named Toyama City the 30th best place to visit in the world for 2025. The city I've lived near my entire life — praised by one of the world's most respected publications for its culture, its food, its quiet beauty. I thought: if the world is coming to Toyama, there should be a place waiting for them that truly reflects what this region is.

Sogawa was the natural choice. A few minutes' walk from the Toyama Glass Art Museum (TOYAMA Kirari, designed by Kengo Kuma). Close to Toyama Castle Ruins Park. Tram-accessible to the beautiful Fugan Canal Kansui Park, often called home to "the world's most beautiful Starbucks." Sogawa is where Toyama breathes — old and new, local and global, daily life and cultural discovery, all within a short walk.

What "Glocal" Means to Us.

"Glocal" — a blend of global and local — has become something of a buzzword. But for us, it describes something we genuinely believe in. Toyama is welcoming more international visitors than ever: travelers from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe, and North America, drawn by the Northern Alps, the bay, the craft traditions, the food. What these visitors want — what any thoughtful traveler wants — is not a chain experience. It's a cup of coffee that tastes like somewhere. That tells a small, honest story about the place they've come to.

At the same time, we never want to be a "tourist café." The people who live and work in Toyama City — who need a reliable, genuinely good cup before work, or a quiet moment on a weekend afternoon — they matter just as much to us. Perhaps more.

Our Coffee, Our Menu.

At Sogawa, we're proud to offer our house-roasted specialty coffee in several forms. The menu reflects both our craft and our desire to be accessible — something for every mood and every moment.

Our standout offering is Tap Coffee — specialty coffee served directly from taps, kept at its peak and poured ice-cold. Four varieties are available: our balanced House Blend, the fuller-bodied Hitoyasumi Blend, the bright and fruited Ethiopia Konga Natural, and the adventurous Colombia Infused Coconut Lemonade. It's a format still rare in Toyama, and one we're excited to introduce.

We also offer four Drip Coffees brewed carefully by hand (all hot), espresso-based drinks including our Caffè Latte (hot or iced), a Matcha Menu featuring premium-grade matcha lattes and a beautiful Strawberry Matcha Latte, and refreshing options like Coffee Soda, Orange Sunrise, Lemon Squash, and our sweetened Coffee Milk using house-roasted beans. Drink sizes are HOT 8oz / ICE 14oz, and prices range from ¥500 to ¥950.

We are still a young team at this location, still growing. We won't pretend otherwise. But our commitment to each cup — to sourcing carefully, roasting attentively, and serving with sincerity — is unwavering. We hope you'll give us the chance to earn your trust, one visit at a time.

A Final Word.

Toyama is a genuinely extraordinary place. Snowmelt from the Northern Alps feeds rivers of remarkable clarity. The bay offers white shrimp and firefly squid found almost nowhere else. Five hundred years of pharmaceutical culture, a thousand years of craft in copper and lacquer, UNESCO-listed farmhouses deep in the mountains. The richness here is real, and often quietly underestimated — even by those who live here.

We want to be a small part of this place. A stop on a walking route from the glass museum. A warm moment before a tram ride. A familiar corner for people who call Sogawa their neighborhood. If you're passing through Toyama — or if Toyama is home — we'd love to make you a coffee.

We look forward to meeting you.

— The Owner, 19HITOYASUMI COFFEE