Hiroshima Dining

It’s January. Suddenly, western Japan is a great deal colder than you imagined it would be. You want to go out but don’t want to deal with the cold. What can you do? Whatever the weather, you can always enjoy a cup of hot coffee. Like the rest of Japan, Hiroshima has experienced a rise in café culture over the last twenty years. Naturally, the chains have descended in full force — there’s even a Starbucks on Miyajima now. Big-name brands are easy to find (if that’s what you like), but other potentially more exciting options are also available. Obscura Coffee Roasters (Editor’s Choice!) Obscura Coffee Roasters is one café that’s received much attention. The founders (three caffeine addicts from Hiroshima) made their mark at their Sangenjaya location in Tokyo before bringing their alchemical expertise back home: first to their Fukuromachi café and then (in August 2018) to a second shop, one block north of the Hondori shopping arcade. With beans from Indonesia, Rwanda, Honduras, and elsewhere — roasted to perfection on site and transformed into what many people say is the best coffee they’ve had in Japan — this is the place to go if you’re ready for a…