We’ve lost another place which helped make Shanghai a special place. At the back of a hidden courtyard across from my Indian joint…A quirky Japanese cafe, half indoors/half outdoors. Plastered in miscellaneous imagery from Japan.

Here in early July. Now, smashed up. Canopy torn down. Tables gone. Glass stairs from mother restaurant next door smashed in.

Outdoor cafes mostly banned here, it seems.

A city with so much potential.

“不可以，” my friend told me.

A common refrain here.

Not allowed.