Last updated: 9/6/2025

This guide is only useful for light roast coffee enthusiasts, primarily in filter/pourover brews.

I index low on cafe vibes/mood, and don’t care for milk/mixed drinks or snacks, interpret opinions accordingly.
Pay close attention to what days of the week a shop is open. For example, a shop with small staff may take its days off on Mon/Tues.
- The best way to check for ad-hoc scheduling is via Instagram stories.
- They tend to open later than westerners expect.
Compared to the U.S., cafes tend to open and close later.
The general style is roasting and brewing for sweetness. You’ll find few shops brewing for acidity. You may notice lower temps being used on light roasts as well.
If you want a reason to chat with a someone at a shop, consider bringing beans to share from your country.
This is a rolling document, it will update periodically.

Tokyo

Mameya Kakeru

Kinda in the middle of nowhere, closest major attraction is Tokyo Skytree

Peak coffee experience
Rotating menu of worldwide roasters

E.g. Leaves, Rose, Coffee Collective, Homeground, Code Black, Common Grounds, La Cabra, Momos

The Kakeru location is an omakase system by reservation. Max 4 per party
- The menu rotates frequently with several tiers of course selection available. Some involve creative, single-bite dishes, some are coffee cocktails
The Omotesando location is walk-in only

This location fits 4ppl… maximum. The service is hands-on, thorough, and unrushed. Each pair served easily takes 10-15min. Estimate that a 10person line can mean an hour wait

Leaves

Near Tokyo Skytree, Asakusa - Sensoji

Open Fri-Mon. A bus drops you right in the neighborhood, the closest train is a 15+min walk

Highly experimental with gear

As of 9/2025: FM Grinder 98
Past: Option-O P100, Weber Workshops EG-1Ultra, Double Titus Nautilus, Kafatek Flat Max, Ditting 807, FM 98
Stronghold S7X, Probat UG-15, Giesen W6A

Personally, I’d go for their higher end lots that they have the sourcing power to obtain
Ships to USA, but pricey. Available in California at Kumquat and Rikka Fika
Seats around 8 total, lines can get long

Another location in Taito, open all days except Monday Closed as of 4/2024. Don’t go to Leaves Apartment.

Glitch

Jimbocho, next to Akihabara
Ginza location

9/2025: New Nihonbashi location

Crazily processed beans, a top 3 roaster to visit for interesting beans
Moody, edgy vibe
Long waits, especially Ginza location, budget an hour
You can ask to have your bean purchases transferred from glass jar to plastic bag to minimize luggage
Does not ship international
Roasted on a Probat
Seats around 10-12 total
For just the Glitch beans/brews, also consider Nadoya no Katte with a different vibe

Acid

2024: New location in Yoyogi-Uehara

This location is closed. Don't go here.

A ridiculous selection of fun, high end lots
Ken (the owner, pictured above) is a character and enjoys chatting in English. Tell him I sent you!
Seats about 8 total
Roasted on an Aillio Bullet

Definitive Panama Coffee Studio

New location in Kichijoji. This is now their primary location. Track their open days via Instagram stories.

Original location is in a back alley next to Koenji station. This original location seems to be rarely open now.

Only top-end, crazy premium Panama beans, e.g. 2700JPY+ cups
Fits up to 6 people in the whole place
Open until 10pm
Roasted 100g at a time on a Roest
Aki (pictured above) responds well in English
Tell them I sent you!

Ignis

A bit out of the way, closest to Ueno Zoo and Tokyo University

Wild processed beans, similar to Glitch and Acid
Espresso shots pulled on a Nomad (!!!)
- 9/2025: They have switched over to a Wendougee machine
Coffee jelly is fun (but might run out)
Roasted on an Aillio Bullet
Primarily expensive, premium lots
Fits about 5 people total in their main location
A bit distant from train stations in a cozy neighborhood shopping plaza
If going to Kamakura, they have a stand near the station as well.

Covert

Shinjuku station underground

Roastery location, a mere 100m away from the original

Roasts are fulfilled by Glitch.
They now roast themselves on an electric Probat
9/2025: There is a roastery location 100m from the original, effectively doubling their seating capacity
Slightly hidden hole in the wall in a random corner of the station underground
If you meet Kyosuke (pictured above in 1st pic), say hi from me!
Relatively high seating (~20)

Apollon’s Gold

Kitanomaru, a little distant from usual tourist destinatinos

4/2025: New location in Akasaka
“Sey of Japan”, perhaps the lightest roast in the country
Leans towards clean, washed offerings
Wide range of price points. Quite affordable on the low end
Ships 1kg+ free worldwide
Subscription ships free worldwide, can message to add on extra
Seats about 6

Brewman

Shinjuku Yoyogi area

Roasted on-site with a Giesen
Similar to Hydrangea offerings
Lots of toys and gear floating around
One man shop, pay attention to open days/hours
Most seating is outdoors, around 8

Berth

Minato-ku, somewhat close to Tokyo Tower

Ok offerings
Second location near Tokyo Sky Tree, consider it on a coffee crawl in that area
Seats around 5

Coffee Swamp

In a neighborhood in Shijuku away from the busy streets, easy to miss

Stereotypical 1-man shop, service is slow, relaxed, and high on vibes
Convenient to the Shinjuku area
Check Instagram frequently due to sporadic scheduling. They close for an hour midday
Busy, entire place seats about 6 total

Cokuun

Location in Omotesando is secret, given to you after signup

High end drinks, high end experience
Frequently rotating menu
Omakase menu only, by reservation, seating 4 in a session for the entire space

Lonich,

Taito, Kuramae area

Coffee omakase, by reservation
Spoiler: the , in “Lonich,” stands for “Leave Our Name In Coffee History” and the “,'“ means the journey is not over
Might as well make a coffee crawl by Leaves, Berth, and Coffee Wrights Kuramae while you’re in the area
Seats 2 per reservation, total of 4 in the place
Roasted on a Loring S7 or Bullet

Coffee County

Kitazawa area, consider bundling with a trip to Acid Coffee and Meiji Jingu shrine

Only clean washed offerings
- Emphasis on Honduras and Peru due to the owner’s history in that regionRoasts lean towards sweetness on a Probat, recently adding a Stronghold
I preferred the brews at the Kyushu locations (Fukuoka, Kurume)
Seats around 12 total

Verve

Shinjuku station ground level

I don’t drink Verve in America, but I was caught off-guard at how different the roasts and brews are in Japan
Bewilderingly, they have access to higher end lots than back at home, e.g. Elida Estate
Roasted domestically in Japan, supposedly on a Probat
Convenient location, hop by Covert too while you’re in the area

Other Tokyo locations, not visited/vetted

Not my cup of tea:

Ogawa, Bongen, All Seasons, Lucent, Mowe, Geshary, Little Darling, Finetime

Osaka

LiLo

In a fairly central part of Osaka

Another, tinier location down the street

Fun selection offerings, both light and dark roast
Cute packaging design
Roasts on a Loring
Ships worldwide, though shipping can get pricey

Glitch

At the edge of downtown Osaka

Much less busy than Tokyo locations
You can ask to have your bean purchases transferred from glass jar to plastic bag to minimize luggage

Other Osaka locations, not visited/vetted

Barista Map

Kyoto

List of prospective shops to visit, not vetted:

Fukuoka/Kyushu region

Coffee County (Takasago location)

Takasago neighborhood of Fukuoka city

HQ/roastery is about an hour’s drive south in Kurume

Only clean washed offerings
- Emphasis on Honduras and Peru due to the owner’s history in that region
Roasts lean towards sweetness on a Probat, recently adding a Stronghold
Tell Taishi or Wataru I said hi!