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Which of Japan’s main coffee shop chains is best for a caffeine-free life?

Elliot Hale
2 hours ago

Hunting for Japan’s best caffeine-free drinks in these temples to caffeine.

There are a myriad of reasons to keep your caffeine in check, be it pregnancy, health, or just to ensure a good night’s sleep. The real struggle starts when you start to eat out, or pick up beverages on the go, because trying to figure out how many caffeine-free options are available takes more than just a quick glance at a menu. So, let’s explore the caffeine-free landscape of three of Japan’s major coffeehouse chains: Starbucks, Tully’s, and Doutor.

Before we get into the details, it’s probably best we establish our baseline of standard levels of caffeine consumption. According to the 20202 Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, coffee contains about 60 milligrams of caffeine per 100 milliliters (about 3.9 fluid ounces), and black tea contains about 30 milligrams.

Also, a key point to be aware of is that while “caffeine-less” usually means zero milligrams of caffeine, “decaf” (decaffeinated) items still contain small amounts of caffeine. Another tricky category is cocoa and hot chocolate as they also contain caffeine, albeit at trace amounts, but since they typically have less caffeine than decaf coffee, this category is included in the below lists. All caffeine amounts are based on a Medium size.

Key:
★ Limited-time beverage
※ Contains trace amounts of caffeine

● Starbucks

Starbucks has a very strong low-caffeine game as almost all espresso-based drinks can be switched to decaf (just seven milligrams per shot) for an extra 55 yen (US$0.35). They also offer plenty of caffeine-free herbal teas and juices, along with having some seasonal drinks that are caffeine-free, like their Spring 2026 menu.

Regular Menu (milligrams of caffeine, if any, listed)

Menu items customizable to Decaf for an additional 55 yen (all containing approximately seven milligrams of caffeine per shot)

Limited-Time Menu

Starbucks’ special seasonal dessert drink, the Sakura Sakuyo Peach Frappuccino, is a great example of a drink that’s caffeine-free but still looks very fancy, and is sure to make many people pleased as they enjoy the slippery texture of the white peach jelly and the subtle cherry blossom scent, safe in the knowledge that it’s caffeine-free.

● Tully’s Coffee

Not all Tully’s stores offer decaf espresso, so to find a compatible store might need a little extra searching, but when you come across one, you can switch any espresso drink to decaf for an additional 65 yen.

Regular Menu (milligrams of caffeine, if any, listed)

Decaf-Compatible Store Menu (all contain approximately four milligrams of caffeine per shot)

The Yogurt & Açai drink from the regular menu is a super satisfying choice, which feels more like a dessert than a drink, while still feeling quite healthy, so it definitely makes the list of beverages worth trying.

Tully’s Coffee also operate some tea-specialty stores, though there aren’t that many of them, called Tully’s Coffee & Tea.

The Rooibos Blood Orange Tea they sell there is highly recommended to try out. If only they brought it to all of the regular Tully’s locations…

● Doutor

Doutor has a slightly smaller menu overall, so their caffeine-free options are also a bit more limited compared to the others. However, some Doutor locations offer “Caffeine-less Coffee,” which is noteworthy because the caffeine is kept to an extremely low, almost negligible, level.

Regular Menu (milligrams of caffeine, if any, listed)

Caffeine-less Store Menu (all contain approximately zero milligrams of caffeine)

Limited-Time Menu

The limited-time Sakura au Lait with Fragrant Yuzu is a sweet, cherry-blossom-flavored milk drink with a hint of yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit) that really evokes the feeling of “spring”. The matcha powder topping has a tiny bit of caffeine, so if you’re super strict about it, you can ask to leave the powder off.

As an extra note, Doutor’s iced drinks are impressively large and cheap when compared to the competition, so if you’re looking to chug something refreshing down, Doutor is the clear winner.

After taking a look at the offerings from the three chains, Starbucks has the strongest lineup by nature of offering decaf customization at all locations, so if you’re looking for a drink that’ll refresh you without leaving you feeling jittery, Starbucks is going to have the widest variety. Tully’s and Dotour, on the other hand, require a little more research since not all of their locations offer decaf versions of their ordinarily caffeinated drinks, but links to those two chains’ decaf-inclusive branches can be found below.

Related: Tully’s Coffee Decaf Store Locations, Doutor Caffeine-less Coffee Store Locations, Tully’s Coffee & Tea Store Locations, Starbucks Nutritional Information, Tully’s Coffee Nutritional Information, Doutor Nutritional Information
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