Former owner of longtime café Mick, Akira Demizu (left), reunites with acquaintance Mieko Ikeda, who had been worried about his safety—Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, at 4:25 PM on August 3. (©Sankei/Hayato Narita)
A café that had served the local community for decades in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, collapsed in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the region on July 28.
Its owner, Akira Demizu, 81, was trapped inside the building for about two hours before being rescued.
On August 3, Demizu stood silently before the café's ruins, his face etched with emotion.
The café, Mick, had long been a local favorite and was celebrating its 50th anniversary. Review sites praised its jazz music and warm, welcoming atmosphere.
According to Demizu, the roughly 90-year-old building which housed both the café and his home, collapsed as he was preparing hand towels for customers on the morning of the earthquake.
A Reunion Amid the Ruins
As Demizu stood outside the café on August 3, Mieko Ikeda, 78, a longtime acquaintance from Yatsushiro, hurried over to him.
"There you are. I'm so relieved you're safe!" she said, her voice trembling, before embracing him.
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Author: Hayato Narita, The Sankei Shimbun
