Young Japanese nostalgic for the country’s Shōwa era are opening their own traditional coffee shops, called kissaten.
The number of kissaten peaked in 1981, falling from more than 155,000 to roughly 60,000 in 2021, All Japan Coffee Association estimates, as legacy owners have aged out and retired.
The shops’ resurgence is powered by young people who seek out their warmth-radiating velvet interiors and welcoming atmosphere. To the younger generation, kissaten offer both a chance to slow down amid Tokyo’s bustle and — many new clientele will admit — capture Instagrammable decor.
“Passing a kissaten on to a younger owner while preserving its interior may be possible,” one owner told The Japan Times. “But passing on its original spirit is very difficult.”