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Experience Traditional Japanese Coffee Shops and Cafes at these Tokyo Kissaten

Update-Date: Sep 12, 2025

Author: Sydney Seekford

Categories: Cafe

Experience Traditional Japanese Coffee Shops and Cafes at these Tokyo Kissaten

What are Japanese kissaten, and which Tokyo kissa’s are the best for total beginners? Check this brief introduction to Japan’s traditional coffee houses for kissaten that immerse guests in the nostalgia, cafe culture, and lingering smoke of yesteryear.

Sydney Seekford

Gourmet Creator

American living in Japan since 2022. Food writer and gourmet content creator for Japan’s most well known food media. Founder of menu translation and language support service MENUWIZ. Work history includes copywriting for booking platforms, video and media production and appearances, and consulting in F&B for household brands. Passionate about regional revitalization and slow tourism with a focus on local food culture.

Yeah, I’d like to Kiss a Ten!...Wait, What?

Japanese Cafes and the Modern Appeal of “Kissaten”

Have you seen the term, “kissa” or “kissaten” floating around lately? These retro third-spaces are seeing a resurgence around Japan as locals and tourists rediscover the old-fashioned charm of a coffee room. Even contemporary figures in art and media, such as photographer Lisa Knight and writer Craig Mod, are well-known kissaten fans. Kissaten are often called Japanese coffee shops or Japanese cafes, but they are also so much more.

Kissaten (pronounced kee-sah-ten) are undivorceable from the nostalgia of the Showa era, when Western influence, bubble affluence, and changing cultural values redefined Japanese daily life.These coffee shops have existed for over a hundred years as places for breaks, meetings, and meals. Kissaten food is a category of its own, taking yoshoku down a coffee-fueled rabbit hole, while the spaces themselves range from theme park-chic to smokey den. Many kissaten are still cash only, feature handwritten menus, and welcome cigarettes.

A new generation of fans appreciate the analog charm of kissaten as a way to slip outside our digital world, even in bustling Tokyo. This guide will introduce an essential run-down of Tokyo kissaten that represent the atmosphere, flavors, and history of the jun-kissa. Any pick from this list is a great choice for your first (or 50th) kissa pilgrimage, with specifics to suit a wide variety of needs and preferences.

Edinburgh (Shinjuku)

Edinburgh is a comfortable kissaten located near Shinjuku 3-chome. They specialize in siphon coffee, which is poured tableside, and have a solid range of food options. This kissaten is an excellent choice for first-timers, as the interior is clean and spacious, with modern seating and a wide variety of acceptable payment options. Cute, marbled tabletops and emerald green upholstery still look retro, without the 50 years of wear and tear present in some kissaten.

The menu features a wide range of items, from the signature siphon brews, to “arrange coffee” like cappuccinos, to simple yoshoku meals like sandwiches, and impressive parfaits. The breakfast sets feature classic options, such as toast with hard-boiled eggs and salad. Seats facing the rounded windows are especially nice for photos and solo dining.

The shop does allow guests to smoke inside, however Edinburgh is much less smokey than some of the others on this list. It’s usually busy in the evening with people enjoying their hobbies or working while they enjoy a coffee. Rather than a cozy, secret hideaway, Edinburgh is like an authentic kissaten version of a Doutor or Starbucks.

Edinburgh
Address: Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Shinjuku, 3 Chome-2-4 M&E Square 2F
Opening Hours: 24-7, Closed for New Years
Smoking/Nonsmoking: Mixed
Payment: Credit card, cash, IC card

Gion (Asagaya)

Gion is located just a few steps away from Asagaya station, practically underneath the train tracks. It’s a local legend, busy with young couples, men and women on their own, and older citizens who stop in to rest over a cup of coffee. The interior is decorated with vintage lamps, plants, and string lights that cast the counter space in an otherworldly glow.

Table seats are eclectic – no two quite the same. There are even swing seats in one corner! Gion isn’t spacious, but they manage to comfortably nestle in at least 20 people at any given time. Gion is smoke-free and attended by several staff members, so the shop is approachable for first-timers, even with its private, house-like setting and interior.

This Kissaten is open from early in the morning until midnight on normal business days. Its menu is full of customizable options and even a range of nostalgic meals and alcoholic beverages. The neapolitan spaghetti is a Kissaten classic that here borders on “ketchup-flavored yakisoba.”

The soda float, which comes in “green” or “blue” flavors, is topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. It’s a popular menu item and great for photos. Other guests seemed to enjoy their waffles and old-fashioned miruku-seki made with real egg.

Gion
Address: Tokyo, Suginami City, Asagayakita, 1 Chome−3−3 川染ビル 1F
Opening Hours: 9am - 11:30pm (12:30am on Saturdays)
No specified holidays
Smoking/Nonsmoking: Non-smoking
Payment: Cash only

Aroumu (Koenji)

A little walk away from Koenji station, Aroumu is another kissaten that looks a lot like someone’s house. The space is very much like a cozy private kitchen, and most of the early AM visitors seem to be regulars. Knicknacks and vases of silk flowers sit on the windowsill. Along the walls, photographs from the owners show off a lifetime of travel.

The breakfast set includes a heaped salad and a mushroom-shaped cinnamon toast. Right down to the coffee cups, this kissaten expresses the personality of its owners. It has also become increasingly popular online, so more and more foreign and young visitors have been coming, according to the proprietress. Some guests even leave their mark in the guest book.

Like many other old-fashioned kissaten, smoking is welcome at any seat, and the young people that fill in from vintage clothes shopping in Koenji take full advantage of the opportunity. Aroumu isn’t recommended for visitors who don’t handle cigarettes well, but a cup of coffee here is a look into the revival of kissaten culture by people from all walks of life.

Aroumu
Address: Tokyo, Suginami City, Koenjiminami, 2 Chome−52−12 光コーポ
Opening Hours: 7am - 4pm
Closed on Sundays
Smoking/Nonsmoking: Smoking welcome
Payment: Cash

Royal（Yurakucho）

Royal is every bit the image of a kissaten, although in modern day its smoking section has been confined to a plexiglass box. It’s still often used for business meetings and breaks, but its location in the basement of a shopping and office complex is a unique feature.

Between the low tables, velvet and cracked vinyl seats, and even the marble floors, Royal looks as if it hasn’t changed since the day it opened in 1965. Despite being located less than 2 minutes from Yurakucho station, its hidden location means that most of the clientele are local business people or “those in the know.”

Lunch options range from curry to pasta to pilaf, hitting all the bases. The “arrange coffee” menu features cafe au lait and steamed milk beverages, while dessert sets are a good option for those craving an afternoon snack. Royal’s cakes are popular, and seem to sell out quickly. The retro kissaten pudding is a staple, served with a single piece of seasonal fruit and a dollop of whipped cream. Unlike some purin which boast of their mature flavor and bitter caramel, Royal’s is custardy and sweet.

Royal
Address: Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Yurakucho, 2 Chome−10−1 東京交通会館(Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan) B1
Opening Hours: 8am-7pm on Weekdays, 11am-6:30pm on Weekends
Closed on days the Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan is closed
Smoking/Nonsmoking: Smoking box available
Payment: Cash

Takase (Ikebukuro)

Takase was established in 1920, in Taisho era year 9, and despite having been updated since then, retains its 20th century charms. On the first floor, the Takase bakery sells bread, cookies, and Japanese viennoiseries. In addition to the street-level bakery, there is also a lounge on the 9th floor, where visitors can look out over the city, a yoshoku restaurant on the 3rd floor, and a designated kissaten on the 2nd floor, where drinks are served with Western or Japanese sweets.

The second floor menu is short and simple, distilling Showa kissaten offerings to their essence. We ordered the fruit anmitsu, a classic Japanese dessert. On the third floor, Takase has a proper yoshoku restaurant. The beef curry, which can be ordered as a set and includes pickles in a retro server, is a hallmark of kissaten yoshoku. The pickles are pleasantly sour and the robust curry flavor is a good match for Takase’s coffee.

Takase delivers and caters, and even makes gift sets; it’s become a Tokyo institution. Visitors love Takase so much that the brand has lines of gacha prizes and novelties. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the bubble-gum pink Takase truck running deliveries around town.

Takase
Address: Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 1 Chome−1−4 タカセセントラルビル 1F・2F・3F・9F
Opening Hours: Varies by floor. General hours of operation are 9am - 9pm
Smoking/Nonsmoking: Nonsmoking
Payment: Credit card, cash, mobile payments