Kyoto bids farewell to a storied poets’ cafe

Kyoto –

On Kyoto’s Marutamachi-dori last week, customers lined up in the rain for a final look inside CC’s, the storied cafe and gathering place for poets.

The shop closed for good on Feb. 28.

Located in Nakagyo Ward, CC’s had long been a hub for the city’s literary community. Its interior had a charmingly mismatched aesthetic, with a stone floor, bamboo ceiling and walls lined with brown persimmon-dyed bags for making sake. An enormous wood-and-glass display case cast an ambient glow over the otherwise dim room.