A 100-Year Old Teahouse is the Latest Starbucks Store in Japan

You think all Starbucks stores look the same? Think again! Opening real soon is the latest Starbucks store in Japan and it’s not just the usual modern-looking store – it’s a 100-year old teahouse located in Kyoto.

Standing on Ninenzaka at the Higashiyama district, the old and beautiful structure is one of the structures along the street that leads up to the Kiyomizudera Temple. The original building where the teahouse is standing closed down for business back in 2005. It was later sold to a taxi and limousine service.

The new Starbucks store is a century old!

It is located among cobblestone streets along with other traditional structures in this part of Kyoto.

Starbucks was wise enough to leave the traditional structure of the teahouse intact and made changes only to the interiors. Inside, it was renovated to a more modern design. There’s an illuminated bar and there are numerous glass doors and windows that boast lovely garden views with stonework and greenery. Hana toro paper lanterns adorn the inside the store.

Glass doors and windows look out to refreshing garden views.

The new store will definitely blend well into the traditional structures in the district. Instead of the usual signage that Starbucks uses on its stores, they installed a greenish blue banner or the traditional noren printed with the Starbucks logo. People still wouldn’t miss it.

As part of the Japanese custom, customers will have to remove their shoes before they can proceed to the second floor and sit on the zabuton cushions provided for seating. The floor-seating arrangements and the Tatami reed floors give an old-fashioned feel to the store’s interiors. The cushions are created with Kyoto’s famous crepe fabric.

Shoes off, please…

Those who do not drink coffee need not fret. This Starbucks serves a wide variety of green tea beverages as well as snacks. Customers will also get to order the Matcha Pudding that was introduced by the company last month.

The teahouse is expected to attract lots of customers especially those who want to take pictures of the establishment for their Instagram accounts. Starbucks has given another reason for coffee and tea lovers to visit their new store.