While Tokyo’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery, located along the scenic Meguro River, is temporarily closed for the hanami (flower viewing) season to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, urban oasis Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden welcomed a new Starbucks café last Friday, March 20. As temperatures rise and the garden’s cherry trees finally blossomed, Starbucks opened shop between the French Formal Garden and the English Landscape Garden, overlooking the Nakanoike pond. The sprawling Shinjuku Gyoen may be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku’s concrete jungle, but here you can simply unwind with a latte in hand, gaze out at the abundant greenery and forget that you're in the city centre.
Photo: Starbucks
A pre-existing rest area was revamped and turned into this modern Starbucks outpost, which connects seamlessly with the natural surroundings through its floor to ceiling windows, providing picture-perfect views of the opposite lake and greenery. Adhering to a sustainable model, the coffee shop’s wooden interior is made from recycled materials and domestic timber.
Photo: Lim Chee Wah
If the weather’s good, grab a seat on the ground-floor open-air terrace and enjoy the scenery over a cup of steaming hot coffee.
For more picturesque cafés, check out Japan’s most beautiful Starbucks, or simply head over to the Japanese garden at Yomiuriland for a Starbucks set in a greenhouse, complete with its own aquarium.
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