Since the closure of the Doutor coffee shop on the nearby Co-op premises, I have had to take the bus to Veloce on Jozenji Street or buy bread from a local bakery and eat it at the eat-in space with an iced coffee. Doutor was a big help. There is not a place within walking distance where I can relax with a drink and it is not that expensive. There are other independently owned cafes in Hachiman, but they are mainly for meals and do not have an atmosphere where you can order only a drink. And they are expensive.
When there was a Doutor in Hachiman, it was a spacious shop where customers enjoyed their own time. Where have all the customers who were regulars back then gone? Come to think of it, I talked with a woman who was a Doutor stuff who was able to get a new job at the Sundrug Pharmacy that was built on the former site of Doutor, and she told me that people who used to be regular customers at Hachiman Doutor are now flowing into an Italian restaurant on the same co-op's premises. I also had a cake set at that Italian restaurant, but it is expensive. I can't go there every day.
I remember a neighborhood bakery that had an eat-in space. I can buy one or two pieces of bread and an iced coffee for 280 yen, not so expensive. It is closed on Sundays, but it can't be helped. The bread is delicious, as one would expect from a specialty bakery.
So, although I cannot replace Doutor, I am trying to find a place where I can relax. A café is more than just a cafe for me.
The photo shows cheese and onion bread, mini croissant, and iced coffee.
Mushroom pizza, mini croissant and iced coffee.
