Shozo Street is 'sacred ground' for cafe lovers
Jun 12, 2021 Nasu, Tochigi Pref. – The town of Kuroiso in Tochigi Prefecture’s mountainous Nasu highlands, with its retro streets and relaxed vibe, might seem an unlikely candidate for one of the country’s top coffee culture destinations. But the area has in fact been termed “sacred ground for cafe lovers,” thanks to Shozo Kikuchi — a man whom coffee aficionados have lauded as a quasi-god since his 1988 flagship cafe touched off a trend of stylish local development. Kikuchi, who was born into a Kuroiso farming family in 1960, found his calling after navigating his way thr...