CNN
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Tatami mats, silk cushions, a Japanese garden…Starbucks’ new Kyoto coffeehouse has swapped the usual glass-and-metal facades for a renovated 100-year-old wooden Japanese townhouse.
Opened on June 30 in Higashiyama – one of the city’s best-preserved historic districts – the cafe feels like it’s been locked inside a Meiji-era time capsule. Thanks to its vernacular architecture and tiled roof, the coffee house blends in amongst the neighboring 19th-century Japanese houses and shrines.
Even the signage is subtle – a deep teal logo graces the traditional “noren” door curtains, but otherwise, the cafe is unmarked.
Destination: Japan
“Walking through the noren at the entrance and venturing inside, we want customers to experience a feeling of being inside a traditional Kyoto machiya wooden townhouse,” Takafumi Minaguchi, CEO of Starbucks Coffee Japan, tells CNN.
“As this store is in an area of great cultural significance, we feel a responsibility to be the stewards of the building’s traditional architecture and ensure that it remains an integral part of its historic neighborhood for many years to come.”
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Kyoto's new Starbucks fits right in.
Tallying up more than 26,000 stores worldwide across 75 countries – 1,260 of which are in Japan – the American coffeehouse chain is the largest in the world. The brand already has 26 other Starbucks in Kyoto, but this one stands out – or rather, fits in, depending how you look at it.
As you pass under the noren at Starbucks Kyoto Ninei-zaka Yasaka Chayate, a traditional Japanese garden provides a zen feel to the ground floor space.
Upstairs, three more rooms provide tatami mat seating and a mix of traditional details – from hanging scrolls on the walls to traditional silk cushions, made with kimono fabric from Kyoto’s Tango region. Following Japanese tradition, visitors are asked to take off their shoes before settling in for a coffee.
World’s best coffee cities
Masao Nishikawa
Kengo Kuma's Dazaifu Starbucks.
Looking around the world, such concept cafes aren’t new to the Seattle-based coffee chain. Cafes like Starbucks Dazaifu, in the southwestern port city of Fukuoka, Japan, come to mind.
Designed by Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma and Associates, the cafe is located in a historic pedestrian street that leads to the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, a major national shrine welcoming about 2 million visitors every year.
The coffee shop is set inside a traditional two-story shophouse, with a striking cedarwood installation made up of 2,000 interlaced pieces that seem to float in mid-air.
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Inside "The Bank" in Amsterdam.
On the other side of the world, “The Bank” made waves when it opened in Amsterdam’s central Rembrandtplein Square in 2012.
Built inside a historic bank vault, the concept cafe is part coffee house, part laboratory, juxtaposing 1920s marble floors with avant-garde art installations.
It’s also the only Starbucks to feature an on-site bakery and an experimental subterranean lair – formerly the vault – where small-batch coffees are brewed. The experimentation continues with poetry reading nights, live music and original artwork from local artisans – think repurposed oak benches, hanging sculptures and wall murals.
Kyoto’s kissaten cafes offer the ultimate time warp
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Golden Pavilion: Perhaps the ultimate Kyoto symbol -- or at the very least its most Instagrammed attraction -- Kinkaku-ji was built at the end of the 14th century. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this Zen Buddhist temple is made up of 132,000 square meters of gardens, ponds and stones. Click on for more beautiful Kyoto scenes.
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Gion: Gion, with its traditional wooden machiya houses, is a popular area for tourists hoping to snap a photograph of a Kyoto geisha.
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Sagano Bamboo Forest: Sagano Bamboo Forest is located in the gorgeous Arashiyama district of western Kyoto. For the best experience, head out early in the morning or late evening and avoid weekends completely, when Japanese day-trippers descend on the area.
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Sannenzaka: One of Kyoto's prettiest streets, Sannenzaka is a pedestrian-only lane leading to Kiyomizu temple. It's located in Higashiyama, one of the top places to see preserved Kyoto architecture.
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Kawadoko restaurants: Every year, from May to September, "kawadoko" restaurants in the village of Kibune give diners a chance to enjoy their meals outdoors while sitting on tatami mats over the river. Kibune is about 12 kilometers from central Kyoto.
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Kimono Forest: This beautiful "forest" of two-meter high pillars, located outside the Randen tram station in Arashiyama, showcases various kimono textiles.
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Fushimi Inari Shrine: Another popular site on the Kyoto tourist trail, Fushimi Inari Shrine is made up of thousands of vermillion torii gates.
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Kyoto Tower: The 131-meter Kyoto Tower offers panoramic views of the city.
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Toji Temple: Yet another Kyoto UNESCO-listed site, Toji Temple features Japan's highest pagoda. Standing 55 meters tall, this five-story wooden structure was founded in 794. The temple complex hosts a flea market on the 21st of every month.
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Heian Shrine: Relatively new compared to some of Kyoto's ancient sites, Heian-jingu was built in 1895, on the 1,100th anniversary of the transfer of the capital from Nara to Kyoto.
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Kyoto Station: Most Kyoto visitors will pass through this station at least once during their journey. Opened in 1997, it services trains to Tokyo and Osaka, among may other cities. The bullet train to Tokyo takes two hours and 15 minutes, while the journey to Osaka is 28 minutes.
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Kyoto Railway Museum : One of the city's newest attractions, the
Kyoto Railway Museum opened in April 2016. Owned by JR West, it features a variety of exhibits highlighting the country's railroad history.
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Kiyomizu-dera Temple: Another UNESCO site, this Buddhist temple is located in eastern Kyoto. For worshippers, Kiyomizu-dera -- which translates to "Pure Water Temple" -- is the home of the Goddess of Mercy.
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Kyoto International Manga Museum: Over a decade old, the Kyoto International Manga Museum highlights the historical development of manga and features rarities such as Meiji-period magazines and postwar rental books. There are nearly 300,000 titles from Japan and abroad -- including 50,000 manga that can be flipped through and enjoyed.
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Daigo-ji Temple: Established in the 9th century, Daigo-ji, in southeast Kyoto, is made up of three different structures: Sanbo-in, Shimo-Daigo (Lower Daigo), and Kami-Daigo (Upper Daigo). You have to hike to get to the third section so you'll find far fewer tourists there. Guess what? It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Pontocho: The historic street of Pontocho, featuring preserved Kyoto architecture, is full of bars, tea houses and restaurants. It's one of a handful of areas you're likely to spot a geisha heading to work.
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Nishiki Market: Offering everything from fresh fish and donuts to sake and high-end knives, this massive shopping space is worth at least a couple hours of your time.
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Geisha capital: Though geisha can be found throughout Japan, Kyoto is considered the birthplace of geisha culture. A maiko apprentice needs to study for at least five years before she's considered skilled and mature enough to become a full-fledged geisha.
How to tell the difference? A maiko will have decorations, like flowers, in her hair.
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Katsura River: Not hard to see why fall is among the most popular times to visit Kyoto. Boat rides on Kyoto's Katsura River, in Arashiyama district, are a great way to take in the season's beauty.
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Downtown Kyoto : Can't bear to look at another temple? Kyoto's downtown area is filled with shops, restaurants, hotels and bars.