Akatsuki Coffee

Akatsuki Coffee is my new favorite coffee shop, and given that I generally use cafes as my office, labeling a no-laptop policy spot as my favorite is kind of a big deal!

Located out the way in a quiet suburb of North East Kyoto, this isn’t the kind of establishment vulnerable to the marauding hordes of tourists. And this is a good thing. Akatsuki has a beautiful minimalist, white interior, world-class coffee and—with no music (or laptops)—a heavenly serene atmosphere. I’m fully aware that the previous sentence reads like a pretentious artisan hipster review, but take it from me, it’s true!

The coffee is among the best I’ve tasted in Japan, beans provided by the local roaster Weekenders Coffee. And not only is the coffee exceptional, they bake their own bread and cakes. On my last visit I had their soup + bread + salad lunch set, which for 990 yen including coffee of your choice (latte/cafe macchiato, etc.) is more than my cheapo sensibilities could handle—SUPER tasty and super good value.

If you need justification to make the trip to this out-of-the-way location, you could consider a visit with Akatsuki Coffee as a waypoint on a hike in the nearby Kyoto hills.

by Greg Lane