Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka: Japan's First Gallery Cafe — Exhibitions & Access Guide

Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka in Tokyo is Japan's first gallery-concept cafe, opened in March 2026.

Just a 4-minute walk from Nippori Station, this guide covers how to get there, the store's features, and the opening exhibition (running through 6/28) all in one place.

This article introduces Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka, Japan’s first Starbucks gallery store, which opened in Yanaka, Tokyo in March 2026.

It’s a new type of store where you can view 36 works of contemporary art alongside your coffee, and it has been drawing attention as one of the most unique concept stores among Tokyo’s Starbucks locations.

In this article, we’ve put together everything from how to get there to the store’s features and the opening exhibition.

What is Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka?

The official name of Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka is Starbucks Cafe & Art Gallery Yanaka Gotenzaka, a new type of store where you can enjoy contemporary art together with coffee.

The store concept is “The intersection of art and coffee (藝と珈琲の交差点)".

Around the Yanaka Gotenzaka (御殿坂) area, the building is a two-story wooden structure that inherits the architectural style passed down since the Taisho era (1912–1926), blending naturally into the streetscape.

✨ How it differs from a regular Starbucks

• Japan's first gallery-fusion store (Kyoto BAL store is scheduled to be converted as the 2nd location)
• Building designed by Yanaka architecture firm HAGISO; gallery planning and operation by The Chain Museum
• Two-story wooden building that inherits the Taisho-era architectural style
• Store area approximately 299㎡ (about 90 tsubo), 74 seats (1F 22 seats + 2F 52 seats)
• A total of 36 contemporary art works on display (1F 12 works + 2F 24 works)
• Works are rotated regularly — you can encounter different works each time you visit
• Some works are actually available for purchase through the ArtSticker platform

📌 This is a different concept from Roastery / Reserve stores. While Tokyo has several special Starbucks locations, Yanaka Gotenzaka is Japan’s first store specialized in the gallery concept.

📌 Yanaka is the area of Tokyo where the old-time atmosphere remains best preserved, and it makes a great walking course paired with the Yanaka Ginza shopping street.

Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka Location & Access

Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka is a 4-minute walk from Nippori Station, making it one of the most accessible Starbucks locations in Tokyo.

⚠️ Notes on using the store

• No lining up on the sidewalk in front of the store or outside the premises (to avoid blocking foot traffic in the neighborhood)
• Entry may be restricted when the store is full
• Take-out cups must be taken with you or thrown away in the in-store trash (to protect the local scenery)
• Temporary closures or changes to operating hours are possible due to typhoons, disasters, etc.

📌 Tips for visiting

• Highly recommended as a first-day itinerary: It works perfectly as the first stop on day one — take the Skyliner from Narita Airport and get off at Nippori Station.
• Combine with Yanaka Ginza: Just a 2-minute walk from the store is the Yanaka Ginza shopping street, which keeps Tokyo's old-time atmosphere. After viewing the gallery, enjoy a casual stroll through the shopping street as well.

Features of Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka

HAGISO architectural design + The Chain Museum gallery curation

Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka was designed by HAGISO, a local Yanaka architecture firm. They’re the team behind HAGI CAFE, a well-known spot in Yanaka Ginza, and they understand the atmosphere of the neighborhood better than anyone.

The warm wood texture and restrained straight-line structure come together to naturally connect Yanaka’s traditional sensibility with a modern gallery cafe space.

Gallery planning and operation are supported by The Chain Museum, with regular discovery and curation of emerging artists. Works inside the store are rotated regularly, so even at the same store you’ll encounter different works each time you visit.

1F: Atrium with 12 large-scale works

When you step inside, an open atrium structure that runs through the floor unfolds before you.

Under natural light streaming in through the large windows, 12 large-scale contemporary art works are on display.

After picking up your drink, it’s nice to walk through the gallery as if you were strolling and then choose a seat.

2F: Four spaces, 24 works

The 2nd floor is divided into four separate spaces, with a total of 24 paintings and sculptures on display.

① Mid-2F counter seats: seats where you can enjoy coffee while looking down over the Yanaka streetscape

② Central community table: the best seat for viewing the works up close

③ North-side sofa seats: large windows opening onto the fresh green of the neighboring Kyoo-ji Temple (経王寺) — a quiet scene that’s hard to find in central Tokyo

④ West side: a variety of seating including sofas, tables, and koagari (a slightly raised tatami-style seating area)

In particular, the window seats are the most popular, as you can take in the gentle slope of Gotenzaka along with the greenery of Kyoo-ji Temple (経王寺) at the same time.

📌 Depending on the time of day and where you sit, the same work can look different — there’s a real pleasure in finding your own spot inside the store, just as you would when wandering through Yanaka.

Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka Opening Exhibition (2026)

To celebrate the grand opening of Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka, a special exhibition by three artists is currently underway.

Introducing the three participating artists

• Karin Hosono (호소노 카린): an emerging artist centered on dreamy, warm paintings
• Shotaro Sanada (真田将太朗): sensuous drawings and paintings, based in Tokyo
• YU SORA: born in Kanagawa in 2002, oil painting major at Tama Art University, an emerging artist drawing attention for her cat motifs

📌 Yanaka is known as a “cat town.” If you compare YU SORA’s cat works with the actual streets of Yanaka, the exhibition becomes even more interesting.

※ After 6/28, the works will be replaced with a new collection.

Starbucks Yanaka Gotenzaka is a space that offers a special experience as Japan’s first gallery-fusion store. In Yanaka’s calm atmosphere, you can enjoy coffee and contemporary art together — a rare place even within Tokyo.

If you walk through it along with the Yanaka Ginza shopping street just 2 minutes away on foot, you can complete a half-day course that naturally connects Tokyo’s past and present.

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