Peace, inspiration and great coffee

These are the three ingredients for a perfect afternoon, no? Here's where to find them all in one place

Posted: Sun Apr 13 2014

Sometimes we crave the energy of our wonderfully frantic city. Unfamiliar faces whizzing past. Lights, colour, action. But sometimes the constant shoulder rub gets too much and you feel like you need an escape faster than the fast-moving city. If you aren't able to venture beyond the city limits and you only have a few hours to spare, here are our pick of the best places where you'll find both solitude and inspiration in the city. Plus a great cup of coffee to boot. Switch off your phone, pick up one of the books at these cafés and allow your imagination to flutter off the pages.

Paper Back Café (Jimbocho)

Jimbocho is known as Tokyo’s hub for secondhand books, and so you probably won’t be too surprised to find a plethora of book cafés in the area. What makes Paper Back stand out from the rest is its serenity – guaranteed to inspire peace of mind. The only sound you will hear is pages flipping… Oh and of course sips from coffee cups. Take a walk around the area after your lazy afternoon read if there’s time – you are guaranteed to stumble upon several interesting new titles.

The creatives behind Ima, a magazine and website dedicated to the art of 'living with photography', opened this store in March 2014 as a hub for everything you need to know about the photography scene in Tokyo. The multifunctional space, including a bookstore, gallery and café, is the perfect spot for a laid-back, inspiring afternoon. Head over early before talk events to indulge in a cup of good coffee brewed by Obscura Coffee Roasters. Check out their website too for absolutely any information on photography-related exhibitions, photo books, contest and events (only in Japanese).

Also a newly opened venue, Photo-books Diner Megutama is exactly what its name suggests – a diner where you can read over 4,500 photo books owned by prominent photography commentator, Kotaro Iizawa. As you browse through this massive collection you will find signed books and little messages dedicated to Iizawa himself, which makes the reading experience even more treasurable. The architecture, designed by Tadashi Murai, is something not to be missed – you may notice that there are actually no pillars supporting this spacious diner.

Tegamisha is more than just a café; it sells a lifestyle too: value simplicity and the little discoveries in everyday life. The shop hosts exhibitions, and at one of the recent ceramic shows by Jun Koyata they actually used the artist’s works to serve food at the café. It’s this kind of extra little something that makes Tegamisha special. They are also regular stallholders at market events like Good Food Market and Tokyo Flea Market. The parent company – also called Tegamisha but spelt with a different Chinese character for 'sha' – has published books on letterpress and retro printing methods.

With a talk event on almost every single night in this cosy corner of Shimokitazawa, you will never tire of Book and Beer. Shintaro Uchinuma is the mastermind behind it all; he calls himself a ‘book co-ordinator’ and believes that books in a wider sense are not in danger of disappearing in this digital age. You can also get good quality stationery by Bibliophilic here and sit back on vintage furniture whilst browsing through a good read with a drink till late at night. You have to agree that this kind of B&B is an exceptionally alluring combination; who would have thought that books and beer would go so well together?

Ismy consists of a café and a little bookshop where you can pick up any paperback, illustration book, recipe or magazine from their collection for a read with an accompanying boost of coffee or alcohol. Their events are worth checking out too – learn how to knit, find out about the secrets of a great bento, or find out what the director of Beams Records, Kenichi Aono, has to say at his bimonthly dialogues with a guest speaker.

Children’s books, novels, keema curry and chai latte… that's what we call a perfect combination of yummy things. Take a stroll down memory lane at Café See More Glass to discover its collection of over 2,500 illustrated books from both Japan and abroad. The shop is small and furniture is low, but this creates an unexpectedly cosy space that woos you into nostalgia. It’s funny how often you can find new, heartfelt meaning in children’s books when you revisit them as a grown up. Don’t forget to have a look at the original illustrations on the walls by Japanese illustrator Ryoji Arai.

We are all familiar with Tsutaya and we know that Daikanyama T-Site is a super version of it, but few may know that Tsutaya is actually not the name of the owner of the rental chain, but a publisher – also known as the ‘God of Media’ – during the Edo period. This modern, mega Tsutaya consists of an extremely well-equipped bookshop including a wide range of Western titles. And Klein Dytham Architecture, who designed the building, won an architectural prize for it – all the more reason to visit this massive book heaven. We must also draw your attention to their enriching photography section – German photobook publisher and printing company Steidl’s titles are just some of the gems to be found. The small exhibitions inside the shop are also not to be missed – they always have someone inspiring to share.

By Joyce Lam

Please note: All information is correct at the time of writing but is subject to change without notice.

Peace, inspiration and great coffee

These are the three ingredients for a perfect afternoon, no? Here's where to find them all in one place

Paper Back Café (Jimbocho)

Ima Concept Store (Roppongi)

Photo-books Diner Megutama (Ebisu)

Tegamisha (Tsutsujigaoka)

Book and Beer (Shimokitazawa)

Ismy (Bakurocho)

Café See More Glass (Harajuku)

Daikanyama T-Site (Daikanyama)

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