Paired up in 1981, the sister cities -- France's Montpellier and Chengdu City of southwest China's Sichuan Province -- have been fostering cultural appreciation, while affording a leisurely lifestyle for both residents and visitors alike.
Montpellier is an important industrial and commercial center in southern France and one of the most important ports and logistic centers in the Mediterranean.
Its wonderful location has brought the city pleasant weather and convenient transportation, which the locals are proud of.
"Montpellier, for me, is a very welcoming city, it's a great place to live. There are always things to do and things to see in Montpellier. And, we are close to everything, the sea, neighboring cities, neighboring countries. We are really well located," said a local resident.
The charm of this city also lays in its people.
"Montpellier is a rather quiet city. But it's also very versatile. We can do everything here. People are very nice here. You can easily talk to people or ask for directions and you will get help," another local resident said.
As for Chengdu, it is one of the top economic centers in central and western China. Pandas, comfortable lifestyle, and spicy but tasty food are its most distinctive labels.
"I think the pace of life in Chengdu is very slow and comfortable. I feel very happy living here," said a Chengdu resident.
"Hot pot is very delicious. I also love the Dandan noodles," said an overseas student.
Sister cities Montpellier, Chengdu highlight cultural charm with leisurely lifestyles
The depreciation of Japanese yen has caused an old coffee shop in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan to suffer rising financial strain due to surging import costs.
The coffee shop, with a 50-year history, is facing fund squeeze. The owner, 82-year-olld Hajime Yoneyama said that the depreciation has led to increased prices for imported raw materials, particularly coffee beans sourced mainly from Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia, resulting in a 20 percent surge in purchase costs.
"The purchase price (of coffee beans) has increased by 20 percent. I feel that the prices of vegetables and oil have also increased by at least 20 percent. Now the prices of these things continue to rise, with no sign of stopping. The expenditure situation of the store may become more severe in the future," said him.
Yoneyama said that he had to raise the prices to sustain the coffee shop's operation.
"Recently we had to raise the price. Previously, a cup of coffee cost 500 yen. It's no longer sustainable (without price increases) and now it's up to 600 yen," said the owner.
Furthermore, in an effort to cut costs, the elderly Yoneyama works with just one employee, yet the store business kept crippling. He said that a significant portion of his pension funds is used to cover store expenses and employee wages.
Locals worry that if the weak yen trend persists, the pressure on livelihoods will further intensify.
"The prices of everything are increasing, food, drink, vegetables. It would be great if there was a solution. Medical supplies are also an issue that needs to be considered. I do worry about what the future will bring," said a local resident.
"Not only are labor costs rising, but gas costs are also rising, so operators need to cut expenses, such as advertising expenses, and the work that they originally paid to hire people to do may now be borne entirely by the operators themselves," said another resident.
Japan’s time-honored coffee shop face fund squeeze due to weakening yen
