Kaikado Cafe opened in Kawaramachi, Kyoto on May 21st. The cafe is run by Kaikado, a long-established company founded in 1875 that continues to make handmade tea caddies in Kyoto. What kind of cafe does Japan's oldest tea caddy shop express?
The building, located about a 10-minute walk from Kyoto Station towards Kawaramachi and facing the main street, has an eclectic Japanese-Western atmosphere that retains a nostalgic charm. The historic building from the early Showa period, the former Kyoto City Tram Uchihama Overhead Line Office, has been renovated and beautifully revived as Kaikado Cafe, preserving the original appearance.
■The dignified interior features a terrace bathed in sunlight.
View from the entrance
The passageway leading to the terrace
The doorknob is made from the brake handle of a streetcar from that time.
Terrace seating
Upon entering the restaurant, you're greeted by an indescribable sense of dignity and beautiful natural wood furniture, as if experiencing the passage of time. A counter lined with Kaikado tea caddies catches your eye. The interior blends past and present, and Japanese and Western styles, creating a unified space. The high ceilings allow large windows to let in a pleasant, elegant light. Further into the store, you'll find terrace seating furnished with furniture from the Danish product brand HAY.
■Kaikado Cafe is an "entrance to traditional crafts"
Dripper by Kongo Tsuji and Nakagawa Woodcraft
When asked about the concept of the cafe, Takahiro Yagi, the sixth-generation owner of Kaikado, explained, "We want to create an entrance to traditional crafts." He added, "We want people to realize that traditional crafts, which are often considered intimidating, can be incorporated into their everyday lives." Furthermore, many of the store's employees are students attending art and design universities, and the staff commented that they hope the store will serve as a gateway for them before they enter the world of artisans.
In addition to Kaikado's tea caddies, the store is filled with items crafted using traditional techniques, from furniture to tableware, as well as works by outstanding creators. The interior, counter, tables, and chairs were all created by Danish design studio OeO, and the oval cups, designed for easy drinking, are made by Asahiyaki, a Kyoto-based company with a 400-year history in Uji. The wooden board on which the sweets are served is made by Nakagawa Mokkogei, a world-renowned wooden barrel craftsman known for creating Dom Pérignon champagne coolers, and the cutlery is made by Kochosai Kosuge, a long-established Kyoto manufacturer of creative bamboo crafts. In this dignified space, customers have the opportunity to experience the work of master artisans.
■ Carefully roasted coffee and a tea caddy-themed cheesecake
Kaikado Cafe's signature drip coffee
Coffee cups from Asahi-yaki in Uji, Kyoto
The cafe menu also reflects Kaikado's unique aesthetic. Their signature coffee is provided by coffee roaster Wani Nakagawa. On the day of our visit, Yagi personally dripped the coffee. When hot water was poured, the beans rose up, and the fragrant aroma of coffee filled the cafe. It was a cup that allowed you to fully savor the flavor, even reaching your nose. Apparently, this dripping technique was also taught to us directly by Wani Nakagawa.
Cheesecake with a tea caddy motif
The tea served was an original blend from London tea shop Postcard Teas. Among the desserts on offer are stollen and chocolate gateau from Kyoto bakery "HANAKAGO," and the shop's original tea canister-shaped cheesecake from "Cheese Garden" in Nasu Highlands.
Kaikado Cafe is a place where you can experience the "essence" of Japan and the world, with Kyoto at its center. It is a space that creates opportunities for encounters between artisans who carry on tradition, those who will carry it on in the future, and customers who purchase traditional crafts. There are also plans to hold solo exhibitions on the second floor. This is one cafe you should remember when visiting Kyoto.
[Store Information]
Kaikado Cafe
Address: 352 Sumiyoshicho, Kawaramachi-dori Shichijoagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
TEL: 075-353-5668
Opening Hours: 10:30am - 7pm (Last Order: 6:30pm)
The building, located about a 10-minute walk from Kyoto Station towards Kawaramachi and facing the main street, has an eclectic Japanese-Western atmosphere that retains a nostalgic charm. The historic building from the early Showa period, the former Kyoto City Tram Uchihama Overhead Line Office, has been renovated and beautifully revived as Kaikado Cafe, preserving the original appearance.
■The dignified interior features a terrace bathed in sunlight.
View from the entrance
The passageway leading to the terrace
The doorknob is made from the brake handle of a streetcar from that time.
Terrace seating
Upon entering the restaurant, you're greeted by an indescribable sense of dignity and beautiful natural wood furniture, as if experiencing the passage of time. A counter lined with Kaikado tea caddies catches your eye. The interior blends past and present, and Japanese and Western styles, creating a unified space. The high ceilings allow large windows to let in a pleasant, elegant light. Further into the store, you'll find terrace seating furnished with furniture from the Danish product brand HAY.
■Kaikado Cafe is an "entrance to traditional crafts"
Dripper by Kongo Tsuji and Nakagawa Woodcraft
When asked about the concept of the cafe, Takahiro Yagi, the sixth-generation owner of Kaikado, explained, "We want to create an entrance to traditional crafts." He added, "We want people to realize that traditional crafts, which are often considered intimidating, can be incorporated into their everyday lives." Furthermore, many of the store's employees are students attending art and design universities, and the staff commented that they hope the store will serve as a gateway for them before they enter the world of artisans.
In addition to Kaikado's tea caddies, the store is filled with items crafted using traditional techniques, from furniture to tableware, as well as works by outstanding creators. The interior, counter, tables, and chairs were all created by Danish design studio OeO, and the oval cups, designed for easy drinking, are made by Asahiyaki, a Kyoto-based company with a 400-year history in Uji. The wooden board on which the sweets are served is made by Nakagawa Mokkogei, a world-renowned wooden barrel craftsman known for creating Dom Pérignon champagne coolers, and the cutlery is made by Kochosai Kosuge, a long-established Kyoto manufacturer of creative bamboo crafts. In this dignified space, customers have the opportunity to experience the work of master artisans.
■ Carefully roasted coffee and a tea caddy-themed cheesecake
Kaikado Cafe's signature drip coffee
Coffee cups from Asahi-yaki in Uji, Kyoto
The cafe menu also reflects Kaikado's unique aesthetic. Their signature coffee is provided by coffee roaster Wani Nakagawa. On the day of our visit, Yagi personally dripped the coffee. When hot water was poured, the beans rose up, and the fragrant aroma of coffee filled the cafe. It was a cup that allowed you to fully savor the flavor, even reaching your nose. Apparently, this dripping technique was also taught to us directly by Wani Nakagawa.
Cheesecake with a tea caddy motif
The tea served was an original blend from London tea shop Postcard Teas. Among the desserts on offer are stollen and chocolate gateau from Kyoto bakery "HANAKAGO," and the shop's original tea canister-shaped cheesecake from "Cheese Garden" in Nasu Highlands.
Kaikado Cafe is a place where you can experience the "essence" of Japan and the world, with Kyoto at its center. It is a space that creates opportunities for encounters between artisans who carry on tradition, those who will carry it on in the future, and customers who purchase traditional crafts. There are also plans to hold solo exhibitions on the second floor. This is one cafe you should remember when visiting Kyoto.
[Store Information]
Kaikado Cafe
Address: 352 Sumiyoshicho, Kawaramachi-dori Shichijoagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
TEL: 075-353-5668
Opening Hours: 10:30am - 7pm (Last Order: 6:30pm)
