Starbucks has just opened a new branch in the Kitano district of Kobe which became a popular area for foreigners when the nearby port opened for outside trade. The new coffee shop is housed in the former residence of an American called M.J. Shay who built the house in 1907. It is actually registered as a tangible cultural property and has featured as the setting for an NHK period drama. There are no rules which prevent listed buildings being used for business so you can now drink a cafe latte in the company of some old gaijin ghosts.
