Located on Ninenzaka, close to Kiyomizudera Temple is the Starbucks that many people from all over the world travel to see.
Why so popular? Aside from being a Starbucks coffee shop, it’s one of the few concept stores of the company. In this case, it’s the first to have tatami seating. And also, the first Starbucks located in a traditional Japanese house.
This Starbucks happens to be a renovated 100-year-old wooden Japanese townhouse and to have it in Kyoto’s historical district is rather fascinating.
It features the traditional “noren” door curtains and it’s a different experience than any other Starbucks one would happen to visit around the world.
So, I decided to travel to Tokyo, visit a few temples and since Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya was nearby, to finally visit the place which was on my bucketlist.
Unfortunately, their was a storm and photos were a bit difficult as my lens was getting raindrops but I did shoot video which I feature at the bottom of this blog post.
They have posted signs for people. So, please read before you proceed:
As you enter and order, this is simply for ordering. Because of the congestion of this Starbucks, after you order, you must head towards the back of the store to pickup your drinks or food.
My thoughts on Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya is that it was a lot smaller than I expected and it was very crowded. After going to the Starbucks in Kawagoe, another Starbucks that I’ll blog about in the near future but also has cool aesthetics to match the area, the Kawagoe store was more spacious and has a better back yard garden area and if anything, a lot better.
Of course, Kawagoe, Saitama and Ninezaka, Kyoto are two different areas and the latter offers much more in terms of tourists access to temples and shrines. But while I was at the Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya, it was evident that it was a tourist destination with many people trying to get photos at the store, with the store and many people approaching me to take their picture.
It’s all good, if anything, perhaps the heavy rain dampered my enthusiasm a bit but If you are planning to head out to Kiyomizudera Temple, then definitely give Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya a chance!
