Food & Drink Aug 7, 2021
Paying pilgrimage to the last kissaten on the Kumano Kodo trail
by Craig Mod
Writer Craig Mod takes inventory of the coffee shops that are left alongside the old roads of the Ohechi Kumano Kodo UNESCO World Heritage routes.
Food & Drink Jul 31, 2021
Japanese-style coffee is rooted in the local kissaten, but its reach is global
by Spencer Cohen
Brew methods and tools connected with Japan’s local coffee shops have held an outsize influence on specialty coffee, permeating third-wave coffee shops and home setups around the world.
Food & Drink Jan 10, 2021
A ‘new wind is blowing’ for Japan’s coffee culture
by Spencer Cohen and Tommaso Barbetta
Japan’s kissaten and coffee shops are no strangers to social change. COVID-19 is pushing both shops and their customers into digital-driven habits.
Food & Drink Nov 2, 2019
Portals of the past: Peering into Tokyo's traditional kissaten coffee shops
by Russell Thomas
"Sorry, we're full," I hear someone say as I open the door to Ladrio, a pre-eminent kissaten (traditional coffee shop) situated in a tumbledown alley in Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood. Ladrio is located in a tumbledown alley in Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood. | RIKO MONMA I'm naturally disappointed ...
People | 20 QUESTIONS Apr 13, 2019
Vaughan Allison: Transforming nonessentials into essentials
by Claire Williamson
Vaughan Allison on why his blood is black, his best concert memory and the most underrated area in Tokyo.
Music | Sound Off Nov 29, 2018
Farewell Mary Jane: Grieving for a lost jazz hideout
by James Catchpole
The late Donald Richie, a legendary chronicler of 20th century Japan, once said that to accept life in Tokyo, you must embrace constant change and not give in to nostalgia. In the 60 years he lived in this great city he saw multiple transformations ...
Food & Drink Apr 21, 2018
The long pour: Tokyo Coffee Festival rounds up specialty coffee from across Japan
by Claire Williamson
Japanese coffee shops are more international than ever, yet manage to preserve a unique sense of kodawari, an uncompromising dedication to the craft.
Food & Drink | KNOWING KISSATEN Mar 24, 2017
Tokyo's classical music cafes are time capsules for audiophiles
by James Hadfield
In this age of musical abundance, it's hard to fathom that an LP once cost the equivalent of a few days' wages in Japan. In the 1950s, audiophiles who couldn't afford to buy their own music did their listening at coffee shops known as ...
Food & Drink | KNOWING KISSATEN Feb 24, 2017
Tokyo's retro coffee palaces are in a class entirely their own
by James Hadfield
The archetypical kissaten (traditional coffee shop) would probably be a cozy neighborhood joint with faded '60s decor, one of those vintage pink pay phones that only take ¥10 coins and a couple of elderly customers smoking furiously as they squint over their newspapers. If you ...
Food & Drink | KNOWING KISSATEN Jan 27, 2017
Chatei Hatou: A pilgrimage site for traditional coffee
by James Hadfield
When Starbucks arrived in Japan in 1996, it should have spelled trouble for Doutor, the dowdy coffee chain that had dominated the market since the 1980s. In fact, the opposite happened: by cultivating demand for gourmet coffee, Starbucks actually revived the fortunes of its ...
Food & Drink | KYOTO RESTAURANTS Jan 13, 2017
Suzuya: one of the old capital's oldest coffee shops
by J.J. O'Donoghue
Last year, Suzuya celebrated its 70th anniversary, making it one of the oldest kissaten (traditional coffee shops) in Kyoto. To the best of my knowledge, only Salon de The Francois — which opened in the interwar period — pips it for longevity. From outside, it's ...
Food & Drink | EARLY START Jan 6, 2017
Have breakfast in Tokyo where time has frozen, but the coffee's hot
by Yukari Sakamoto
Visiting one of Japan traditional coffee shops, known as kissaten, is a unique way to start to the day. For breakfast, many kissaten offer a "morning service," which includes coffee and a small meal — often with toast, some meat, an egg and a salad. ...