A coffee shop featuring the world of an animated version of the popular South Korean TV drama series ''Winter Sonata'' recently opened on the rooftop terrace of Matsuzakaya department store in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district, attracting numerous female fans of the drama.
     Visitors to the cafe ''Hajimete'' (first time) are able to see a life-size figure of actor Bae Yong Joon, who starred in the original drama and does the voiceover for his character in the animated version, which sits in a chair beside a fireplace just like in a memorable scene in the drama.
     The shop provides dishes using vegetables which Bae, affectionately called ''Yon-sama'' among Japanese fans, prefers, while key items in the drama such as Polaris, a muffler or snow man, appear on the menu in edible form.
     Inside the shop where the theme song of the drama is played as background music, replicas of clothing used in the drama and rough sketches of drawings used in the animated series are exhibited.
     Visitors can also mail letters to Bae and actress Choi Ji Woo, who played the role of Bae's high school sweetheart and who also did the voiceover for her character, using a mail post in the shop.
     The cafe, which is running for a limited time, is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through March 28.
     Broadcasting of the ''anime'' series consists of 26 episodes started Oct. 17 on a Sky Perfect TV channel.
==Kyodo