siphon coffee seems like it is becoming the next big thing in the coffee world. which is great. the alchemy and the romance of the old-fashioned siphon coffee is almost enough to make a dedicated tea drinker like me consider a switch to the bean. almost, but not quite.
siphon coffee has been a feature of coffee shops in japan forever. the 喫茶店 (kissaten) of japan are so wonderful. they all share certain features: older, coffee connoisseur regular customers, a darkened 70s-style interior, sometimes wooden carved chairs with leather seats, sometimes chairs of curved tubular steel. there is always the gleaming siphons, glossy pot plants and understated sugar bowls, cups and saucers. there might be a neat stack of papers, or a tumbling shelf of manga and records. and japan being the smokers' haven - the cut glass ashtrays for the seven stars butts.
kissa are often hidden away up a narrow staircase, or behind streetfront lace curtains or faux stained glass, and i am unspeakably happy to find this treasure trove of photos of the kissa of kyoto in flickr by a.iwatani. just so very very great.
I love the word "喫茶", カフェ has become so popular here but I love kissaten too! It's often a lot quieter (which is good) and darker than cafes and the waitresses are usually not so friendly but I love the special atmosphere kissaten has! It's getting hard to find 喫茶店 around tokyo, but I hope they stay!
ReplyDeletehi hiki! yes, i love the 喫茶 too - very different to the new cafes (which are also lovely) - they have a special place. i used to find them and just sit and have a little cup of tea and maybe a sandwich or a curry rice and just enjoy the quiet atmosphere:) i am sad to hear they are hard to find in tokyo these days - i hope they stay too!
ReplyDeletewhat an interesting post! i love these pictures, because they show exactly the atmosphere you're describing...
ReplyDeletehi lovepics! thanks a lot, i am glad you found it a good one and that the atmosphere is transmitted !
ReplyDeleteI love the feel! Reminds me a little of traditional Hong Kong cafes too. I guess I'm just crazy about all things old. Haha!
ReplyDeletehi cookie cutter - thanks for the pop by! i like the sound of these traditional hong kong cafes - would love to see some pictures sometime:)
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