Half of a year has passed since I uploaded the 1st episode of this year in January, and it is completely the beginning of summer in Japan. I almost sigh when I notice how time flies by so quickly!!

In 2023, it seems that inbound business here has recovered drastically and I found a bunch of foreign visitors in public transportation and at sightseeing spots in Tokyo again. My volunteer tour guide activities have also started this year again and I visit Sensoji temple in Asakusa with my 1st guests from Ireland in these 3 years at the beginning of May. Sensoji and Nakamise shopping streets were very crowded with travelers, not only from the world but also from the nation. I was also excited to see such a lively situation with many travelers coming back.

Traditional Western-style cafe is perfect for spending relaxing time

By the way, one of my favorite pastimes is visiting cafes, and enjoying drinking coffee over reading books, watching people around (a kind of human observation??), or zoning out by looking outside. I often visit chain cafes such as Starbucks, Tully’s Coffee, and Doutor (one of the major coffee chain shops in Japan) when I don’t have enough time to stay. They provide us with drinks instantly and the prices are relatively reasonable. Some of the chain coffee shops came from overseas and the stylish cafe chain called “ the 3rd wave coffee” like Bule Bottle Coffee has also settled here in these days. You must also be familiar with them and are at ease to stay there even on your first visit to Japan, aren’t you?

However, I dare you to introduce the traditional Western-style Cafe this time for your unique experience. Whereas the chain coffee shops are casual to use but tend to be noisy and have a buzzing atmosphere, which makes me unsettled and uncomfortable. Especially when I want to read a book in a quiet environment, I sometimes visit a traditional Western-style cafe called “ Kissaten” in Japanese. Most of these style cafes are independent management, and they usually serve us higher quality coffee/tea with their particular extraction methods such as flannel drip, siphon, and French press. Although the price is almost double at chain coffee shops, it is quite sure that you can enjoy the deeper flavor and tasty drinks. The interior and atmosphere there also tend to be calm and a bit dim, and most of the customers there are alone or in small groups, I would like you to try visiting these coffee shops (not at the hotel’s tea lounge) as your local experience if you prefer to enjoy cafe time in a calm, quiet and relaxing atmosphere. (Needless to say, it is not suitable if you want to chat in a large group.)

Additionally, I would like to recommend you eat sweets together with coffee/tea there. They also provide us with Western-style sweets such as cakes, tarts, and cream puffs. I love to eat traditional Japanese sweetness based on a rice cake and sweet beans, but I swear that the Japanese quality of Western-style sweets is the highest level in the world! They are not overly sweet and the flavors of each ingredient are brought out to create a perfect balance. The appearances are also very beautiful, and I feel always happy and satisfied when I put it in my mouth! It is quite special to spend my time with tasty coffee and elaborate sweets. If you prefer to enjoy cafe time in a calm, quiet, and relaxing atmosphere, I would like you to try visiting these coffee shops (not at the hotel’s tea lounge) as your local experience.

Incidentally, in Tokyo, traditional coffee shops are concentrated in Kanda/Jimbocho area, which is famous for its second-hand bookstore district. Several universities, publishers, and bookstores gathered in the district a long time ago and the culture of using traditional coffee shops for reading, writing, and business meetings has grown and continues to this day. At the same time, guidebooks and information magazines often pick up the area as the best place for a “retro” cafe experience.

Lovely morning service system at the traditional coffee shops

Speaking of Japanese local coffee shop culture, I would like to add “Morning service”, a unique cafe system that originated in the Nagoya area. This system is that it will come with bread, a boiled egg, salad, etc. if you order coffee in the morning time. What comes with varies from each coffee shop, overall the price of a cup of coffee includes the basic breakfast menu, and you can refill coffee in some cases. Three are some shops which provide the service menu all day long somehow although it is “Morning service” as you can read.

I have never been there, but the morning service is said to have originated in Ichinomiya City, which is located in the north of Nagoya and is nationally famous for the textile industry. According to some sources, there are many weaving factories in the city and workers often use local coffee shops as the place of business negotiation because inside of the factory is too noisy to talk. The morning service was created by masters of coffee shops who wanted to give some retunes to the workers who often use their shops. Moreover, the production volume of bread for commercial use is top class in Japan in the Nagoya area, so local coffee shops were also one of the major customers for these bread factories. In addition, there are more mid-size local coffee roasters in the area than in others, this circumstance led to create and develop the unique cafe culture around there, and the habit of eating breakfast at local coffee shops is more rooted among people in the areas than in other areas. I heard that some visit there almost every morning and the culture creates a place of loose local community among people by making acquaintances.

The other day, I went on a business trip to Nagoya and I also visited a local coffee shop to enjoy the morning service near the Nagoya station (Actually, it is a local chain coffee shop, it is not in Tokyo) at 7 o’clock, however, there was already a long line in front of the shop by not only local residents but also travelers including foreigners. Of course, everyone aims to enjoy the morning service. Just around the Nagoya station, you can find local coffee shops easily and they serve different service menus. So, it may be fun for you to visit different coffee shops every morning for enjoying different types of morning service by staying at a hotel without a meal during your trip. I am also going to visit different shops next time to compare and to find my favorite one! Why don’t you experience local cafe culture here in Japan?

FYI, some cafes still tend to be smoking-acceptable or just separated smoking/non-smoking in the same space. So, please check before entering the cafes if you don’t like the smell of cigarettes.

References Information:

*Traditional Western-style cafe (Kissaten) in Tokyo
https://metropolisjapan.com/kissaten-tokyo/
https://thesmartlocal.jp/kissaten-tokyo/
https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restaurants/best-kissaten-coffee-shops-in-tokyo
https://visit-chiyoda.com/book-town-jimbocho-retro-cafes/
https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/guide/NTJtrv1458-en/

*Morning Services in Nagoya area
https://centrip-japan.com/article/308.html
https://www.ana-cooljapan.com/destinations/aichi/coffeeshopsandmorningservice

*Morning Services in Ichinomiya City
Unfortunately, the websites below are ONLY written in Japanese, but these are useful and fun information, so please use the auto-translation system to read in English!
https://ichinomiya-morning.com/
https://www.aichi-now.jp/spots/detail/1765/
https://www.aichi-now.jp/columns/detail/10/