Entering the main street on the riverside you can see the well known Blue Bottle Coffee. Blue Bottle decided to make landfall in Japan in the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa neighborhood due to the relaxed air and unique locals. Not coincidentally, these are two traits shared with the Bay Area of Oakland, which was where the shop first began.
Over the past few years the neighborhood has become famous for its high quality coffee shops. We suggest that for your first cup of coffee you choose Arise Coffee Roasters.
The shop is just a small coffee stand and bean roaster. Around one third of the store is occupied by a roasting machines and large sacks of coffee. Lining the walls are skateboards and in front of you will be a few people relaxing on the benches.
“Hello, today we have 12 kinds of coffee beans in stock,” says the dread haired coffee roaster Daiki Hayashi.
Daiki moved from an apparel company to become a coffee roaster some 17 years ago. At first he was employed by a large company, but during his tenure there he was inspired to create a coffee shop of his own after he was involved in the creation of a coffee roaster in the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa area,.
Some people who stop by for a cup of coffee are on their way from visiting the nearby museum located in Kiba Park while others randomly stumble upon the place. Many often ask questions like, “where is the best restaurant in the area,” and “is this art gallery interesting.”
You can sense the happiness in Daiki’s interactions with guests. Often he pops out from behind the store to give directions and recommendations all the while continuing to the roast coffee beans. While watching the travelers he chats with the people in the store. About another coffee stand opening in Okinawa, about a nostalgic plastic model, about the evening air and the timing of roasting.
In addition to the diversity of coffee beans, there is a diversity of people. Someone in casual clothes holding a camera bag, someone in a suit, someone who looks as if they have visited the nearby temple to mourn. A Taiwanese traveler who spends 1 hour with their travel bag open, an American couple who orders a coffee and looks over a map. Daiki looks like he is enjoying himself as he politely interacts with the guests.
“There are many other coffee roasters from abroad who come to see the store,” says a nearby regular customer with pride. Located at a neighborhood traffic crossing, this place is a neighborhood hub, a place that fosters attachment to this town.
“Gochisousama” “thank you for the cup”, you say as you exit Arise Coffee.
There are many travelers whose image of Kiyosumi-Shirakwa includes Blue Bottle Coffee. But let us go beyond this famous spot. This is a coffee roaster with hemp coffee bags piled high, skateboards, and walls decorated with heavy metal posters. Surely here you will come across both the travelers and neighbors.
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Address: Tokyo, Koto-ku, Shirakawa 1-13-8
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm
Closed Mondays
URL：http://arisecoffee.jp/
☎︎ +81 3-3643-3601
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