Enjoy 45 unique drinks at budget prices.
When people hear the word “Harajuku”, anyone who has taken a walk around the neighborhood would picture the colorful fashion subcultures, packed streets, and social media-worthy snacks that make it up. However, it’s also a home to some of Tokyo’s more unique limited-time cafes, including one that opens for about a month every year that we’ve really come to love visiting.
Himitsu no Drip is a limited-time iced coffee specialty shop run by Japanese coffee company UCC, and it went viral on social media last year for being a cafe where you can drink authentic coffee for just 90 yen (US$0.56). This year’s iteration, running from July 10 to August 2, seems to have been powered up even further than our previous visit, with 15 types of coffee set as the base, which when combined with selections of soda, milk, fruits, yogurt, and flavorings make for a total of 45 possible varieties.
What really caught our attention this year was the Yogurt Coffee, which is making its first appearance in the lineup. While some people enjoy them side-by-side as part of a breakfast, it has never really crossed our minds to actually fuse both yogurt and coffee into one concoction.
We headed over to its pop-up location in Jingumae, a ten-minute walk from either JR Harajuku Station or the Meiji Jingumae “Harajuku” Subway Station.
When we got there, we were greeted by an overall atmosphere very similar to what it was before, seemingly as if it had never left, blending right into the city surrounding it.
Something really great about this event is that, unlike some limited-time cafes, no reservations, app downloads, or social media follows are required to partake in the experience, and you can feel free to drop by whenever the fancy takes you. However, this also means that it might get a little crowded on weekends and holidays.
▼ Still, if you do post on social media, you get a free jelly stick.
First, you need to select from the menu, choosing based on factors like aroma, mood, and appearance.
The price of 90 yen for black coffee is back again, and even the arranged menu items are at the low price of 200 or 300 yen, making these drinks exceptional bargains.
While deeply intrigued by the Yogurt Coffee, we were also drawn to many of the other options, like Coffee Tonic, and Almond Milk Coffee.
With drinks being limited to two per person, it was really tough to make up our minds. So, we decided to choose from the mood map.
A: Taking a breather
B: Chilling out
C: Enjoying some “me-time”
D: Sharing a cozy moment with someone
E: Getting in the zone
F: Refreshing your mood
G: Enjoying a fresh encounter
H: Treating yourself to a little indulgence
I: Getting in the summer mood
J: Making exciting plans
Since we had both a feeling of wanting to be refreshed (F) and a feeling of wanting to cozy up next to someone (D), we selected two items that fit those descriptions.
After deciding on the drinks, we took the base coffee capsule from the drawer, received an arrangement tag from the staff, and placed them into an “Order” slot to finalize our order.
▼ Drinks are available for both takeout and dine-in.
A short while later and the drink appears in a stylish manner.
With drinks in hand, we headed further inside to where an open, relaxed cafe space was revealed.
Even the stylish chair that we couldn’t sit comfortably on last year was also there, sparking joy at this surprise reunion.
Sitting down at the table, we took a closer look at the drinks we had ordered: the Strawberry Yogurt Coffee (300 yen) and the Coffee Tonic (200 yen).
Starting with the Strawberry Yogurt Coffee, we couldn’t imagine the taste at all, but according to what we’ve heard, yogurt coffee is apparently a drink you can often find in Vietnam.
We took a little sip and our brains short-circuited for a moment, but with a few more the taste really grows on you.
The refreshing acidity of the yogurt and the bitterness of the coffee match exquisitely, making it lighter than milk. This drink was much better than what we were expecting, and we could probably keep gulping this down on a hot day.
For the Coffee Tonic, we were similarly a little apprehensive about the match between carbonation and coffee, but it was surprisingly refreshing.
The pleasant bitterness of the tonic water and the aroma of the coffee go well together, leaving a clean aftertaste.
▼ You can also receive one cup of capsule-style drip coffee for free.
Like our previous visits, we really enjoyed these new culinary experiences, and what was possibly more impressive is that the coffee is not actually brewed by a barista. Instead, it’s made using UCC’s Drip Pod capsule coffee system.
It’s great for low-effort drip coffee, but we never really would have expected that the coffee they make could be expanded into arrangements like what can be found at Himitsu no Drip.
Since there are still a mountain of menu items we are curious about, we are sorely tempted to continue visiting throughout the duration of the event and conquer them all, discovering previously unimagined coffee creations (at least by us).
Whether you learned about last year’s event too late, or you’re finding out about it for the first time, it’s definitely a worthwhile experience this summer.
Event information
Himitsu no Drip / ひみつのドリップ
Venue: Rand Omotesando / Rand表参道
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 4-24-3 Court C
東京都渋谷区神宮前4-24-3 COURT C
Open: 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (last order 6:30 p.m.)
Period: July 10, 2026–August 2, 2026
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 ]