Kayaba Coffee

Tokyo

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DESTINATIONS japan tokyo Cafés Kayaba Coffee

Kayaba Coffee

Founded in 1938, closed in 2006 after the death of the original owner, and then reopened in 2008 thanks to local volunteers, Kayaba Coffee is a beloved cafe in Yanaka, where you can experience the unique "kissaten culture" of Japan. Housed in an early-1900s building, Kayaba offers coffee, cheesecakes, omelettes, sandwiches, plus tatami seating upstairs.

Cafés

Cafe culture is thriving in Tokyo, where novelties such as the manga craze have taken over many venues. In addition, the Japanese are caffeine fanatics and kissaten, literally, a "tea-drinking shop" that is also a coffee shop, has been set up on every corner to cater to this demand. During the past decade, Tokyo has seen the emergence of the 24-hour manga kissaten, which offers comic books, internet access, and even a place to sleep for cartoon addicted night owls. Manga, literally translated as "crazy drawings", total almost 40 per cent of everything published in Japan. Magazines can amount to 5 or 6 hours of reading time each, which perhaps indicates the need for around the clock access in manga cafes.