When I was a child, my mother didn't hesitate to drag me along on her shopping sprees, and if she managed to find some bargains, she would celebrate (and reward my good behavior) by treating me to something sweet at the department store coffee shop.

There were no malls then, and shopping at department stores was somewhat of an "upscale experience," with people dressing up just for the occasion. This made it particularly thrilling to relax with the adults and have a very grown-up drink like coffee.

Those days are long gone, but the recently revamped Daimaru department store in Tokyo Station has decided to "reward" all us adult children by opening a new cozy corner for coffee called simply Books & Cafe.