In celebration of Japan's first true coffee shop

Today, and April 13th annually, is Coffee Shop Day 喫茶店の日 (Kissaten no hi) in Japan. It marks the opening of Japan's first true coffee shop, Kahiisakan, on this day in 1888 in Tokyo's Ueno District. 

The Western‑style two‑story building captured the spirit of the Meiji era’s rapid modernization. The first floor offered billiards, cards, go, and shogi, while the second floor served coffee, still a luxury item at the time enjoyed mainly by the elite. Unsurprisingly, the shop closed within three years, but it planted the seed for Japan’s café culture.

From the late Meiji to Taishō periods, coffee shops spread nationwide, sparking Japan’s first coffee shop boom. And there have been several booms since! Japan has some truly wonderful cafe / coffee shops. The photo in this post is of a "kissaten" in the Taisho period style.