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（英会話リスニングスクリプト）
The opening of Japan's first coffee shop
in Ueno in the late 19th century attracted crowds of curious
onlookers who had never seen anything like it before.
Soon, kissatens were to be seen everywhere
in Japan's towns.
These were mainly upscale shops with expensive
furniture and large numbers of staff.
Their customers were mostly adults with
careers and families - if a younger person went to one,
it was probably with his or her parents, not independently
to meet a friend.
For one thing, these coffee shops were too
expensive for kids with a limited amount of pocket money
and for another thing, there wasn't the kind of atmosphere
that attracted young people.
However, in the past 15 years the number
of these coffee shops has dropped from about 180,000 to
around 80,000.
In place of the more expensive shops, a
new generation of cheaper shops, mostly belonging to chains
such as Doutor, Pronto or Starbucks is appearing in fashionable
downtown areas.
These shops keep prices low by minimizing
staff and production costs.
The shop fronts and interiors are standard
and prefabricated, and, in order to create the right atmosphere,
furniture, music, cups and napkins are all imported from
America.
Much of Starbucks' business is made up of
repeat customers and, in some shops, nearly a third of the
customers are foreigners.
It seems that as long as these shops provide
cheap coffee and good service, they will continue to prosper
and attract more customers.
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