くにまつ (Kunimatsu)
Interviews translated by Aki Nichols
Nestled in an alley outside of the Ginza in Sasebo, a city in the Nagasaki prefecture of Japan, is a shop with a circular window fixed in a wooden door. Outside the door, a stoic sailor rests painted on a sign that reads “Kunimatsu.”
Stepping through the threshold feels like stepping into the hull of a ship. The interior is covered in wood that works its way up the walls and curves into a wood paneled ceiling. However, instead of being greeted by the smell of the sea and crates of goods, visitors are welcomed by the smell of coffee and cigarette smoke. Customers from all walks of life. A shop keeper called the Leonardo DiCaprio of Japan.
The shop is not a place to get a quick cup of joe. It’s not a place to catch up on schoolwork. It is a place for community.
All of this is made possible by Hiroki Kunimatsu, the son of the original owner of the coffee shop.
He received his nickname Leo when he had a magazine with Leonardo DiCaprio on the cover. He said three girls told him he looked like him. Kunimatsu now jokes that he is the Leonardo DiCaprio of Sasebo.
“I see the shop as a place for people to interact, not just a place for coffee,” Kunimatsu said.
Although he and his mother run the shop together, Kunimatsu has more to do with the atmosphere of the coffee shop than he lets on. He masterfully curates a welcoming environment. He makes and serves the drinks and engages with each customer– sometimes through Google Translate. When he finds commonalities between customers, he introduces them to each other.
“People have met here and gotten married,” Kunimatsu said.
Kunimatsu told a story about a woman who came to his shop, ordered two drinks and sat by herself. When she began to cry, Kunimatsu asked what was wrong. She told him how her grandfather used to come there. She had ordered his favorite drink to remember him.
“I never noticed these stories before,” Kunimatsu said with distance in his eyes. He was remembering a ghost of himself, a younger Hiroki Kunimatsu. “I used to work to party.”
The shop was opened by his father and mother in 1971. His father moved to Sasebo from Fukuoka for an apprenticeship in a famous coffee shop. Kunimatsu said it was his father’s dream to open a coffee shop in Fukuoka. At the time, one had to be an apprentice for many years before opening a coffee shop. However, during his time as an apprentice, he met Kunimatsu’s mother and decided to stay in Sasebo.
Kunimatsu said his father loved the ocean, ships, and fishing. This is where the nautical theme of the shop comes from.
“The wood wasn’t originally this color,” Kunimatsu said as he stroked the wood of the countertop, “but it got darker with time and cigarette smoke.”
His father taught him everything he knew for 10 years during his 20’s. Kunimatsu described his father as being very strict and hard to please. They had a falling out when Kunimatsu was around 30 years old. He left his father to run the coffee shop without him.
Kunimatsu got married and moved to the neighboring town where his wife was from. He stayed estranged from his family for 10 years. During that time, he got divorced and his father passed away.
“Four years would have been perfect,” he said about coming back after his father’s death, “but I wasn’t ready.”
It took six for him to come back.
“The wind will blow a different way tomorrow,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
He explained that Buddhists believe the first three years after a person turns 40 are bad luck. It is advised not to make any big, life-changing decisions during that time.
“But I am a type B blood type,” Kunimatsu beamed, so he marched to the beat of his own drum.
In Japan, it is widely believed that blood type affects personality. Kunimatsu talked about studies that were done to prove it. His blood type is known as a lone wolf and someone who makes choices despite what society or the world says.
So, despite the bad luck he supposedly gained from turning 40, Kunimatsu said he took stock of his life and decided to return. By then, his mother had run the shop alone for six years. She did not trust her son and told him that he was absolutely not to come back. But again, Kunimatsu said he was a type B, so he told her he would return anyway. He would be there in April.
April came and went without any sign of Kunimatsu. May rolled by and still no Kunimatsu. His mother said she called him many times, but never reached him.
Finally, after intentionally ignoring his mother’s worried calls, Kunimatsu returned in June. He said he had heard of a 24-hour 105k walk to a castle and decided to do that instead of returning.
His mother was not the only person displeased by his late return. Kunimatsu said his sister would give him disapproving looks every time she saw him. Even still, he said his sister comes to the coffee shop to make sure he is keeping it clean and scolds him if it is not.
Kunimatsu said it was a long time before his mother trusted him to work in the shop. Now, he has helped her run the place for six years. During that time, he said that he started to see what his father saw in the shop all along.
Kunimatsu told a story about a 25-year-old woman who came in with a photograph of her as a baby. Kunimatsu’s father held her in the picture. She told Kunimatsu that she wanted to take another picture one day with Kunimatsu holding her baby. Since the coffee shop is almost 50 years old, he often has third-generation customers that come regularly.
People of all ages enjoy the coffee and community. Kunimatsu sees himself as a sort of mentor and guide to the young college students that come through the wooden door. He is often seen offering friendship and advice to the young people that find refuge in his shop. He listens to their troubles as he serves them coffee.
Kunimatsu is first and foremost a coffee shop, however sandwiches and other foods are served, too. In Japan, it is rude to order secondary items off of a menu without ordering the main service the shop provides. Kunimatsu said he often makes exceptions for the young college students who only order food and do not know any better. Then he tries to teach them the etiquette of Japanese culture.
Kunimatsu faced the challenge of a change in economy when he returned home. When he was younger, traditional shops were all there was. On his return, larger chains of coffee shops were opening. Now his small, traditional shop was unique.
Kunimatsu said he finds hope in the young people who come to his traditional shop and claim to love it more than the large chains that they’re used to.
“People will bring their grade school kids here,” Kunimatsu said. “Then, on their own, these kids will come in after shopping.”
The coffee in the shop is roasted by a local supplier. Like the customers, the coffee supplier has a third-generation relationship with the Kunimatsu shop. The supplier’s son, Kunimatsu explained, is the same age as his sister.
Kunimatsu said he hoped to keep the shop the same. If he does this, it would be like walking into a time capsule. The music has never changed from the American oldies. Only once did he change it to 80’s pop music – which was what he liked. He got so many complaints he never did it again.
Old employees still come in regularly.
“It’s stayed the same,” one said during his visit.
However, Kunimatsu has added his own flair to the shop. He has a special handshake he shares with the young customers. He emphatically explained it was not from his father. A U.S. naval officer stationed in Sasebo taught the handshake to him two years prior. He has used it ever since.
Watching Kunimatsu make drinks is like ordering coffee with a show. Kunimatsu said he is still not as good as his father. He explained that the 10 years he had worked with his father was not enough training to be that good. He lost experience in the 10 years he was away.
“But since I’ve been back,” Kunimatsu said, “I feel like the community and people here have helped grow the other half.”
“I’ve never heard him say that,” his mother said, dabbing tears from her eyes. She looked at him with the pride of a mother who had seen her son come a long way.
Unfortunately, Kunimatsu said the shop will most likely end with him. He has no children to take his place, and traditional coffee shops are relics for Japan.
The coffee shop – decorated with art by local artists, trinkets with various stories and a special community – is a rare and pleasing place to visit. The warm lights and wooden interior create a welcoming environment for anyone to enjoy. But even more interesting is the man who keeps it. He has a caring heart and a prodigal story ending in growth.
