The final destination of a very full day that started in Chiba’s Mount Nokogiriyama and then moved on to teamLab Planets TOKYO was appropriately one that had caffeine. One place I really wanted to visit while in Japan was the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo. It turned out that on this last adventure together it was a doable thing. It also turned out we needed coffee for the rest of the drive home!
We made the quick drive over to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. As we drove into the neighborhood, I was actually quite surprised by where it was located. I’m not entirely sure what I expected but this wasn’t it. I think I was expecting it to be right in the middle of downtown Tokyo in the middle of the hustle and bustle. Instead, it was just outside of the center of town, and the neighborhood it was in was really quite quiet and peaceful.
The building that holds the Starbucks Reserve Roastery is pretty awesome from the outside as well. It has a modern and clean feel. My first thought was that it could end up being something in a Star Trek film. I was very eager to get inside and check it out. But first things first, we had to find a place to park. Thankfully the building next door had an underground parking lot! The kids were starting to fall apart so as we parked it was decided I would quickly run upstairs and check out this Starbucks and my sister would hang in the car with the kids. I was determined to be as quick as I could (I still probably wasn’t quick enough for everyone stuck in the car). I made my way up the stairs and out into the street to check out this incredible-looking Starbucks.
My initial thought was that I loved the signage around the outside. It felt like a fancy Starbucks and I really loved the vibe. I loved the huge windows and the hanging plants. I also enjoyed having other Starbucks fans around me. As I took a few pictures, I realized the sun was going down. Having been in Japan long enough, I knew that once the sun decided to go down… things got dark fast! With that in mind, I headed inside.
I thought this Starbucks was cool from the outside, the inside was even more awesome. I walked inside and immediately noticed how big it felt. There also was a huge copper cask in front of me, presumably for coffee beans. At that moment, I really wished I knew more about the coffee roasting process beyond a quick explanation I had once been given in Haiti and some books I had read. I definitely didn’t feel proficient enough in the process to be able to recognize all of the equipment or to know what it did. I still loved what I was seeing, though!
After taking a few photos, I made my way to the right where the merchandise was. I wish I had taken more photos of the merchandise as it was awesome. There were mugs, cups, shirts, stickers, books, and more. All of them had really classy designs. I could have spent entirely too much money there as everything was beautiful. Finally, I found a couple of mugs and some stickers for myself and some friends. The bag they put everything in was also incredible. It was made of very nice thick paper and had cloth handles. It also had Starbucks Reserve Roastery embossed into it, along with the logo as well.
With my treasures now in the bag, I decided I should check out the rest of the building. It was four stories tall! Knowing I had people waiting in the car, I started to explore as quickly as possible. The first floor had the main coffee bar, a bakery, and all the roasting stuff.
As I made my way up the stairs to the next floor, I fell in love with the wall in front of me. It was made of mugs that were embedded into the wall! As I explored I also found an explanation of the Starbucks Reserve Roasteries. It said:
Starbucks Reserve
The complete and total commitment to the immersive experience of coffee craft and the ongoing pursuit of the world’s rarest, most exalted, most sought-after small-lot coffees—roasted in our Starbucks Reserve Roasteries.
As I continued to climb the stairs, I found more offerings found throughout the building. This included a bar on the third floor, a Teavana bar on the second floor, some beautiful places to sit, and some lovely decorations. I also was smitten with the giant copper cask that was almost as tall as the building. It could be seen on each of the first three floors. There were also decorations hanging around it. I loved it.
Another place I loved was an outdoor seating area that had a lovely view of Tokyo. If had more time, I would have stayed completely content sitting there and watching the world go by with a cup of coffee. However, I didn’t have all the time in the world so I made my way back down to the ground floor.
All the way down, I took more photos and simply enjoyed being in this magnificent Starbucks building. On the ground floor finally, I ordered coffee for my sister and for me for the drive home. While waiting for the drinks to arrive, I heard someone behind me say “Are you Mr. Daps?” I turned around and saw a friendly face I knew from the United States! It was a very welcome discussion and it was probably one of the most “feels like home” conversations I had during the entire trip that didn’t include family. Although it was brief, it definitely made me smile.
Moments later, my drinks were ready. They came in fancy cups. They looked similar to Starbucks cups everywhere else but they seemed more sturdy and were themed to the location. The drinks were also quite fancy. I wish I could remember exactly what they were but I do remember they had raspberry in them. One was a fancy drip coffee and the other was an espresso-based hot drink.
Drinks in hand, I made my way back to the car. Along the way, I took one last picture of an icon on the side of the building. As I got back to the car, I found out my young niece was worried about me coming back to the car. With her satisfied that I was again back in the car and buckled up, we drove off into the night to get some much-earned rest. It was a fantastic day of adventures.
I would only have one more adventure in Japan before going home. That will be my next post, though! What do you think of my visit to Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo? What most intrigued you about it? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
Leave a Reply