Old book musk and quiet jazz fill the air in a sleepy cafe deep within residential Mitaka in the west of Tokyo. Every corner is decked out in Osamu Dazai memorabilia, and a few central bookshelves boast rare first editions of his books. The novelist’s iconic portrait — face poised in deep thought, hand cradling his cheek — is drawn in chocolate on the foam of the cafe latte in front of me.
“I started off as a fan of his appearance and image,” says Miyuki Daba, the owner of Cafe Phosphorescence, “but I quickly started to love his writing style. It felt very intimate.”
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