Where to find Tokyo’s best old-world cafes as the Japanese capital’s speciality coffee scene thrives
- Kissaten, or old-world speciality cafes in Japan, are experiencing something of a renaissance in Tokyo and show a unique side to the city’s coffee culture
- The cafes were a source of inspiration for Tokyo resident Vaughan Allison, who opened his own in 2020 and shares his five top Tokyo coffee shops here
Applause and raucous laughter may greet you when you arrive at Mia Mia, an independent coffee shop in Tokyo’s Higashi-Nagasaki district founded by Vaughan Allison in 2020.
And yes, they’re probably applauding your decision to go out of your way to this unexplored part of the city, largely unknown to most travellers – and even some locals – but bearing the makings of the next Shimokitazawa.
“I have been living in Tokyo for 15 years and I hadn’t heard of Higashi-Nagasaki before I came here. But, like me, everyone who visits falls in love with the area – it has quaint shopping streets, there are no chain coffee shops, and exciting establishments are opening up,” says Allison of this neighbourhood, located only a few stops from Shinjuku station but that seems a world away.
“It turns out that in the 1930s, the same spot where Mia Mia is now was a creative enclave known as ‘Ikebukuro Montparnasse’ – a cheeky reference to the artistic quarter of Paris.”
The energy is high, especially when Allison is here. The Tokyo-based Australian multi-hyphenate – he’s a model, host, writer, entrepreneur and all round coffee connoisseur – is a blast, and passionate about coffee.
“I love the sounds of a cafe: the hum of coffee being made, the banter between staff and patrons. I worked part time in many cafes and then I got serious,” he says.
