“A place where not only local residents but also travelers can feel, for a brief moment, the peace of mind of returning homes”

The café ”iki ESPRESSO TOKYO” can be found 200m off of the main street. The scene of guests, relaxing in their own way, can be seen from weekday mornings. Although close to the station, it cannot really be said to be convenient. However, the owner TERU Harase, on seeing the site, felt “this location would allow us to be entrenched in the local community”. It has now become a place where the local people can really take a load off and catch their breath.

Teru first encountered the café culture in Auckland, New Zealand. After graduating from university, he went to New Zealand with the aim of playing rugby. He went through a difficult period in the beginning with his club team due to the language barrier. Gradually, though, he became able to communicate his views with his team mates, and soon was able to enjoy rugby to his heart’s content, even having the opportunity to play with All Blacks players.

Things changed at the age of 29 when he started to become aware of his impending retirement. When wondering “What shall I do for a living after this?”, he decided he wanted to run a café, which had always been a part of his life in Auckland, and wished to introduce this café culture to Japan. A café was a place where married couples could eat together early in the morning, somewhere you could come back to on your own in the evening, and a place to talk with friends.

It has been approximately two years since he opened iki ESPRESSO TOKYO. He now spends his days surrounded by his staff, who he calls his “friends”. While what he had envisioned is now becoming a reality, the number of things he wants to realize, from new store plans to a farm to provide the café with fresh vegetables, also increases. Smiling brightly as he relates that “he wants to meet more friends who can share this ambition”, the dreams of TERU Harase continue to be born from this place.