[BIG NEWS] The background music at the cafe I've been going to for 5 years (Kohakuya) has changed.

I couldn't help but write about this, as it was personally quite shocking news. This is a story about Kohakuya Coffee, a cafe located about 5 minutes from Mukonoso South Exit in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture.

I've been going to Kohakuya for almost 5 years. It's a two-story building, and the plaster walls give it a Mediterranean feel. You can enjoy coffee and light meals in a relaxed atmosphere. I recommend the charcoal-roasted coffee and the egg sandwich. Even the mini sandwich is a full serving for one person.

I often use it for work or a break.

The elderly female staff member always treats me with a generous demeanor. She's charming and has a warm, gentle presence. I haven't spoken much with the master, but he has a dapper image. There are also younger male and female staff members.

However, there was one thing that personally bothered me. That was the music. I felt that the BGM didn't quite match the atmosphere of the cafe or the staff.

From the BOSE speakers, there would be eight-beat, dance numbers from England or America, with slightly strong bass. I always wondered, "Does that elderly lady actually like this kind of music?"

However, when I visited a few times recently, the BGM had changed to a country style. This definitely suited the space better, and I could concentrate more on my work or meal.

At the register, I couldn't help but ask the elderly lady,

"It seems like the BGM atmosphere has changed. Was there a reason for it?"

She replied,

"No, it seems to have changed after I fiddled with the USEN machine. Did you prefer the old one?"

So I told her,

"The current one suits the cafe better."

I had been listening to that BGM for almost 5 years, and it was partly integrated into the world of Kohakuya. But it turned out the staff didn't really have any particular preference for it.

Rather, I might actually like that kind of flexibility in the elderly lady at Kohakuya. That's what I thought.

Whenever I go to Kohakuya recently, country music is always playing. And every time, I can't help but smirk.