"Good service, a jolly owner and cute cats – this café is sure to heal you!"   I’m Ema Tanioku and today I’ll be introducing you to yet another café in Tokyo as the fourth edition of my series "The café that you want to visit to see someone". Today I’ll be reporting about my visit to Café Arles which can be found at Shinjuku-sanchome. Ever since hearing that there were cats at this café, I’ve been set on going 〜♪♪   The café is very easy to access. To get to there, you can take the Toei Shinjuku line to Shinjuku-sanchome. From here, you can get to the café within a five-minute walk. Walking around the Shinjuku Suehirote theatre, the café soon came into sight. Somehow, I could sense the presence of cats just from the atmosphere... There it was! The entrance to the café was decorated with many ornaments of cats and dogs. I don’ know why but I was filled with excitement before even having entered. As soon as I entered, I immediately spotted a cat. I was then greeted by the cat’s master who had a sweeping grin across his face and was wearing a hat with a cat broach. I could really feel his love for cats ♪♪ I took a sweeping glance over the café – cats, cats and more cats - there were so many cat-themed goods everywhere! Apart from cats goods, the master also collects clown goods and displayed everything all huddled together to decorate the café. Although this was my first time at Café Arles, I immediately felt right at home as a warm feeling grew within me. I asked the master what got him into the café business and I was surprised by his response. It all started when the master was working at a mahjong parlour, where a person they knew asked them to start up a café. The master then thought about the numerous paintings he had collected and how he was in search of a place to display them. The idea of choosing his own music, menu and decorating a café interior to his own taste really struck a chord with him. There are many paintings displayed in the café. Amongst these are some by modern artist Tomomi Kondo, who made the paintings “please your master” and “cool your thighs”, which feature the kaban neko (café cats) Ishimatsu and Jirocho, who are “working hard” by lazing around. Café Arles is fun and draws in even more fun. The atmosphere is filled with the love and enjoyment of the customers. That’s why I immediately felt so at home as soon as I entered. You can easily spend a long time here. I asked the master what he recommends from his menu. His response? “My recommendation is what you want to eat the most!” he said wisely. I felt like eating Napolitan spaghetti and so that is what I ordered! (Price: ￥720 including tax) It came with banana and giant corn ❤ – this excellent service made me so happy! The gentle flavour of this homemade dish was delicious and I could really taste the Showa-retro Napolitan flavour to it. The drink, soup and salad services available gives this meal a perfect score for portion size satisfaction! The master allowed me to take his café cat Jirocho-kun out for a walk. This was the first time I'd ever walked a cat – a new, fresh experience! Jirocho-kun is a very calm and obedient cat, so we had a lovely stroll together. Speaking of which, Jirocho-kun loves his owner so much that he runs to meet him whenever he hears his car pull up at the shop. This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the café. “I enjoyed every minute of it” explained the master happily. The master created a place where everyone can be happy and in return everyone supports him. Perhaps this cycle is the motivational force that has kept and will continue to push this café to live and thrive.   I’m glad I came to this café today and met such a special person. I want to come here again and have another chat with the master!          

In this sixth instalment to her café series, Ema Tanioku stopped by Angeles, a café in Asakusa with a history spanning over 70 years. Angeles is known for its history of famous frequenters including legendary manga artist Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy). This wonderful location is always bustling with customers and is known to be full even during holidays. When people think of Asakusa, they imagine Sensoji Temple and the district's old-fashioned architecture. However, Angeles breaks that mould and instead takes on the form of a European-style place of worship. It's different from all the rest and looks warm and welcoming from the outside. Even if you have no plans to go into the café, the desserts on display look so invitingly delicious you'll find yourself stopping in your tracks.   "They look so tasty..."   Time to go inside! You'll be spoilt for choice because they all look so good. The café has three floors. It's like an atrium where you can look down below from the top floor.   People who want to kick their feet up and read in the café or relax and space out can head to the second floor which has a hiding-place-like area. There's a different atmosphere wherever you decide to sit, so it can be fun finding which part fits for you! 'Angeles' refers to a devotion in memory of the Annunciation in Christianity signalled by the ringing of church bells. Looking around at the decor you'll see things like crosses and doves as well as signs of peace dotted about. Ema ordered the Almond Purin (¥930).   In the middle of the bowl is a melon that looks as if it's been sliced. It's also plated with various fresh fruits like banana strawberry as well as tinned pineapple and peaches and finished with a side of fresh cream. All of that hides vanilla ice cream underneath. And of course the highlight of the dessert, the purin, also tucked away! First thing's first: munching down the strawberry! The fresh cream is a perfect complement to the fruits. Combine and gobble it all up.   And finally, the star of the plate. The purin! It has quite a sweet flavour and is supple so it's very tasty. The café's number one recommendation on the dessert menu is the above.   The flavour of the Angelus (¥330) dessert hasn't changed for over 50 years. It comes in either black or white. The black Angeles is made with coffee flavoured butter cream and coated with sweet chocolate. The white Angeles is made with ordinary butter cream and coated in white chocolate.   Neither are overly sweet and they're at an easy-to-eat size. They were exquisite! Angelus' speciality is their Dutch Coffee (¥620). Dutch coffee is made by dripping ice water dripped over the coffee to extract the maximum flavour. It even looks refreshing, making it perfect for the summertime heat. If you're a coffee enthusiast then you've got to try this.  Ema was contemplating that although she's sat there there in that moment, what kind of people were talking about what kinds of things 70 years ago? The thought simply excited her ♪   "Though the generations will change, this place will continue remaining the same and probably continue to be loved by lots of people. As time flows so does the delicious taste of what they have to offer. More places like this will come to be one by one. I wonder what kind of cafe will I encounter next?♡"        

Ginza is a district in the heart of Tokyo famed for its extravagant streets lined with upmarket shops, luscious restaurants and fantastic entertainment. But it's not only worthy of note for its flamboyance – it's also rooted in rich culture and history.   Today, I visited Ginza West, a café that has been continuously loved in Ginza ever since it opened in 1947. Before entering I saw lots of delicious confections lined up on display. You can order takeout too. Your mind will wander off as you ponder on which to take away for snack time. The entire café is clean and tidy throughout and you can feel the decor has grace. It's different from other cafés in that it has a dignified atmosphere to it. It has an air of tension to it, the kind that makes you straighten up your back. It's a place that's nice if someone wants to enjoy a luxurious experience once in a while. I ordered cake and tea set! The tea cost ¥1,048. A cake set is the price of the drink plus ¥324. You can actually have them bring you samples of cakes being served on that day. There’s so many cake varieties it’s hard to choose. The most popular is this one – the Mosaic Cake! Its appearance is cute. I ended up wanting to take a lot of photos. The Mosaic Cake is made of cocoa sponge and butter sponge which is arranged to look like a mosaic piece. You can really taste the different flavours of each sponge. It’s only moderately sweet so it’s not too heavy. I wolfed it down! And then, and then! I got the white cream soda which I’d been wanting to try. It cost ¥1,188.   When you think of cream soda it’s generally green coloured melon soda with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top. But this one uses no colouring. The soda is clear and also served with vanilla ice cream. Try drinking it yourself after adding a syrup of your choice. It looks like a very elegant beverage. In terms of taste, if you eat the vanilla ice cream after drinking some of the soda (which is subtly sweet) it makes for an exquisite balance. It’s a flavour I’ve never had before – it’s a novel sensation. Delicious. The chairs in the café have something about them too! They feel extremely comfortable, I felt exhausted. The staff kindly told me the secret behind them.   The back legs of the chairs are a little wider than the ones at the front allowing you to lean back much easier and making it feel much more comfortable. The chair legs are also cut to a certain length to allow easier sitting. So that’s why. That’s why I felt so relaxed simply sitting on them. I felt I could be sat there no matter the hour.   t’s a kind of consideration you’d only find at a café. Hearing about those chairs made me think that cafes really are such wonderful places. The more you learn about them, the more you come to love their charms.   I wonder where I’ll visit next? Look forward to it!