Tower Records in Shibuya gleams like a beacon, calling out to music and book lovers across the city and its inhabitant nationalities. It has recently gone under construction, so that what was once a peaceful book haven on the seventh floor has become a cool, sophisticated book/coffee shop on the 2nd. There are spaces for you to sit and read, with chargers for your laptop or phone, wooden floors, the best foreign book selection I’ve yet to see, and music which makes you stop and say “I LOVE that track!” The coffee shop serves taco rice, cakes, make-your-own hamburger sets and is decked out in a comfy, earthy style.

www.tower.jp
apan, Tokyo, Shibuya, Jinnan, １−２２−１４
+81 3 3496 3661
Google map: bit.ly/11odpBl

* Hollie is our Been there local for Tokyo. You can check out her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/tokyo-local-hollie-mantle.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/HollieMantle

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Tower Records in Shibuya gleams like a beacon, calling out to music and book lovers across the city and its inhabitant nationalities. It has recently gone under construction, so that what was once a peaceful book haven on the seventh floor has become a cool, sophisticated book/coffee shop on the 2nd. There are spaces for you to sit and read, with chargers for your laptop or phone, wooden floors, the best foreign book selection I’ve yet to see, and music which makes you stop and say “I LOVE that track!” The coffee shop serves taco rice, cakes, make-your-own hamburger sets and is decked out in a comfy, earthy style.

www.tower.jp
2F, 1-22-14, Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0041
+81 3-3496-3661
Google map: bit.ly/164yvHC

* Hollie is our Been there local for Tokyo. You can check out her profile here:
www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/tokyo-local-hollie-mantle.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/HollieMantle

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This chain can be found at most of the bigger stations in Tokyo; Shinjuku, Shinagawa and Shibuya. If you’re a cake addict then this place will make you squeal with delight. Piles of wonderfully flavoured muffins; cranberry and ricotta, carrot cake, oreo (which they will heat up for you!), giant danish pastries, lavish white chocolate and fruit scones... It’s easy to just wonder round the luxury deli items for hours on end. Some of the goods here make great presents for foodie lovers and especially for people who live in Tokyo who have trouble getting their hands on foreign products. I’d especially recommend trying any of their seasonal beverages; the chestnut cream latte is the type you’ll have dreams about for weeks afterwards.

www.deananddeluca.co.jp
2-18-1 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Atre Shinagawa 2F
+803 6717 0935

* Hollie is our Been there local for Tokyo. You can check out her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/tokyo-local-hollie-mantle.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/HollieMantle

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All over the globe the world is seeing a rise in the ingenious idea of a book and coffee shop fusion. In a land where boundaries are pushed to the limits of imagination this idea goes one step further.
The three two-tiered Tsutaya bookshops in fashionable and serene Daikanyama are designed with a theme of ‘home away from home’ in mind. Read, relax, have a coffee, listen to music; this is a space in which you can be at home without being alone. Choose from “Ajin”; the lounge-bar where you can recline on a leather sofa and place a drinks order via ipad for a taste of life in the future, or Starbucks where you can sit inside at one of the breakfast bars and charge your laptop or phone, or alternatively outside with the patio heaters and cosy Starbucks blankets. If you enjoy a spot of people watching then you’ll enjoy this vantage point as the local well-to-do walk past with their dogs and offspring.
With the winter chill setting in and the outdoors becoming more and more a mission impossible, this is a place you can keep warm and toasty whilst relaxing in the cool breeze and early setting sun.

store.tsutaya.co.jp
+81 03 6738 3838
Google map: bit.ly/TUfgKi

* Hollie is our Been there local for Tokyo. You can check out her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/tokyo-local-hollie-mantle.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/HollieMantle

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Throughout Tokyo (and Japan) there are many, many small, independent coffee shops, normally run by one guy who's the owner and has been running the shop for decades. They often, but not always, have great coffee, often prepared in strange ways (siphon coffee for example) but are usually quite quirky. I've seen everything from old video arcade tables games used as tables to one dedicated entirely to James Brown. As the owners are one man shows, and often quite old, they do what they want and the decor, etc. reflects that. As many of them are quite old, they're slowly disappearing as their owners retire or die, and are generally not replaced so enjoy them while you can.
Smoking is mostly allowed (plus for me as a smoker) but don't let that put you off if you're not. Most have food of the coffee shop variety ( cheese toast, sandwiches, cakes, etc, some have lunch specials). Note: "oyagi" means something like "old, no-longer attractive, man". These are the kind of people who often go to these places, but it's not as bad as that sounds and these guys wouldn't go somewhere for years or decades if they weren't good.

Everywhere, just look for small signs advertising coffee (usually in English) on the street or shop windows. They're mostly on the ground floor.

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There are traditional coffee houses all over Tokyo. Small - usually air-conditioned - places of calm from the hustle, bustle and summer heat. Your glass of ice cool water is constantly topped up, a cloth to refresh you, coffee, cakes and in many perfect toasted cheese. Excellent people-watching places too. Don't even think about using Starbucks or any of the chains.

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If you are interested in Manga, Anime and Vintage Tin Toys then Nakano Broadway Shopping mall is a must! While you are there look for the Classic Cafe... an eccentric coffee house that dates back to the 1930s... creaky sloping floors... decoesque wooden and leather furniture... worn out clocks and gramaphones... haunting classical music drifting out from a scratchy old soundsystem...

When your eyes adjust to the wonderful gloom you may realise you are not alone... slowly becoming aware of other patrons resting in the shadows...

Difficult to find... Impossible to forget...

Nakano station. North exit.
Enter Nakano Broadway Shopping mall and after around two minutes walk... the Classic Cafe is down one of the small streets to the left.

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