
Spoiler: it doesn’t taste like denim.
Latte art is nothing new, but over the last few years it’s become pretty impressive, with some cafes nowadays making personalised 2-D latte art by just looking at a quick picture on your smartphone. More and more companies are jumping on the latte art train, with Pokemon latte art last year. The latest company to start making their own latte art might surprise you though, as it is a company that isn’t even associated with coffee at all.
GAP opened the world’s first-ever GAP cafe in Shinjuku’s FLAGS building earlier this month and, like many other people, we were curious as to what would be on offer. A cappuccino with grounded denim powder on the top? A frappe with a side of a comfortable yet stylish sweater? We were keen to find out of course, so we needed someone who loves both drinking coffee and whose finger is always on the pulse of the latest fashion; who else springs to mind but our very own fashion forward Mr. Sato?
As Mr. Sato approached the cafe, he could see that half of the shop was a regular GAP selling clothes, but half of it was a full-on cafe. The items on sale also looked pretty intruiging; as well as coffee, it seemed like the GAP cafe also sells donuts.
As you can see, there’s a variety of coffee on sale at the GAP cafe. If you look closely, you can see a particularly intruiging drink called the “Denim Blue Berries” Babyccino, but as someone who appreciates cute things, Mr. Sato was more interested in trying out the latte art. What kind of latte art could you get on a GAP latte, though? Latte art usually uses sepia tones; a stark contrast to GAP’s denim blue image.
There are eight different designs to choose from. For true GAP fans, you can get a cute Brannan Bear design, GAP’s mascot, but what did Mr. Sato choose?
Mr. Sato was charmed by the “1st GAP Store” design. What did it mean by the ‘1st GAP Store”? Well, for us readers it’s probably obvious, but…
Mr. Sato got a perfect recreation of the very first ever GAP store that was opened in San Francisco back in 1969. It seemed kind of fitting, seeing as he was enjoying the latte at the very first ever GAP cafe. Even though he was sat there in the middle of Tokyo, he could almost feel a warm American breeze gently blowing through the door.
But how would it hold up when Mr. Sato gave it a taste? Would he still feel that cool American breeze?
“Wow! It tastes just like the first ever GAP store in San Francisco!” Mr. Sato gasped with delight. What that means, though, we may never know, as while he is absolutely a man of culture, sadly Mr. Sato has never visited the GAP store in San Francisco, so he has absolutely no way of knowing what it tastes like.
If you’re someone who is familiar with the taste of the original GAP store or you just want to get your own GAP latte art, the GAP cafe is open seven days a week. You can also get anything you buy from the GAP store fully customised with either patches, prints or embroidery. Personalisation usually takes between 15-30 minutes, but can take up to an hour depending on how busy the store is. But hey, if you need to kill time whilst waiting, the Denim Blue Berries babyccino is waiting for you!
Store Information
GAP Shinjuku Flags / GAP 新宿FLAGS店
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku, 3 Chome−37−1 1F/B1F Flags
東京都新宿区新宿3-37-1 新宿フラッグス 1F/B1F
Open: 11:00 – 22:00 daily
Website
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]








Cafe in Tokyo serves custom 2-D and 3-D latte art, and their coffee is nothing to sniff at either
7-Eleven releases a secret Cafe Latte Smoothie at select stores in Japan
Uniqlo opens its first-ever cafe at newly revamped Ginza store
We stop by the first-ever Fender Flagship store in Tokyo for a ham sandwich
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Finnish design brand Iittala partners with Pokémon for a golden first collaborative tableware set
Ippudo serves up plant-based tonkotsu ramen in Japan for a limited time
Japanese convenience store gives away free ice cream with creative ad at Shinjuku Station
Shinkansen operator apologizes for three-minute delay because conductor was napping
Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle x Loewe collection is as magical as the anime movie
Eight Ways You Really, Really Shouldn’t Use a Japanese Toilet
Struggling Legoland Japan doubling down and becoming Legoland Resort with new hotel, aquarium
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Studio Ghibli launches huge new anime movie T-shirt collection with special design details
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Japan is so hungry for workers it used up its five-year visa quota in record time
Tsujihan sushi bowl restaurant goes viral with foreign tourists, but is it worth the hype?
7-Eleven Japan releases Uji matcha smoothies… but only at select locations
7-Eleven Japan’s cooked-in-store takoyaki is here! How does it fare against the street food king?
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home