You’d never think of going into this coffee shop if you were just passing by, but it’s the quintessential traditional Japanese coffee shop that you can imagine seeing in the movies. Nothing fancy, it’s just a small coffee shop but it serves the perfect cup of coffee. The best thing about this place is their master/owner and his wife. They have run the shop for over thirty years and they haven’t let the waves of different trends in Japan influence it. For thirty years they’ve kept their menu simple and only serve three items: Hayashi Rice, cheese cake, and Tarte Tatin (Apple Pie). They make them all from scratch fresh daily and it’s really an impressive dedication to their craft. Go for lunch, you can get Hayashi Rice, coffee, and a small dessert for only 900yen.

This kind of old school coffee shop is very rare in Japan nowadays with Starbucks taking over everywhere, but I hope it doesn’t disappear because it’s not just the food and coffee that makes it special, but the character and dedication to quality that the master and his wife bring to it. If you’re wondering why their coffee is so good, it’s partly because all of their coffee beans are sourced from local growers and he doesn’t serve any beans that are more than a week old.

PS: The owner named this place Yokohamaya because that’s his hometown :)

Address // B1F, 1-11-2, Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3586-7486
Website // n/a

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