Apony, Imabari: A Showa-Era Kissaten Since 1965 with House-Roasted Coffee (a “You, Like a Star” Film Location)

Apony (アポニー) is a coffee shop on the second floor of a building along Hirokoji, a main street in central Imabari.
A sign on the stairs reads “SINCE 1965”, and the shop roasts its own beans.

The author of this site lives in Imabari and had heard the name for years without ever going in.
A trip around the filming locations of the movie “You, Like a Star” finally got the author up the stairs.

Why it is worth a visit

A kissaten is a traditional Japanese coffee shop, the kind of quiet place where people sit with one good cup for a while.
Apony still has that Showa-era feel, the atmosphere of Japan in the decades after the war.

This is not a café built for sightseers.
It is a place local people use, and you can use it the same way.

It also makes a good rest stop in the middle of a day of film locations.

Finding the entrance

Apony is on the second floor of the Kyoeicho Building.
The sign at street level is small enough that you can drive straight past it.

Climb the red staircase and you reach a coffee shop that feels like a step back into the Showa era.

A sign on the stairwell wall says SINCE 1965.

At the top, a showcase holds coffee cups and pots.

Beside the orange entrance door is a notice about photos.
It asks you to keep photography modest, not to photograph other people, and not to shoot video, since video is not allowed.

Inside: old atmosphere, very clean

Despite the nostalgic mood, the room is very clean and calm, with quiet background music.
On the wall hang a big ship’s wheel and an engine telegraph, the device a ship uses to send speed commands to its engine room.

Along the window are three tables with red sofa seats, and the author sat at one of them.
Toward the inside of the room there are about three more sofa seats for four people each.

From the window seats you can watch the Hirokoji streetscape.

The coffee and the ice cream

The author ordered the Apony blend and the homemade ice cream.
The house-roasted blend has little bitterness, and it is crisp and easy to drink.

The ice cream has a slightly icy, crunchy texture that feels handmade.

What other visitors say

The comment you see most often in other people’s reviews is that you can choose from house-roasted beans and the coffee is brewed with care.
Single-origin coffees such as Mandheling are also on offer.

Some say the entrance is so hard to spot that the shop feels like a hideout, and that they walked past many times before going in.
The author did exactly the same.

Others point to the contrast of a Showa atmosphere with a spotless room, and to the view from the windows.

There are meals too, such as curry and toast, and you can buy coffee beans to take home.

As a film location

In “You, Like a Star” (汝、星のごとく), a scene of Akimi and Honoka talking was filmed inside this shop.
The staff said the crew also wanted to capture the view of Imabari from the window.

The stamp for the stamp rally is beside the counter.
For the other locations, see our article on the movie filming locations.

Getting there and parking

From Harbary (はーばりー), walk along Hirokoji toward the station and Apony is on the right.
It takes about 10 minutes on foot.

The shop has no car park of its own.
If you use a nearby paid car park, ask the staff about a parking ticket.

For a longer look at the area, see the Imabari guide for Shimanami Kaido cyclists.
Another old-style coffee shop is Cafe Restaurant America.

Questions people ask

Can I take photos? Modestly, yes.
Do not photograph other people, and video is not allowed.

Is there parking? The shop has no car park, but it offers parking tickets for nearby paid car parks, so ask the staff.

Which days is it closed? It is closed on Wednesdays, on the first and third Tuesday of the month, and over the New Year holiday.

Can I walk from Harbary? Yes.
Follow Hirokoji toward the station and it is on the right, about 10 minutes away.

Can I get a meal? Yes, there are meals such as curry and toast.
You can also buy coffee beans to take home.

Shop information

Apony (アポニー)
Address: 愛媛県今治市共栄町2丁目2-58 共栄町ビル2F (Kyoeicho, Imabari)

Telephone: 0898-32-3807
Open 10:00 to 19:00, closed on Wednesdays, the first and third Tuesday of the month, and over the New Year holiday.

No car park (parking tickets available for nearby paid car parks).

Hours and closing days can change, so please call before you go.

Original article in Japanese: 今治の昭和レトロな喫茶店アポニー｜「汝、星のごとく」のロケ地

 - English