Kayon's Osaka: On the Trail of Hidden Treasures
File #14

Oyodominami Rented House: Taiyo
1-4-18 Oyodominami, Kita-ku, Osaka
Tel: 06-6458-7322
http://www.f-p-l.com/taiyoh/
oyodominami_taiyoh@lycos.jp
Hours: 15:00-21:00 (Wed., Thu., Fri.); 13:00-21:00 (Sat., Sun.)
(Last order 30 minutes before closing)

Continuing on with last month's "book" theme, I planned a visit to Taiyo to coincide with a trip by "Michiyo," a Tokyo contributor to the free paper flows that I started publishing in Wakayama in March, to Osaka for a used book sale. After making our way through an underground passage, just beyond the tracks very near the stations in Umeda, we found Taiyo down a narrow lane at the foot of the Umeda Sky Building, the highrise that houses Osaka's premiere movie theatres, Garden Cinema and Cine Libre. Taiyo is an ordinary private residence that is called a cafe. As you would expect of a place that was designed for artists and for people to enjoy art, the cafe is filled with paintings and photographs.
October marked Taiyo's first anniversary. The book sale was organized to commemorate the fact. With selections chosen by special guests like comedians and magazine editors, there was a variety of interesting books displayed in an attractive way.
There are two rooms in Taiyo. A cafe space with chairs lined up around an antique table lies just inside the front door. It's a great place to sit and daydream by yourself. In the rear, there's a room with a tatami floor and a closet that has the feel of a tearoom. It's a space where you can put your feet up and enjoy the happy company of close friends. On the menu, you'll find a number of different teas and a daily special lunch - and on weekends, there's also cake! If I was working in an office in the city, it's the kind of place I would probably frequent. Meg, who also calls the building home, co-manages the cafe with Mayuo, who has a deep interest in photography and the visual arts. As it happens, Meg is the boss (!), and along with seven of their friends, the two of them have been putting out the free paper, Sora Tobu Pan (Sky-Flying Bread) since February 2001.