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 Tôrai (from above)
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A stylish coffee shop and crafts gallery in the Nakura section of Fujino, Tôrai can be found near Akiyamagawa Camp Ground and just inside the entrance to Fujino's Art Road. The characters making up the name Tôrai are normally read enrai and mean a "visitor from afar." The owner Ishikawa Ayako, however, apparently decided to choose a non-standard reading for the name of her shop. It still literally means "far-come," and with a differing Chinese character tôrai can also be a homonym for "arrival." A resident of Hachiôji, Ishikawa says she had wanted to manage a coffee shop since her teens, and her dream finally "arrived" in 1997 when she found this unique hexagonally shaped log house for sale. She now commutes daily from Hachiôji to operate the shop except on regular holidays (Tuesday and Wednesday) and when heavy rains close the road over the pass. Set in a pleasant spot overlooking the river Akiyamagawa, Tôrai makes the ideal respite for a quiet afternoon. To maintain the subdued atmosphere, Ishikawa asks that parents not bring small children. In addition to deeply flavored hand-brewed coffees and teas, Ishikawa serves large portions of her own hand-baked cakes on antique china and stoneware. Her specialties include orange cake, cheesecake, banana chiffon, and a walnut cake, though availability differs depending on the day. The second floor gallery displays handicrafts.
Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Parking is available for two or three cars in front of Tôrai, but directions are a bit difficult, since it is located in the middle of a warren of small paths below the main road. It may be easiest to park at the hairpin curve before entering "Art Road," then walk from there.
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Green Gables: A Contemplative Companion to Fujino Townshipby Norman Havens nhavens@gol.com
URL: http://www2.gol.com/users/nhavens/
