Traditional Cafe in Japan - 喫茶店 Kissaten

Kissaten - A kissaten is an old style Japanese tearoom that also serves coffee and sweets. As those who have lived in Japan for many years can attest, kissatens seem to be dying out in a number of respects. There were many more kissatens to be found 20 years ago than there are today, and many of the ones that are still standing are small and arguably run-down for the most part.

Kissaten is somewhat different to a regular Cafe, it had a very relaxed atmosphere. It wasn't crowded like most coffee shops these days, with jazz music playing in the background, it was very chilled and authentic.

This kissaten, with its large bay window overlooking a Japanese garden, was started over 20 years ago by Koyama-san who learned the basics of roasting and brewing at Café de L’Ambre.