Blue Bottle Coffee: 15 Popular Stores in Japan and Limited Edition Items

Since Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first Japanese store in Kiyosumi Shirakawa, it has sparked a wave of coffee enthusiasm in the area.

Now, they have a total of 28 stores in Japan. Each store boasts unique architectural features and offers limited menus or items, enticing fans to visit again and again.

The Origins and History of Blue Bottle Coffee

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Known as the "Apple of the coffee world," Blue Bottle Coffee was founded by James Freeman in 2002. Initially starting with simple equipment and setting up a stand to sell coffee, it has now become one of the leading brands in the third-wave coffee movement.

The key to its success lies in Blue Bottle Coffee's focus on providing customers with a wonderful experience when they drink a cup of coffee, rather than replicating what others are already doing. The founder, formerly a musician, discovered his passion for freshly brewed hand-poured coffee and decided to dedicate himself to the craft of a barista.

In 2005, Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first physical store in San Francisco and later expanded to New York, Japan, Korea, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Just in Japan alone, there are 28 branches (information accurate as of August 2024).

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Blue Bottle Coffee directly contracts with coffee farms around the world to import coffee beans, which are then roasted in their own roasting facilities.

They adhere to a policy of providing beans roasted within 48 hours to ensure that every cup of coffee is tasted by customers at its freshest.

1. Blue Bottle Coffee Kiyosumi Shirakawa Flagship Store

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The Blue Bottle Coffee Kiyosumi Shirakawa flagship store, which reopened in October 2019, is the first branch to offer a "full table service" experience.

Customers dining in the store will have their meals served directly by the staff. With seating increased to 47 places, the store is now more spacious, attracting many parents who come with strollers to enjoy a moment of coffee time.

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The staff uses several hand-brewing methods, including espresso, siphon, and French press using velvet filters. They also offer seasonal limited edition select coffee beans.

We ordered the exclusive desserts at the Kiyosumi Shirakawa store: a caramel pudding and a seasonal fruit tart.

The caramel pudding boasts a rich caramel flavor, with a fragrant egg aroma and a tender texture that is irresistibly delicious. The fig and custard fruit tart features a crispy crust that melts in the mouth, followed by the delightful sweet and sour taste of figs, offering a splendid feast for the taste buds that is unforgettable.

Blue Bottle Coffee Kiyosumi Shirakawa store
Address: 1-4-8 Hirano, Koto ward, Tokyo
Business Hours: 8:00 - 19:00

2. Blue Bottle Coffee Shinjuku Store: A Transit Oasis

Blue Bottle Coffee Shinjuku Store is situated on the first floor of the directly connected shopping mall, NEWoMan. Designed primarily for travelers passing through the station to grab a quick coffee break, the store offers a moment of relaxation with coffee.

Although seating is not extensive, the spacious aisles make it easy for customers to navigate even with luggage, without obstructing others.

Here, they offer a limited edition dish, the Prosciutto and Cheese Sandwich. The toast is perfectly crispy, and the rich cheese provides a full taste of happiness right from the morning.

Blue Bottle Coffee Shinjuku Store
Address: 4-1-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo
Business Hours: Monday to Saturday 8:00-21:00, Sunday and Public Holidays 8:00-20:30

3. Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi Store: An Urban Oasis

Located on the basement floor of TRI-SEVEN ROPPONGI, the Roppongi branch is adjacent to a shrine and a small stone garden. Here, you can experience the changing seasons and the play of light, creating an oasis that is difficult to imagine amidst the bustling commercial buildings.

This café oasis provides a place for working professionals in the area to relax and unwind before commuting or during their lunch break.

The limited edition dish at the Roppongi store is the ROPPONGI Sandwich, made with bread from Katane Bakery, one of Tokyo's top 100 bakeries. It contains a generous portion of six types of organic vegetables, making for a healthy and satisfying meal.

When we visited, we tried the egg salad sandwich, which was refreshing and appetizing. The bread's texture was so captivating—soft yet chewy—that it became more and more addictive with each bite (500 yen).

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi Store
Address: 7-7-7 Roppongi, Minato ward, Tokyo
Business Hours: 8:00 - 20:00

4. Blue Bottle Coffee Aoyama Store: A Tranquil Oasis in the Bustling City

Blue Bottle Coffee Aoyama Store is located at the intersection of Omotesando and Aoyama, where turning into the alley immediately transports you from the hustle and bustle of the city into a tranquil space.

The second floor of the store has around 70 seats, including bar tables, sofas, and outdoor terrace seating, making it suitable for individuals looking to immerse themselves in a book or for groups of friends to enjoy conversations.

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The limited dessert at the Aoyama store is the Beignet, offering a texture similar to small sweet donuts that can be drizzled with caramel sauce to enhance the flavor (600 yen for five pieces).

We ordered the Lemon Pound Cake, which was moist and dense with the refreshing aroma of lemon spreading in the mouth. Paired with a cup of black coffee, it made the coffee's flavor smoother (Lemon Pound Cake: 400 yen).

Blue Bottle Coffee Aoyama Store
Address: 3-13-14 Minami Aoyama, Minato ward, Tokyo
Business Hours: 8:00 - 19:00

5. Blue Bottle Coffee Toyosu Park Store: Overlooking the Bay

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In August 2024, Blue Bottle Coffee opened a concept store at Toyosu Park facing the ocean with the theme of "boundless."

This store blurs the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, creating a space that harmoniously integrates with the park and nature, offering a sense of openness.

It features a terrace with 40 seats, where you can enjoy peaceful moments with your beloved pets or children, while leisurely gazing at the shimmering bay, creating a serene and comfortable atmosphere.

This Toyosu Park exclusive new drink is derived from Blue Bottle Coffee's signature NOLA beverage. It combines cold-brewed chicory coffee extracted slowly for over 16 hours with milk and cane sugar, offering a light sweetness, the fragrance of chicory, and a rich yet refreshing taste.

Blue Bottle Coffee Toyosu Park
Address: Toyosu 2-3-6, Toyosu Park, Koto ward, Tokyo
Business Hours: 8:00 - 19:00

6. Blue Bottle Coffee Daikanyama Store

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Blue Bottle Coffee Daikanyama Store, which opened in December 2023, features walls painted with a pigment made from coffee grounds, embodying the concept of sustainability and recycling.

Inspired by the hilly terrain of Daikanyama, the space design utilizes undulating levels to create a spacious area reminiscent of a park, integrating lush greenery into the natural environment.

This design concept aims to provide coffee enthusiasts at this urban coffee shop with a comfortable ambiance akin to being in a cozy living room.

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The coffee-flavored madeleines, pre-launched at the Daikanyama store, incorporate their own coffee into the batter, freshly baked every morning in the store's oven. These specialty madeleines have a crispy exterior, a moist interior, and release a rich coffee aroma.

Address: 20-23 Sarugakucho, Shibuya ward, Tokyo
Business Hours: 8:00 - 20:00

7. Blue Bottle Coffee Sangenjaya Store: Revitalizing an Old Clinic

The Sangenjaya store is housed in a renovated clinic with a fifty-year history, located in a distinctive shopping district bustling with crowds. Tucked in a small alley off the lively street, you can find the serene presence of Blue Bottle Coffee.

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Outside the store, there are benches and high tables where you can relax and enjoy the view of the garden, creating a cozy and comfortable atmosphere akin to being at home.

Address: 1-33-18 Sangenjaya, Setagaya ward, Tokyo
Business Hours: 8:00 - 19:00

8. Blue Bottle Coffee Hiroo Store: A Corner Bar on an Old Shopping Street

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Blue Bottle Coffee Hiroo opened in a traditional shopping street in Hiroo in the summer of 2020. Here you can taste the Blue Bottle Coffee Light Beer, offered in collaboration with a Japanese brewery (priced at 750 yen).

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This marks the first time Blue Bottle Coffee will be selling its own brand of light beer, collaborating with the Ise Kadoya Beer based in Mie.

The beer blends Blue Bottle's signature and popular coffee beans, Three Africas, infusing the brew with the roasted aroma of coffee beans and a slight bitterness from the beer hops fermentation. It offers a refreshing sweetness upon swallowing.

In the future, this beer will also be available in bottled form and will be stocked at Blue Bottle Coffee stores nationwide!

Blue Bottle Coffee Hiroo
Address: 5-4-16 Hiroo, Shibuya ward, Tokyo
Business Hours: 7:30 - 21:00

9. Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto: Traditional Meets Modern

Blue Bottle Coffee's first store in western Japan is located near Nanzenji Temple, where they have renovated a hundred-year-old Kyoto machiya townhouse.

The space features large floor-to-ceiling windows allowing sunlight to pour in, while under the high ceilings, softly colored neon lights are arranged, blending a modern aesthetic with a traditional atmosphere.

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The store features a pastry kitchen where various freshly baked cookies and scones are available for tasting.

To commemorate the opening of the Kyoto store, they introduced the refreshing Matcha Mint Cookies, which have now become one of the limited desserts in Kansai (priced at 200 yen).

Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto
Address: 64 Kusakawacho, Nanzenji, Sakyo ward, Kyoto
Business Hours: 9:00 - 18:00

10. Blue Bottle Coffee Kobe Store: Located in a Romantic Western-style Mansion Area

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The second store in Kansai, Blue Bottle Coffee Kobe Store, is located in the former foreign settlement area of Kobe, nestled among the elegant and charming retro Western-style mansions along the streets.

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The Kobe store introduced a unique Cold Brew Coffee Jelly made with iced coffee and homemade jelly, where the coffee is steeped in cold water for a higher intensity, while the jelly offers a creamy, sweet, and smooth texture (priced at 280 yen).

Blue Bottle Coffee Kobe Store
Address: 1 Maemachi, Chuo ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture
Business Hours: 8:00 - 19:00

11. Blue Bottle Coffee Shibuya in Kitaya Park

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Blue Bottle Coffee Shibuya, officially opened in April 2021, is nestled in Shibuya's Kitaya Park. Many customers leisurely use the outdoor terraced seating, enjoying their coffee while basking in the sunlight.

The two-story store features a minimalist yet modern design, with furniture and tableware primarily made of wood, blending seamlessly with the surrounding greenery, and creating a comfortable dining environment.

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The Shibuya store offers exclusive dishes like all-day Vegetable Pancake Brunch, Jam and Cheese Scones, Pavlova Cake, Lemon Slice Pancakes, and Brick Cheese Cake, rivaling the richness found at the flagship store in Kiyosumi Shirakawa.

Blue Bottle Coffee Shibuya
Address: 1-7-3 Jinnan, Shibuya ward, Tokyo
Business Hours: 8:00 - 20:00

12. Blue Bottle Coffee Umeda Chayamachi Cafe in Osaka

Blue Bottle Coffee Umeda Chayamachi Cafe officially opened on July 24, 2021, and is situated in the culturally significant district of Umeda Chayamachi in Osaka.

This store features a Sensory Lounge on the second floor, where projections and music from the ceiling create a unique coffee experience that goes beyond taste and smell. Visitors can immerse themselves in a novel coffee feast through visual, auditory, and tactile sensations.

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The exclusive dessert at this store is Tiramisu, featuring Blue Bottle Coffee's refreshing coffee aroma and handmade mascarpone cheese cream. With a smooth and creamy texture, each layer offers a delightful surprise (priced at 748 yen).

Blue Bottle Coffee Umeda Chayamachi Cafe
Address: Urban Terrace Chayamachi Building A, 15-22 Chayamachi, Kita ward, Osaka
Business Hours: 8:00 - 21:00

13. Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Rokkaku Cafe: Embracing the Next Century in Kyoto

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In December 2019, the second Kyoto store, Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Rokkaku Cafe, was born near Karasuma Oike. This store is a renovation of the building that housed the Tsujimori Jitensha Shokai, a bicycle shop established during the Meiji era (1868-1912).

Tsujimori Jitensha Shokai, with a century-long history, participated in Kyoto's centennial project, "Kyoto Hyaku 100," collaborating with Blue Bottle Coffee with the shared vision of ensuring the next century of this establishment.

Using traditional machiya building materials, the exterior design seamlessly integrates with the Kyoto streetscape, and inside, you'll find antique furniture from various countries and eras!

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The exclusive dessert at this store is the Blue Bottle Coffee Yokan, a special dessert created in collaboration with Toshoan, a Kyoto red bean paste shop with over 60 years of history.

This yokan dessert is specifically designed to complement coffee. If you haven't tried yokan with coffee before, you definitely should give it a try!

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Another dessert available here is the French Matcha Terrine, made using matcha from the traditional Kyoto tea shop Rishoen Tea Store.

This dessert features a white chocolate base with a rich matcha flavor. The cake's bottom layer includes sansho (Japanese pepper), enhancing the matcha's taste.

Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Rokkaku Cafe
Address: 226-1 Sanmon-cho, Rokkaku-dori, Higashinotoin, Nakagyo ward, Kyoto
Business Hours: 9:00 - 19:00

14. Blue Bottle Coffee Minatomirai Cafe in Yokohama

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The Blue Bottle Coffee Minatomirai Cafe opened in September 2020 as Blue Bottle Coffee's second store in Yokohama.

Situated in front of the Yokohama Museum of Art, this store is the first in Japan to utilize park land, creating an open and airy atmosphere.

Through large glass windows, the building seamlessly integrates with the park, fostering a welcoming ambiance. The interior features Karimoku furniture in line with the brand's philosophy, presenting a simple and comfortable style.

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They offer an insulated travel cup for sale, specially designed to securely hold carbonated drinks and featuring a one-handed opening switch, making it ideal for outings or daily exercise.

Blue Bottle Coffee Minatomirai Cafe
Address: GL Floor, MARK IS Minatomirai, 3-5-1 Minatomirai, Nishi ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 8:00 - 20:00

15. Blue Bottle Coffee Nagoya Sakae Store: Fusing Coffee Shop Culture

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In 2022, Blue Bottle Coffee made its debut in Nagoya, where the local culture is deeply rooted in a nostalgic cafe culture, developing unique coffee customs like morning set meals.

The store's furniture is a collaboration with the renowned Aichi Prefecture furniture brand Karimoku, while the walls feature original Mino-yaki ceramic tiles from Gifu. Custom Mino-yaki plates are also used in the store, showcasing the traditional craftsmanship charm of the Chubu region in every detail.

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Additionally, at Blue Bottle Coffee Nagoya Sakae Store, you can enjoy the exclusive dessert Pudding Hyakubai, a treat unique to this location that evokes memories of nostalgic tea times at retro cafes.

Blue Bottle Coffee Nagoya Sakae Store
Address: 1F Chunichi Building, 4-1-1 Sakae, Naka ward, Nagoya, Aichi
Business Hours: 8:00 - 20:00

Must-Buy Blue Bottle Coffee Merchandise

Blue Bottle Coffee offers store-exclusive merchandise at some locations. Fans shouldn't miss out on these products that are worth trying or collecting!

Blue Bottle's canned Cold Brew Iced Coffee comes in two flavors: BOLD and BRIGHT. BOLD leans towards a chocolate flavor, while BRIGHT offers a fruity and tangy taste. (6 bottles for 3,888 yen)

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The Kiyosumi Mark Cup is designed in Japan and produced in Gifu Prefecture. Its clean and white appearance perfectly captures the essence of Blue Bottle for fans to have at home or in their office to recreate the cafe atmosphere.

Additionally, the 2017 holiday limited edition Mark Cup features a design with a car symbolizing the founder's initial delivery of freshly roasted coffee beans to customers' homes. This special edition cup is still available for purchase (priced at 2,200 yen/2,530 yen).

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Blue Bottle Coffee collaborated with the prestigious Japanese tool brand TRUSCO, known for winning design awards, to create a toolbox. Made from a single sheet of steel, this toolbox boasts durability, resistance to damage, and a sleek, streamlined design (priced at 3,888 yen).

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The limited edition items at the Kiyosumi Shirakawa flagship store include a coffee can (priced at 2,200 yen, limited quantity), cups (starting from 2,200 yen), shopping bags (starting from 4,800 yen), aluminum straws (priced at 1,200 yen), and cork coasters (a set priced at 1,400 yen), making them dreamy items that are even unavailable on Blue Bottle's online store.

Explore the Flavors of Blue Bottle Coffee in Japan

Completing a tour of all the Blue Bottle Coffee stores in Japan might not be easy, but if you find yourself with some spare time in your itinerary, visiting a few locations can be quite rewarding. You will likely be captivated by the dedication and charm of Blue Bottle Coffee.

Taking the time to enjoy a cup of coffee during your journey is also a wonderful way to commemorate your travels.

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