【 COLLECTIV & STORIES 】 vol.3: Oyako Cafe Puppu

Play and learn with educational toys,
a parent-child cafe watched over by nursery teachers

Oyako Cafe Puppu is a parent-child cafe where children, moms, and dads can all enjoy themselves with peace of mind in the same space.
Are you curious about what kind of shop it is or how you can use it? We asked the two owners and the nursery teachers who work there for more details about Oyako Cafe Puppu.

Created by two Gakudai residents, a shop unlike any other in Gakudai

Parents face many challenges, such as "it's hard to enter a shop with children" or "I bought a nice toy, but they won't play with it at all." Owners Mr. Saino and Mr. Kimura are operating this first-of-its-kind business under the Gakudai tracks to help solve these problems and provide a breather for parents. Both have lived in Gakudai for a long time, and Mr. Kimura is also raising his own children in Gakudai.

The reason they decided to open the shop in Gakudai is largely because it is a neighborhood they are both familiar with.

A challenge from a different industry

The two say that the inspiration for starting a "parent-child cafe" came from Mr. Saino's nephew.

(Mr. Saino) "I have a 3-year-old nephew, and he is just so cute... (laughs). Playing with my nephew is what first got me interested in toys.
Until now, both Kimura and I worked in industries completely unrelated to children, such as internet-related businesses and startups.
We had been drinking buddies for two or three years, and when Kimura decided to leave his previous job, he started helping me with my business. From there, the talk of opening a shop in Gakudai came up, and we decided to launch it together."

(Mr. Kimura) "I am actually raising two children in Gakudai myself, so on weekends, my own kids are often playing at the shop."

We also asked about the origin of the name of their first shop, "Oyako Cafe Puppu," which is a challenge from a completely different industry.

(Mr. Kimura) "The name 'Puppu' came from the word 'puppy' and the fact that it's a sound that children find easy to say when they want to go somewhere."

They apparently struggled with the name for a while, but it was during a conversation that they both said, "That sounds good!" and that became the current name.

The peace of mind of having nursery teachers watching over them

One of the charms of "Oyako Cafe Puppu" is that while moms and dads are having coffee with friends or as a couple, there are nursery teachers on-site to play with the children.

When we asked the two nursery teachers about the age groups they see most often, they said that weekdays are mostly 0-1 year olds, and weekends are mostly 0-6 year olds. In addition to that group, graduates of the nursery school where the on-site teachers previously worked sometimes drop by on their way home from elementary school.

And, as we were talking, just as they said, graduates of the nursery school started arriving one after another...! Having a place where kids can drop by on their way home from school with the casualness of visiting a neighbor's house is a valuable space for the neighborhood.

Play and learning with educational toys

Puppu is stocked with a wide variety of "educational toys."

"Educational toys" are toys designed to help children naturally develop "intellectual abilities" such as imagination, thinking, and concentration, as well as their "five senses" through play.

We asked about the points and care taken in selecting the wide variety of toys and educational toys available.

(Ms. Kimura) "We mainly choose items that are a bit too big to keep at home or items that are a bit expensive to easily purchase. This is because, with children, it often happens that you buy something large or splurge on something expensive, only to find that the child doesn't like it... so we choose many items with the hope that they can play with and try them out here."

Just as she said, the place is full of exciting items that make you think, 'I wish I had played with toys like this when I was little!'—from kitchen toys perfect for playing house that would take up too much space at home, to musical instrument toys that you might not be able to let them play with at home due to noise concerns!

Also, at Puppu, in addition to playing with toys, various plans are prepared, such as seasonal events and "Tag Days" using the nearby Himonya Park, so please be sure to check the store's Instagram frequently.

The interior of the store is designed to be comfortable for children from 0 years old, with all furniture and fixtures built low.

(Ms. Kimura) "For the interior, we asked a friend of Saino's who works in interior design. They drew up a rough sketch, and from there, the two of us handled the fine details and interior selection. A particular point of focus was the walls; we used white paint so that if children scribble on them with crayons or the like, they can be repainted over and over."

A kids' space under the elevated tracks where moms and dads can take a breather

As the name "Parent-Child Cafe" suggests, at Puppu, you can bring in not only baby food for your children but also takeout drinks and food from other shops to eat and drink. They kindly accommodate concerns like, "It's hard to get into a shop with children..."

We also asked the two, who already celebrated one year since opening last November, about how they want to grow the shop in the future.

(Ms. Kimura) "I hope we can build the shop together with the staff who work here, the customers who use it, and the people at the shops next door. For example, things like 'I want this kind of toy' or 'I want to do this kind of event.'
Even now, we all hold celebrations for children born in that month. We also have a desire for 'families to get along better.'
For example, in this day and age with so much information online like on YouTube, it can lead to realizations you might not notice in daily life, like 'Oh, they like this kind of toy!' or it can be a time for mothers to let go of their responsibilities for a bit and enjoy a slow cup of tea, which might make them feel like, 'I'll play with them more than usual when I get home!'...
There are many stories of couples' relationships becoming strained due to child-rearing, so I actually hope we can be a help in that regard as well.
Also, since Puppu allows you to bring in food and drinks, I hope you will also use takeout from the shops under the Gakudai elevated tracks or shops within COLLECTIV that you've been curious about! I hope we can also serve as a cross-functional hub under the elevated tracks in that way."

Currently, they also offer temporary childcare, so it seems like it could be used for times when you just need to go shopping, or go to the gym or yoga...!

Including GAKUDAI COLLECTIV, many of the shops lined up under the Gakudai elevated tracks are relatively compact eateries, some with only counter seating. We would be happy if you could enjoy the whole town with your children by taking out coffee, tea, lunch, or dessert.

Interview/Text: Kazuki Takahashi (Gakugeikai)
Photo: Moto Nagashima