Tu Casa: Ethical shop, vegan cafe, and guesthouse in Kyoto

“Tu Casa” is a multi-purpose facility in Kyoto where you can shop, eat, and stay with an emphasis on “ethical” and “zero waste.” On the first floor, a café and bar provide healthy organic vegetarian (plant-based) dishes and sweets, while doubling as a shop that sells healthy food by weight. On the second floor, there is a guest house that promotes ethical accommodation.

It was only natural for Tu Casa’s owner, Taka, to purchase a place with a view along the Kamogawa River to start his own cafe and guest house. Even though native of Kyoto, was interested in making a positive impact on society and had participated in various volunteer activities while traveling around the world. To promote ethical lifestyles for a sustainable future, he decided to create a space where people can “make ethical choices for shopping, dining, and traveling.”

Taka’s Korean wife, Mini, helps him run Tu Casa. After coming across an environmental documentary film, she couldn’t bear the thought of nature, which she deeply adored, to be destroyed. She became vegan and adopted a zero-waste way of life. Together with Taka, they built Tu Casa from scratch.

“I tried avoiding using new materials as much as I could,” explained Taka. For example, some seats at the cafe use decades-old scaffolding materials handed down from a carpenter, while the tiles that uniquely decorate the wall were broken ones, which they mended.

As for energy, the couple installed solar panels as well as natural energy source Hummingbird Power to make up for the lack of in-house power generation. They have even started composting! How much more eco can they get?

At the entrance, you can find a shopping corner where soybeans, wheat, and other grains are displayed in bottles and sold by weight. To reduce waste, customers are encouraged to bring their own containers to purchase the items. But if you forget to bring your own container, don’t worry. Recyclable glass bottles are available at 100 yen.

The couple has carefully selected ethical everyday items that are also available for visitors to examine and purchase, while communicating with the couple.

The cafe serves organic, plant-based food and sweets that have a minimal burden on the environment. The vegetables used in the dishes are naturally grown without pesticides and mostly come from local farmers that Taka and Mini know personally. The coffee they serve is the organic and carbon-neutral “HEROES COFFEE.”

For those who want a full zero-waste experience, the guest house on the second floor is a great option. Renewed in October last year, the guesthouse offers views of the Kamogawa River, and ample natural light through large windows. The relaxing atmosphere is sure to revitalize you.

Taka plans to host study sessions and invite guests in the future. The couple’s commitment to living an ethical life and constantly learning and improving is inspiring, and something that we can all learn from and incorporate into our own lives.

Originally published on Life Hugger.
Translated by Ayako Karino.

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