"Blue Bottle" Tokyo Cafe open now at Shibuya, designed by Keiji Ashizawa

Californian coffee brand Blue Bottle has added a new Japan location — a Shibuya cafe designed by Keiji Ashizawa, packed with crafted details, modern textures and bespoke furniture

Green views, bespoke woodwork, 7,000 volcanic ash-glazed tiles — and lots of coffee. These ingredients form the foundation of Blue Bottle Coffee’s latest Japan venture in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. Serene and spacious, Blue Bottle Coffee Shibuya— one of 20 Blue Bottle cafes across Japan — was designed with a light, contemporary touch by Japanese architect Keiji Ashizawa.

The cafe, the second by Ashizawa following the 2020 opening of Blue Bottle Coffee Minatomirai in Yokohama, taps into Tokyo’s greenery among the concrete, with a wood-clad facade framing walls of windows that overlook a small park. The American coffee company has long valued the individual identity of its Japan venues, typically fusing its laid-back Californian DNA with contemporary Japanese design. ‘This is our first time building a cafe inside a park,’ says Saki Igawa, chief brand officer of Blue Bottle Coffee Japan. ‘We wanted to create a space that is seamless and allows guests go in and out to enjoy our coffee both in our space and in the park.’

‘We always create a space that fits into the community and neighbourhood that we are in, so all Blue Bottle cafes look different,’ she adds. Here, the bright two-level space is a minimalist collage of textures, curves and lines, with Ashizawa combining a medley of natural materials, from tiles and wood to textiles. The lower space is anchored by a counter clad in brown-orange ExCinere tiles glazed in volcanic ash, designed by Formafantasma for London-based Dzek (the tiles even inspire a special cheesecake dish). ‘I’ve been fascinated with these tiles since I first saw them in Milan,’ Ashizawa says. ‘Throughout the cafe, more than 7,000 tiles were carefully laid by a single skilled artisan.’

Many of the furniture pieces were designed by Ashizawa exclusively for the cafe. Japanese furniture producer Karimoku is centre stage, with Ashizawa-designed woodwork forming the backbone of the space, from signage and shelving to wooden trays (carried by staff in NIGO-designed HUMAN MADE uniforms). ‘We also designed Karimoku dining chairs and high stools exclusively for the cafe, which will be launched later this year as a new collection for Karimoku Case Study,’ adds Ashizawa.

Other details include Ishinomaki Laboratory benches at the front of the cafe and sofas designed by Ashizawa for Ariake. The crafted furniture is complemented by modern textures, such as brushed mortar walls, polished concrete walls and warm autumnal orange Kvadrat/Raf Simons textile upholstery.

‘Ashizawa is known as a furniture designer, so his approach is very unique,’ says Igawa. ‘We really loved his detailed work and the warmth he brought to the space.’

Text / Danielle Demetriou