Kayaba Coffee

Upon spotting this charming old house on Yanaka's Kototoi-dori, most passers-by probably wouldn't guess that it's been home to a café for well over 70 years. Constructed in 1916, the building hosted the Kayaba coffee shop from 1938 until the death of the original proprietor in 2006. Beloved by both locals and visitors from further away, the community icon made a strong comeback in 2009, when a local NPO teamed up with the folks behind nearby gallery Scai the Bathhouse and reopened Kayaba – with the original exterior and signage intact. Inside, you'll find a fusion of the time-honoured kissaten tradition and the newly trendy craft coffee ethos – no AeroPressing, just honestly good Joe, best combined with a pick off the wonderfully retro food menu. Try the egg sandwich (¥450) for a quick bite, or the weekly lunch (¥1,000) for a more substantial option. Kayaba is one of those places where you can lose track of time and just drift away into daydreams, no matter what's going on outside the weather-bitten windows.