Blending coffee culture with art in a historic district of Tokyo. 

If you’re searching for a Tokyo neighbourhood that retains a sense of old-world Japanese charm, then Yanaka in Taito Ward near Nippori Station has exactly what you’re looking for. Having survived the 1923 earthquake and the bombings of WWII, the area boasts numerous temples and shrines, as well as an old-town shopping district called Yanaka Ginza, where you’ll find narrow backstreets and old stores that make it a top tourist destination for overseas visitors.

Now, the old shopping area is getting a shiny new addition to the landscape, with the reveal that Starbucks will be opening a new branch called Starbucks Cafe & Art Gallery Yanaka Gotenzaka.

The new Starbucks will open on 28 March on the site of a former parking lot, right next door to Nakanoya, a longstanding store that sells tsukudani (traditional soy-glazed preserved foods).

Despite its modern facade, the new branch is designed to blend into the neighbourhood, which Starbucks describes as a place where “history, culture, and art are richly woven together”. In honour of that melding pot, the new branch will blend coffee culture with art, in the form of exhibitions co-created with local students and the community.

▼ The ground floor, with an example of the possible canvas size you might encounter in-store.

This two-storey wooden building, designed by a Yanaka-based architectural company, aims to promote the rich history and culture of the area by displaying rotating works by young talent throughout the year, including collaborative “themed exhibitions” with artists and Starbucks partners, “fair exhibitions” to showcase up-and-comers, and “public exhibitions” to discover new artists.

▼ Visitors can enjoy coffee and art up on the second floor as well.

Select works will be available for purchase, making it a very unique Starbucks location. Launching on 28 March will be the “Yanaka Gotenzaka Opening Exhibition,” where three young artists will present fresh landscapes capturing Yanaka’s atmosphere from their unique perspectives.

▼ The three-person exhibition features works by Karin Hosono, Shotaro Sanada, and Yu Sora.

The exhibition is scheduled to run until 28 June, after which time we can expect a new collection of works to appear on the walls. The Starbucks Gallery presents an exciting new venture for the chain, furthering its goal of fostering connections within local communities, and it’s already expanding, with the Kyoto BAL branch being rebranded as Japan’s second Starbucks Cafe & Art Gallery, with similar artworks soon to be displayed on the premises.

Location information
Starbucks Cafe & Art Gallery Yanaka Gotenzaka / スターバックス カフェ & アートギャラリー 谷中御殿坂
Address: Tokyo-to, Arakawa-ku, Nishi-Nippori 3-2-5
東京都荒川区西日暮里3 丁目2－5
Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Source, images: Press release
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