Cafe Torinkan 桐林館喫茶室

A former primary school that was a central part of its community long ago is finding new life as a unique cafe and gathering place.

Cafe Torinkan ("hitsudan" café) is not just a business that sells coffee and sweets in an amazing old primary school that has been painstakingly renovated. There is a delicious brand of coffee working in collaboration with this cafe, but their joint purpose is for visitors to gain an appreciation for history and society. They cater to the hearing impaired, but they also welcome the community at large and ask them to share their wisdom through non-verbal communication. The cafe provides notebooks, paper and various art supplies for guests to create messages for future visitors to this special place. The truly unique experience people can have at Cafe Torinkan can raise awareness of the need for stronger community connection. It is better than a museum because you can immerse yourself in a silent world and leave your mark.
Address
〒511-0428 いなべ市北勢町阿下喜1980
Official website
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Online reviews (TripAdvisor)
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Access by public transportation
About 9 minutes on foot from Ageki Station (Sangi Railway).
〈Access to “Ageki” Station〉
[From Osaka] About 3 hours by JR and Sangi Railway or Kintetsu and Sangi Railway.
[From Nagoya] About 90 mitunes by Kintetsu and Sangi Railway.

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