Rengetsuan Dining Hall In “Kako: My Sullen Past”

In the movie “Kako: My Sullen Past” (2016), Kominka Cafe Rengetsu in Ota Ward is featured as Rengetsuan, the Egyptian bean restaurant where Kako (Fumi Nikaido) and her family live. In the movie, the area is referred to as Kitashinagawa, but the actual restaurant is located in Ikegami, Ota Ward. The deep colored building which still exudes the charm of good old Showa era was built as a soba restaurant in 1927. The name of the restaurant used in the movie—Rengetsuan—as well as part of the name of the café actually in operation—Rengetsu—were taken after the original name of the soba restaurant: Rengetsuan. The long-standing soba restaurant closed in 2014. Filming took place in the interval between the closure of the restaurant and its rebirth into a café. Various scenes were filmed on the first and second floors of the building as well as in the garden which all became the main stage that provided an outlook into the world of “Kako: My Sullen Past.” The café is currently open for business on the first floor, and a true Japanese tatami sitting room is available for rental on the second floor. Let the typical charm and nostalgia of the old Japanese-style house slowly seep into your soul as you immerse yourself into the world of the movie while enjoying a delicious cup of tea.