Ken Watanabe-Backed Cafe to Close in Japanese Coast Town Hit by 2011 Tsunami

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:05 JST, December 21, 2025

KESENNUMA, Miyagi — A cafe that actor Ken Watanabe supported for about 12 years is to close in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, on Sunday.

The K-port cafe helped brighten the community over the years in the port city, which was recovering from the tsunami triggered by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

“I wanted to do something for Kesennuma and the Sanriku region, so that’s how I got involved,” said Watanabe. “I have no intention of letting these important relationships fade away.” The 66-year-old actor said he hopes to continue to offer his support in new ways going forward.

A long line of customers formed before the cafe opened at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“Thank you for coming,” Watanabe told customers as he led them to their seats. The actor served food and cleared tables himself. He chatted with customers and happily posed with them for photos and signed autographs.

“Through this cafe, I felt like I could connect with Ken-san. It was a place that supported me emotionally,” said regular customer Hiroshi Oyama, a 75-year-old resident of the city, who lamented the closure.

About six months after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Watanabe met Ryuji Ando, 60, a fish wholesaler in the city.

Ando shared his vision for rebuilding his shop on a newly purchased coastal plot and opening a cafe next door as a place for people to gather. Moved by this vision, Watanabe offered to serve as the cafe owner.

The cafe opened near Kesennuma Port in November 2013. The “K” in “K-port” stands of course for Kesennuma, but also for Ken, kokoro (heart) and kizuna (bonds).

Watanabe visited the cafe about once every two months to serve customers and would send handwritten messages via fax almost every day.

Ando was grateful. “Mr. Watanabe was one of the first to get involved in this town that lost everything to the tsunami,” he said.

Last month, Watanabe announced the cafe’s closure in a social media post.

“Given my age, I’ve been thinking constantly about how to engage with this port town,” he said in the message.

“I hope the younger generation can keep this building and the spirit alive and start something new here,” he added in an interview Saturday.

“I want to stay connected to Kesennuma, unless someone tells me to stop,” he said grinning.