- Starbucks Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya offers a traditional Japanese floor seating experience
- The store is housed in a 100-year-old machiya townhouse near Kiyomizu-dera temple
- Menu includes standard Starbucks items like coffee, teas, juices, and pastries
Starbucks, the world's largest multinational coffeehouse chain, is known for its cosy, welcoming spaces that make you feel like you are in a "living room outside your home". From the relaxing music playing to the aroma of coffee, the stores, meticulously crafted with local touches, often reflect community-driven service. But have you ever visited a Starbucks store where you sit on the ground and enjoy a truly authentic Japanese experience?
Anali Gupta, a travel content creator known for her solo travel adventures, recently shared her experience of visiting the Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya in Japan, where customers sit on the ground. Following the traditional Japanese style of sitting on the floor, which involves a formal, upright posture while kneeling with the tops of the feet flat on the floor and resting on the heels, the same practice is followed here in an overall rustic setting. Generally, for comfort, a floor cushion called a zabuton is provided. However, at this Japanese-style Starbucks, tatami mats are offered to sit on and enjoy your beverage.
What Is Special About The Japanese Starbucks In Kyoto
Interestingly, the Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya is located in a 100-year-old traditional machiya townhouse near Kiyomizu-dera. It features tatami mats on the second floor, where customers must remove their shoes before sitting, offering a unique and authentic Japanese experience.
Just like other Starbucks outlets, brewed coffee, espresso-based beverages, Frappuccinos, Teavana teas, Evolution Fresh juices, and pastries (La Boulange) are among the staple items at the cosy Japanese outlet.
Sharing her experience, the travel vlogger wrote, “I finally visited the most unique Starbucks in Japan — Starbucks Kyoto Ninenzaka,” adding, “It doesn't feel like a coffee shop anymore — it feels like old Kyoto.”
She explained that the store is always crowded, and getting a seat there was “honestly harder than ordering coffee”. She further noted, “I waited, walked around, came back again — but once you sit, you understand why everyone wants to be here. The wooden interiors, sliding doors, quiet corners, and the view of people walking through Ninenzaka make it special.”
“This place perfectly blends modern coffee culture with traditional Japan. Even with a simple cup of coffee, the experience feels slow, calm, and very Kyoto,” she explains, further recommending adding this place to your Kyoto itinerary, “not just for coffee, but for the experience”.
The Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya looks no less than a traditional wooden Japanese house, perfectly fitting into the nostalgic streets of Kyoto.
Inside Japan's Starbucks Set in a 100-Year-Old Townhouse
Why is this Starbucks outlet in Japan special? Most of the outlets of the world's most famous beverage chain are minimal, aesthetic, and feature wooden furniture. It was designed like that to convey the history and culture of Kyoto.
It used to be a hidden gem for travellers, but now, it's a sought-after destination all thanks to the tatami-floored sitting. If you want to enjoy Starbucks coffee here, without lining up outside the outlet, visit it early in the morning.
Also Read | How Tea-Loving Japan Became A Coffee Country Due To Clever Marketing
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