11 Most Beautiful Cafes in Japan

From traditional machiya townhouses remade into cafes in Kyoto to industrial-chic coffee shops in Tokyo, Japan has some of the most beautiful cafes in the world. These talented baristas and proprietors do more than perfect latte art — they create magazine-worthy spaces where design and coffee culture intertwine. 

Gone are the days of sterile, all-white interiors; instead, you'll find unique touches, like flooring made from the stones of Kyoto’s old tramway and warm oak backsplashes that spread across the walls.

Join us as we explore some of Japan’s most beautiful cafes that make your everyday cup of joe experience a bit prettier.

The design brief for A LONG VACATION. blends mid-century style with coastal elements, accented by a touch of urban kitsch and elegance. 

Located in the Southwest Grand Hotel in Naha, this brunch spot features a sun-drenched terrace — a rare find in the city — and offers al fresco meals that demonstrate hotel dining's potential to impress. From the stunning indoor area, tables spill outside for diners who want to embrace the salt-tinged Okinawan breeze. 

In the afternoon, the venue transforms into a vibrant eatery with an open kitchen serving a delightful selection of brunch-centric dishes. Buttered rolls overflow with chunks of fresh lobster, fluffy pancakes are drenched in bourbon maple syrup, and classic American hamburgers hit the spot.

FORTUNE GARDEN KYOTO is located inside a 100-year-old former Shimadzu Corporation headquarters in central Kyoto, built by prolific Japanese architect Takeda Goichi — also known as the “Father of Kansai Architecture.”

Inspired by the curves of Art Nouveau elements and the architectural styles of Vienna, FORTUNE GARDEN KYOTO might be the city's most stunning bistro, with its arch-shaped entrance, coffered ceiling and round windowpanes making the venue all classically cool without looking too trendy. 

Wall-to-ceiling windows overlook a pond filled with silver carp and a serene bamboo forest. A courtyard aptly named the “Garden of Fortune” formulates a play of greenery, light and water. 

Unsurprisingly, there’s a French bias at work here: the menu is seeded with tartare, lamb and eggplant stewed in white wine, and bonito carpaccio with aioli on the appetizer front. 

The bistro also has a winning way with its drinks, too. Natural wines and original craft beer dominate the library (one of the beers is a collaboration with Kyoto Nude Brewery). 

Architectural and design firm New Material Research Laboratory was the creative force behind Sahsya Kanetanaka, a contemporary cafe hidden on the second floor of Oak Omotesando. The space is anchored by its spectacular stone-walled entrance, poignant metal-drop sculpture and structural design referencing Japanese construction. 

Bathed in natural sunlight, Sahsya Kanetanaka feels even more spacious when the floor-to-ceiling windows are left open to let in a gentle breeze on a balmy day. Two elongated tables made from Hiba wood from Canada face the traditional moss and stone garden, lined with rounded white chairs designed by head architect Sugimoto Hiroshi. 

By day, the cafe draws downtown Tokyo crowds eager for tea and traditional sweets. The more traditional menu features items like warabimochi, milk tofu and anmitsu with agar and beans. We recommend getting the set that includes the frothy, refreshingly bitter matcha. 

Reservations are required for the kaiseki multicourse lunch or dinner courses, but for tea and sweets, it’s walk-in only.

Art director Kato Tomohiro and architect Hayashi Yosuke have brought Kinitomo Eiichi’s minimalist vision to life in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa’s flourishing coffee scene. 

Set in a repurposed warehouse, Koffee Mameya Kakeru’s laboratory aesthetic is apt; calling it a “cafe” would be a disservice. From bow-tied baristas to its exclusive coffee omakase menu, this destination is formulated for true bean connoisseurs. 

Its sleek, glass facade reveals a functional decor, with a multiplying oakwood structure — aptly, “kakeru” means “to multiply” — centering around open shelves stacked with gradient coffee bags. 

High ceilings and a striking wooden frame surround black counters, the stage where baristas showcase their skills. As in fine Japanese dining, customers are seated at a counter.

The main menu features three coffee-tasting courses, offering a variety of roasts prepared, such as cold brew, milk brew, filtered coffee and espresso shots.

Read more: Japan’s Best Omakase Coffee Shops 

The emblematic Kogetsu Kaikan building designed by Tange Kenzo in the 1970s has been taken over by Tokyo and Milan-based design firm Nendo, which recently relocated their studio to the site and, inadvertently, opened one of the sleekest coffee shops in the area. 

During the ideation process, the firm wanted to preserve much of Tange’s original architectural soul. As a result, the walls and ceilings remain untouched, with no new fixtures added; only the floors and furniture have been redesigned. 

The original tulip chairs and tables designed by Eero Saarinen have been repaired and repurposed into lounge chairs. The tops of the counters are finished with a glossy black to match the ceiling, while warm cherry wood planks cover both the floors and coffee counters.

Located on the second floor, Connel Coffee’s main feature is the tall glass windows that look out onto the stone garden designed by Isamu Noguchi. On the other side, visitors can enjoy views of the lush forest of Korekiyo Takahashi Memorial Park.

Renovation be damned — located in central Kyoto, the 100-year-old townhouse and cultural property has lived through several lives: once the residence of the esteemed Kubo Family and later home to Japanese painter Imao Keinen, it has now been resurrected as the traditional cafe Rokujuan.

The openness and fluid characteristic of traditional Kyoto architecture remains intact. Light filters through the washi paper shoji screens, and a gentle breeze flows through large glass window panels that offer commanding views of the tranquil pond outside. Not much has changed inside, either; slender wooden beams frame the tatami-matted dining area and feature a coffered ceiling.

Rokujuan attracts visitors with its stunning hanawarabi — transparent mochi filled with edible flowers that resemble delicate water droplets. Served with homemade brown sugar syrup and domestic soybean flour, the mochi is best enjoyed alongside a freshly whisked and brewed hojicha or Uji matcha. 

Depending on the season, the edible flowers vary; this autumn, the cafe features warabimochi infused with golden osmanthus.

Seattle-born coffeehouse giant Starbucks is swapping its usual chocolate and terracotta shades and walnut tables for tatami mats, silk cushions and a Japanese garden at this Kyoto coffeehouse. 

Housed in a renovated 100-year-old wooden townhouse near Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the exterior of the building remains intact — even the iconic green mermaid signage has been replaced with a subtle teal logo printed on noren door curtains.

The bar area is divided into front and back sections. A long corridor bathed in gentle light takes advantage of the building's shape, allowing guests to experience a serene “street garden” ambiance. 

The store features original siren art crafted from washi paper and fabric woven using traditional Nishijin textile techniques, seamlessly blending the cultural heritage of Kyoto and Ninenzaka with Starbucks' coffee narrative.

There are three tatami rooms where visitors can sit and relax, each adorned with hanging scrolls inspired by the clear waters of Kiyomizu-dera Temple's Otowa Falls and the flowing water movement during the coffee brewing process. 

In keeping with Japanese custom, guests are invited to remove their shoes before settling in to enjoy their coffee.

Located in Nakameguro by the Meguro River, this is one of the largest Starbucks roasteries in the world, joining other flagships in Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, New York and Chicago. 

Designed by eminent Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the expansive 1,200 square meter building spans four floors, featuring timber fins that extend from its facade to create engawa-inspired terraces, origami-like ceilings and trails of faux cherry blossoms.

Each floor is themed uniquely: the first floor is dedicated to Japanese teas, while the second floor hosts Arriviamo, a cocktail bar serving alcohol-infused drinks like espresso martinis. 

A striking copper coffee bean cask anchors the entrance, rising through all four floors of the building. Measuring 16 meters high, this cylindrical feature boasts a mottled surface created through a technique called tsuchime, where a small hammer creates a pattern of indentations.

The roastery attracts large crowds during cherry blossom season, often resulting in wait times of several hours.

Zen meets industrial at Uni Gyre, which fits right in with the rest of the stylish shops flanking the roads of the famed Omotesando Street and Cat Street. This chic cafe occupies part of the fourth floor of the shopping center Gyre, designed by Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects.

The main attraction at Uni Gyre is its tiled, cube-like seating area, stacked at varying heights. The central counter, adorned with lush indoor greenery, contrasts beautifully with the washed concrete floors, creating a striking interplay of natural and manmade materials.

Inspired by soil, the cafe design features different types of earth on the walls and floors, while the surrounding greenery gives the cafe a forest-like feel.

Read more: Best Tokyo Cafes and Roasteries 

Kyoto-based Ogawa Coffee’s flagship outpost in Setagaya is more than just a place to grab a to-go drink before you hit the road — it’s somewhere you go when you want to learn about coffee. 

The light-filled Sakurashinmachi laboratory was designed by Yusuke Seki Studio, who wanted to deliver a modern coffee house inspired by traditional Japanese aesthetics. 

The coffee house is lathered with muted tones, from the concrete walls and textured plywood counter to the white washi paper accents on the floor, laid with stones from Kyoto’s tramways. 

The centerpiece is the expansive wrap-around counter that encircles the barista area, where patrons can choose from over 21 carefully selected varieties of coffee beans, available as single-origin brews, blends, cocktails and a range of signature drinks.

Note: The image used is of the Ogawa Coffee Sakaimachi Nishiki branch in Kyoto, another beautiful cafe in Japan that’s worth your time.

Lodged in the Shiroiya Hotel, which occupies the historic Shiroiya Ryokan in Maebashi, lies the first Blue Bottle Coffee in Gunma, set inside the man-made mound of the hotel’s Green Tower.

Despite its relatively small footprint, architect Keiji Ashizawa envisioned a park-like environment, so the brief emphasized warm colors — timber, copper and orange — and Kvadrat textile sofa benches for lounging to make the 80-square-meter area deceptively spacious. 

The concrete structure features an orange Wakayama shuri brush carpet at the entrance and a brick-laid terracotta floor, honoring the area’s rich history of brick production. The bar counter, finished by a local plasterer to complement the color of the bricks, adds a distinctly local touch. 

Light Japanese oak furnishings bring warmth, while copper detailing enhances both the coffee tables and the barista counter’s overhead lighting. The walls are adorned with works by local artist Shirakawa Yoshio.

Check out Sahsya Kanetanaka in Tokyo, Koffee Mameya Kakeru and Rokujuan in Kyoto for beautiful settings and unique coffee experiences.

Yes, Kyoto offers several traditional cafes, including cafes in historic machiya townhouses like Rokujuan.

Tokyo and Kyoto are home to visually stunning cafes, including Fortune Garden Kyoto and Starbucks Nineizaka Yasaka Chaya.

Most cafes in Japan do not accept reservations unless they offer specific course meals.