Starbucks Uniquely Kyoto
Taking a stroll down one of Kyotos’ well known streets, Ninenzaka, speckled with small individually owned businesses, you’ll approach a familiar coffee shop, but with an exterior that blends into the scenery around you.Opened in June of 2017, it is known to be the first Starbucks with tatami flooring.
Starbucks Yasaka Chaya is a familiar coffee shop designed in a way where tradition and modernity harmonize in a special little space in Ninenzaka Kyoto.
Familiar Store, Different Atmosphere
Ever since the opening of this location, it has been a tourist’s go-to place to rest their wings and relax or to take photos of the unique wooden exterior.The exterior is made of wood, making it so that the coffee shop fits the townscape of old town Kyoto.
Why don’t you come in and take a break from your day’s adventures and rest in the tatami room after gazing at the serene stone garden with your favorite cup of coffee or tea?
When you walk in you’ll lay your eyes on a Japanese-style stone garden with a tsukubai (hand washing basin), welcoming you in. You can see the Starbucks Siren’s scales decorating the garden floor, as a nice attention to detail.
The food counter, which is made entirely of wood, adds to the elegant and refined atmosphere of the coffee shop.
The hallway leading to the bar counter where you can pick up the food and drinks you ordered is inspired by Kyoto’s old residential architecture so you have the chance to walk by the toori niwa, an indoor corridor garden, which is a very traditional aspect of old Japanese architecture.
Additionally, the store is designed to depend on natural light that pours in from the garden, for brightness.
A Feeling of Zen With a Cup of Coffee
While waiting for your drinks to brew, you can find inner peace while resting your eyes on the stone garden at the oku niwa.Making your way upstairs, you will find yourself in the famed zashiki room.
Everything in this room adds to the historic designs of Japan.
The delicate interior to the art on the walls incorporates the spirit of Starbucks and their genuine spirit of craftsmanship for brewing you the best and highest quality cup of coffee.
The dimly lit interior beckons a soothing feeling as you sit down on the zabuton in the tatami room and sip your drink, unwinding from the walking done that day.
For the most immersive experience, we recommend visitors to try the Matcha Cream Frappuccino topped with whipped cream. This is because the matcha used to make this drink is grown locally, in Kyoto, so it comes directly from the source.
This experience is sure to make you feel “wabi”, or the appreciation for the delicateness of simplicity for things as they are.
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