Kissaten, which translates to “tea-drinking shop,” started to pop up in Japan in the late 20th century. As cafes also spread throughout the country, kissaten evolved as an alternative to them. Whereas cafes also served alcohol and were a social place for people to talk and be noisy, kissaten were meant for quiet gatherings and intellectual discussion. While each kissaten is unique and has its own special design and menu, they do follow a similar aesthetic.

Kissaten are classy and often use upscale decor like mahogany wood, velvet seats, dark curtains, and brass or gold utensils and other kitchen appliances. Almost always, the staff wears a suit or other formal uniform with an apron. You won’t see many wild hairstyles, piercings, or tattoos like you may see other baristas sporting at more modern cafes, either. Another huge feature of kissaten are the cups used for coffee, which are often fine china with beautiful and intricate designs. The overall atmosphere is subdued, with jazz or classical music playing sometimes even on vinyl. A few kissaten even offer a “menu” of the music currently being played that day so you know what you’re listening to. Keeping to a more formal atmosphere, it’s not uncommon for kissaten to have a “no phones” rule; no pictures, no surfing the internet, no talking on the phone. That’s not why you’re meant to be there!

Across the board, kissaten take coffee very seriously. There are always a lot of different beans to choose from, most of which are single-origin, and all with their flavour profiles listed as well. Some kissaten serve food like pasta or Japanese curry, or small sandwiches, and almost all serve cake and toast. Often, the coffees have a certain food suggested to eat alongside them, much like upscale restaurants do with wine. The coffee is meticulously and carefully brewed and prepared for each customer, so visiting a kissaten is not a fast experience — and certainly not for take-away. Most kissaten are more expensive than, say, Starbucks — but you get what you pay for, as they say. The quality and service are always high.

One of the most famous examples of kissaten in anime is in Tokyo Ghoul. Many of the main characters work in a kissaten called Cafe Anteiku. While ghouls cannot eat the same food as humans, they are able to drink black coffee, something that continues to connect the main character Ken Kaneki to his human friends. The characters are often seen at Cafe Anteiku, wearing the traditional apron and black suit that is synonymous with kissaten culture and preparing slow but delicious coffee. There are a lot of rumours online that Cafe Anteiku is based on a small kissaten in Shinjuku, Tokyo, actually, but no one can confirm exactly which one and speculation runs rampant.

Another older anime with a kissaten central to the plot Shirokuma Cafe (Polar Bear’s Cafe). It’s an anime literally about a kissaten with the twist that it’s operated by, well, a polar bear. And most of the frequent customers are penguins and other animals. It’s a great anime to see kissaten food and drinks, though, as the animation is very realistic and the dishes really look like what you can get at a real kissaten! They’re just often also cute and animal-themed, which isn’t so common, as kissaten usually have a serious atmosphere inside.

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? (Is the Order a Rabbit?) may not sound like an anime about kissaten from that wild title, but it actually is. The main character Cocoa Hoto originally enters Rabbit House expecting a rabbit cafe only to find that it's a kissaten! She ends up making a lot of friends at the kissaten and it remains a main setting in the story. Even just this past winter, the characters in the anime Scar on the Praeter often used a kissaten as their base of operations, making plans and holding important meetings there amongst the lavish decor that really stood out from the rest of the anime’s setting.