Yes, you read that right! We are aware of Starbucks and all the sugary drinks we get there! It was the go-to place for my chai fix for the 2.5 years I was in the USA! But, in Kyoto, the world’s first Tatami Starbucks was opened as recently as 2017. This is the Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya store. It’s the first Starbucks located in a traditional Japanese house. The shop is located in Ninenzaka, which leads to the World Heritage site Kiyomizudera Temple.

This is how it works – you order your coffee/chai/food in the counter, pick up the stuffs, walk up the stairs and find a nice spot to enjoy your coffee..! So, in the traditional Tatami area, you are expected to remove your shoes and climb on the platform to sit on the small mat like thing provided. It was just perfect!

Again, this place is a 15 mins bus ride from the Kyoto Station, costs about 230 yen. You will have to walk a little bit uphill to reach this spot, and there is every possibility that you will miss the spot. Google maps helped me reach the place without any issues and the whole walkway is very picturesque 😀

Here are few pictures from this beautifully unusual Starbucks location ❤️