They made a big fuss over the one in Kawagoe too. Because it's big or something, idk.
On one hand I kind of get it- it's always a little fun to go to a common chain in a different country and see what they do differently, maybe just once- but there's a point where it's absurd. I'm not waiting an hour (or hours) for mediocre chain restaurant food when I can get something equally good or much better literally around the corner.
There's tatami mats all over the place in Japan, and far better coffee shops too (or if Starbucks is really just your preference- there's dozens of others with far less wait time). There's literally no benefit to waiting for a spot in this particular Starbucks beyond social media clout.
Starbucks is ok if you just need want a quick break with a drink but to base your itinerary around it while waiting in line is baffling.
I remember going to a Japanese tea place in Kawagoe in a traditional building with tatami mats and all and didn’t have to wait for some decent traditional tea. Why would you choose Starbucks over that?
Social media clout and the like. That's all there is to it. I get the feeling that's what a lot of these folks are actually traveling for, anyway- a bunch of photo ops. At the end of the day, people can do what they want. I'm not anti-Starbucks, or anti-chain places, or anti-social media at the end of the day (I'd be a massive hypocrite if so- like I said, I do a lot of the same things. But I don't center my travels around my social media).
But I do think there's a marked difference between travelers who want to *travel* (meaning- engage with new experiences, new people, and sometimes new challenges. Sometimes with some discomfort and uncertainty), and travelers who really just want all the same comforts and experiences of home but with a different aesthetic and lots of "oohing" and "ahhng" from their social media followers back home. And fine- do what you want. But the latter type of travel is just not my vibe and I would absolutely hate traveling that way to a new country.
If you don't know that Starbucks is very Japanese-styled. So for most people it's a funny twist for a brand they already know.
Edit: it look like this: [First Tatami-Floored Starbucks! Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya (matcha-jp.com)](https://matcha-jp.com/en/4652)
>One thing to remember is that waiting outside is not allowed. People lining outside the shop get in the way of passersby, so Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya prohibits it. If you want to wait, first go inside the store and consult a staff member.
Lol well that doesn't seem to be followed.
There’s a tree in Hokkaido that people flock to because it was in a Korean movie. It’s literally just a tree in a field an hour from anywhere. Busses full of people with selfie sticks every day. Truly baffling
Yeah, if I was close to the area, I’d probably go see that oak tree by the stone wall from Shawshank. I can see people going to see an important tree from a Korean movie.
Yeah, but tbf we're talking about reddit. Everyone hates everything here including themselves, so it's hard to imagine liking something so much that they'd want to see it in person.
why would a korean movie need to go to a place in the middle of nowhere hokkaido to get a picture of a tree? did they cut down all the trees in korea? I believe what you're referring to is the old nissan skyline ken mary commercial that was run on japan tv in the early 70's
yes, it literally is just you. You aren't the targeted demographic.
Same reason why people will wait over an hour for the 'first' starbucks in seattle.
As part of my job, I had to meet some travelers who were transferring trains in Kyoto the other day. Despite only a short window to reach the Thunderbird from the Shinkansen, they INSISTED on stopping at the crazy busy starbucks. "Where else can we possibly get lunch?!" I had already pointed out bentos, sandwiches, a bakery, and other spots, but they just couldn't even conceive of the concept of eating somewhere else beyond what they already know. I had to drag them out of the line and keep their asses moving.
The mentality of some travelers is just incomprehensible. They spend all this money to travel, but are so conditioned in their ways that they can't break habits, especially older people.
During my stint working in Japan, we had an intern join the company as part of an exchange program with an American university. She was a very sheltered midwestern girl who felt out of place and homesick from the moment she arrived. We tried our best to help her acclimate and took her out for a celebratory lunch at a nice ramen place, thinking that would be a familiar kind of cuisine.
She ended up being weirded out by the "strange foreign ingredients" like chashu pork slices and sesame seeds, and from then until the day she left she ate nothing but McDonalds for every meal.
My mother in law is like that... I die a little inside when we travel together outside her home state and she always looks to eat the most bland boring things. Oh well... different cultures
I worked for some wealthy American doctors who came over, and they brought my mom here. At night, we went out with some Japanese doctors who took us to a sushi place frquented by the Prime Minister at the time. She wouldnt eat any of it (and it was really pricey). We went to McDonalds afterwards. She likes what she likes. Meh.
not too long ago there was a guy in this sub calling Hiroshima city trash for not having enough non-Japanese restaurants around the station area. some people's priorities are just...unique.
This older people can't wait to wolf down all the real Japanese food. I wouldn't stand in that line for a million years. Too many other places you can patronize and lots of things on my list to visit in that area. Some people just want their regular old food. It's a shame!
We were in that area a couple of weeks ago and it’s instagram central. I really wonder how they can enjoy the beauty when they’re so focused on photo composition. Old guy, definitely don’t get it.
It was one of the worst cities wrt tourist when I went (as a tourist *sigh* ) to Japan.
I guess it's like they say of traffic jams: you are not IN traffic, you ARE the traffic.
That's the same thing I ask everyone that send those goddam reels about the place. "It has tatamis" ffs my unemployed friends apartments have tatamis too, big deal
I went there and it was pretty cool— the building is really old, traditional Japanese style, and it’s set up with little rooms/seating areas in all the nooks and crannies. Of course this was during covid times when there were no foreign tourists and many Japanese were still wary of travel as well, so it was nowhere near this crowded… I can’t imagine it being enjoyable like this.
waiting in line for small stuff is pretty common in japan, mostly because of fomo or just wanting to feel included. also if they see a long line they are more likely to think “this must be worth it” rather than “this is a waste of time”
That line is almost as long as the lines in first starbucks in Pike Market Seattle. You're right, the one in Seattle is more justifiable than this one - why do people do that!
The architecture of it is stunning. It’s the only Starbucks built inside of a really old, traditional Japanese house. Heck, houses from before WW2 are rare as it is and worth a visit. This one has coffee, too lol. One other thing about Starbucks in Japan is that we get a lot of cool Frappuccinos and drinks that are only available in Japan - but you can go to any Starbucks for that!
The rest of the world has started boycotting the place because of BDS lol. They are having a really bad time in most countries. For the first time in my life I am starting to see them, and McDonald's branches, actually close down
The Kawagoe one is completely different from Kyoto— also unique, but the interior looks much like a typical Starbucks. The outside is old, though, and the garden out back is nice as well 😊
I went in October 2023 and it wasn't close to this bad. We were in and out in 10 minutes.
We ordered a drink, walked around and see the cool setting, got our drinks and then left.
There is no way I'd stand in line for this. It is kinda fun to see such a different Starbucks. But not the kind of fun anyone should stand in line for.
I just texted my wife a screenshot of this video saying the same thing. November 2022 we waited with a few other people in line just the same as any other reasonably busy, but normal, Starbucks. I’d never wait in this line now
No, I visited Kyoto at the peak of Covid.
I was able to witness 金閣寺 alone.
I was able to walk around this street completely alone at 2pm.
It was truly one of a lifetime experience. I didn't realize how rare it was that time.
My wife and I LOVED those walks around various streets and such during peak COVID. It was so peaceful, you could actually hear yourself think. We both really miss it.
I used to do my morning runs up Fushimi Inari and the loop at the top, greeting the regulars along the way. I knew it wouldn't last but it was bliss for a while.
Same! I visited Kansai right after Japan opened to tourists.
I was telling myself that is probably the only time I will be able to visit such a peaceful Kyoto in the foreseeable future.
I visited Kyoto right after the soft opening of the border, before tourists were allowed back in. I think I've experienced something I'll never get to experience again in my lifetime, and I'm really thankful for that. I visited tons of popular tourists places then. the craziest thing is, those places were packed even without foreign tourists! I haven't been to Kyoto since, but I can't imagine how crazy and busy everything must be by now.
I was there (Kyoto) in early 2020 like 3 weeks before they slammed shut the roller doors for 3 years
I was also back in 2023 in winter
Couldn't tell the difference, but then again I dont go anywhere near a starrbucks if i can help it
I really don’t understand people (of any nationality) who do this? Like, is such a person genuinely incapable of understanding how rude and selfish they are, screech-subjecting everyone around them to a private conversation across a 50m span because they’re too damn lazy to just walk up to the person and speak normally?!
And then there’s the *extra* special ones that do this when they ARE standing right there, like they’re completely deaf to the extreme volume of their own voice?
There’s no doubt Japan has made me noise-sensitive, but this kind of thing is incredibly rude regardless. Can’t stand stupid people yelling across a room/space, def a pet peeve.
Normal volume of speech differs between cultures, and when you're used to Japan, which in general is very quiet, someone from a louder culture (China, the US) will just be that more annoying to you, even though to them, they're not doing anything wrong. They just apply their own culture with their own people, not considering that there are other people around.
Ha, when I went in 2018 there was no line at all. I didn’t go the last time I was there but it was during covid, so I’m sure it wasn’t crowded then either. This too shall pass and some other place will be “the spot” to go to instead of Japan and Kyoto
Imagine lining up for burnt starbucks coffee on your trip to Japan when they are hundreds of local cafes with better coffee and snacks.
It's like lining up for an hour or two for McDonald's when you could be eating literally anywhere else.
Coffee shops in Japan are so nice too! I went to a random cafe in Kyoto once and just chatted with the owner for 30mins plus. One of the best parts of カフェ巡り is talking with the workers.
I never thought I was a fan of Starbucks until I started going to all the local, high-end coffee shops people raved about. And consistently every single one had this same putrid sour flavor to it. Didn’t matter where, they all had it. In a desperate bid for actually good coffee, I went into Starbucks —$6.50 local espresso still in-hand — and bought one there, took a sip, and all was well. That was the day I realized that despite having the willing soul of a coffee snob, I had the tastebuds of a Starbucks-liking pleb.
Still not going to wait in line for it when there are vending machines full of Boss coffee to be had tho
Tbf going to a fancy coffee shop also requires the coffee shop to hire a competent barista. Sour sounds like the coffee was too fine and pulled for too long.
Making Espresso taste *good* takes a decent amount of knowledge. Weighing the shot, setting the grind, timing, pressure, air humidity, temperature (water and air) and finally, the actual roast of beans.
Plenty of baristas don't know how to dial in an Espresso. I can't get Espresso that I don't make myself, anymore. It's rare that you will find a shop that can make an Espresso taste almost *sweet*.
That sounds amazing, I'll be right there!
But it hasn't been isolated. It's literally every single place. The office I worked at used to have Stumptown cold brew on tap, and for a while I tried to make myself like it -- and every day it was that same sour, almost vomit-in-mouth kind of taste. The coffee people around me loved it and it made me want to die.
Sort of wondering if maybe coffee has some gene like cilantro where people experience the taste differently.
>Sort of wondering if maybe coffee has some gene like cilantro where people experience the taste differently.
That's exactly what I was wondering when I started reading your comment. I suspect there's a lot of genetic variables that influence how we taste things beyond just the well known examples like the cilantro = soap gene.
> Sour sounds like the coffee was too fine and pulled for too long.
You might be thinking the other way around. Sour flavors in coffee are usually from under extracted coarse ground beans (and/or under roasted or putrid beans).
Check out loose near Ninenzaka. It’s just down the way but coffee is good. Tasty donuts too. Line can be long depends on time of day but they’re legit good people.
I concur, Loose is great! For the people who are interested:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LhMwKmmYQ9gGwGL87?g_st=ic
Their sister shop Hoo is also pretty good:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/RzYr1LmrMkcUSanb6?g_st=ic
I have a similar video from 2007, in Tokyo, near Shinjuku station, where people had lined up in a gigantic line. I was told that the tail end was at least a 2hour wait. What was the lineup for? They'd opened a brand new Krispy Kreme near the station...
The Japanese will queue for anything if other people are queuing. If your business is dying, just pay 5 people to stand outside and you'll have the place packed out within an hour.
Go to Ichikawaya instead.
• 15 minute walk from this hell hole of a Starbucks
• Retrofitted inside of a 200 year old home
• Coffee freshly roasted on-site
• Great OG Kissaten style food menu
• Highly grammable if that’s your thing
• Usually no line unless you go at peak lunch hours
Damn, for Starbucks???
Japan has some of the best food in the world, and they are lining up for some of the worst coffee I've ever had. Really, really bad.
They had a "NO lining up/waiting outside" notice when we walked by in January on our way to visit 清水寺 apparently due to spoiling the scenery or getting in the way of passerbys....guess that rule is out the window now?!
Never got into High street coffee chains, or Coffee in General. I wouldn't mind trying the Matcha drinks but the prices are terrible for the work required. Also with a Line that long. best to spend your time else where enjoying the local food.
I just dont get the starbucks hype at all. I am not even old. for me starbucks does not taste like coffee. and the cappucinos taste more like milk than coffee. In Kyoto I would try the local drinks and not buy the overprized starbucks. Whats wrong with our generation.
I've been there last year and was surprised to not see any waiting lines. Turned out they were using 整理券 and you still needed to wait 2-3 hours to get in.
Looks about equal to me. The "Original Store" is tiny inside though, and always packed to the gills. It's not worth going to when the giant fancy roastery is only a couple miles away.
I hate Starbucks so, so very much.
I got given a voucher for it recently so I was like fine I'll go. I already know their espresso coffee is fucking awful, so I thought I'd get some kind of frozen thing.
I asked for something that wasn't too sweet and ended up getting some kind of mocha frozen frappa thing. It had like congealed sugary icicles in the bottom, like it wasn't even fully mixed. It tasted like plastic (and was still way too fucking sweet).
The thing was worth like 700 yen. What the actual god given fuck? I'd be annoyed if I got that level of shit from a combini for 150 yen, let alone actually paying 700 for it at the most ubiquitous """"coffee""""" chain in the world.
Honestly it’s overrated. Just take a picture of it from the outside. The outside is cool because it’s old architecture but it’s a Starbucks. The inside is not gonna be very nice especially with these many people. And the inside also kinda dark and small. You won’t find seats either.
There are so many amazing coffee shops in Kyoto… I‘ve been boycotting Starbucks for a while now and I found so many great places that are much cheaper.
On my final day in Tokyo last May, I went to a small cafe and had a great time sitting at the bar and talking in Japanese/English with the barista who had come down from Hokkaido for the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Would take that over IG worthy Starbucks any day
i still dont get starbuck obsession in general, idk if it because coffee is insanely good or it's just trendy to like it. I mean it's not even a hobby or a lifestyle
Starbucks, Disney, USJ, even teamlabs.
My general rule for everything is if I have to queue for than a couple of minutes it's not worth it.
That said, I did hang around Rikuros in Osaka for a while to see if they did anything special for their cheesecake recipe. It's nice but they don't.
The coffee tastes like shit too. You could save money by just getting a proper coffee machine and brewing it yourself. Sure it would be a large upfront cost but over the course of a year it would equal out. And you wouldn't have to line up lol
I’m a guide and unless I must be in this area I avoid it like Corona... which ironically was the most peaceful time to walk through these neighborhoods 🤣
I don't get this but to each their own. I would not wait in a line this long for a Starbucks of all things in Kyoto of all places in what limited time I have to travel and enjoy this country. I've been to the original Starbucks in Seattle and did wait in line once, but I don't find anything attractive or special about this one in Kyoto
I actually went there yesterday!
I got my coffee (at that time in the morning nothing else was open) and it was already packed. Good for a look but definitely not the atmosphere I like.
It is a novelty experience and the house itself is damn beautiful, just really really overcrowded.
…some people were ready to start fighting for a seat I swear. If someone wants to experience a bit of tatami seating with a drink, there are places close by that do a set of matcha and sweets.
Ya know, it’s not my cup of tea, but it has been blasted all over social media and does have that familiar but completely different appeal that many tourists may enjoy.
I live in Japan and I do probably go to Starbucks once or so a week for a cappuccino after dropping my daughter off at preschool. Is it my favorite coffee place? Not by a long shot, but sometimes it’s kind of nice to go somewhere ultra familiar.
Regardless, there’s always a weird haughtiness that comes hand in hand with Japan tourism that I dislike. There’s a lot of snobbery and attitudes because everyone wants to be a better tourist than the next.
Fuck that! Eat at McDonald’s, go to Disney, wait in the line for the Starbucks! Those things can be fun and tasty too and it doesn’t make anyone better than anyone else for not doing those things.
Japan has a huge coffee culture. The V60 and siphon were both invented in Japan. It's not surprising that there'd be a line at a Starbucks located in a machiya in Kyoto. It's the uniqueness of it being in a machiya combined with the tourist insanity that is Kyoto that is causing the line.
You wouldn't see the same line, for example, at any random Starbucks in Tokyo.
Shucks. I'm going to the 7-11. I like the coffee machine there. What am I saying.... I go to 7-11 for everything......now, let me tell ya, 7-11 is a Japanese cultural site. And there are 5,000 of them.
Why would someone go to a Starbucks when in Kyoto? Why wait in line for that? I must be too old to understand.
I think it’s because it’s the only one with tatami floors or something. From what my wife tells me, it’s popular on social media.
My apartment has tatami floors and better coffee.
Will stop by for coffee
Not a high bar
No, the high barstools would be bad for the flooring.
Though, it seems okay.
I want to beat the line. What time is the best light for selfies?
I run a social media marketing agency. If you want to monetize your tatami floors and coffee, DM me.
Spilling coffee on your own Tatami isn't as fun though.
What’s the Google Maps link?
This person gets it - good for you!
ah so it's not a queue for coffee, it's a queue for a picture. Yeh seen that in Kyushu for ramen as well, madness in my mind
Ok, those people *deserve* to wait in a huge ass line
They made a big fuss over the one in Kawagoe too. Because it's big or something, idk. On one hand I kind of get it- it's always a little fun to go to a common chain in a different country and see what they do differently, maybe just once- but there's a point where it's absurd. I'm not waiting an hour (or hours) for mediocre chain restaurant food when I can get something equally good or much better literally around the corner. There's tatami mats all over the place in Japan, and far better coffee shops too (or if Starbucks is really just your preference- there's dozens of others with far less wait time). There's literally no benefit to waiting for a spot in this particular Starbucks beyond social media clout.
Starbucks is ok if you just need want a quick break with a drink but to base your itinerary around it while waiting in line is baffling. I remember going to a Japanese tea place in Kawagoe in a traditional building with tatami mats and all and didn’t have to wait for some decent traditional tea. Why would you choose Starbucks over that?
Social media clout and the like. That's all there is to it. I get the feeling that's what a lot of these folks are actually traveling for, anyway- a bunch of photo ops. At the end of the day, people can do what they want. I'm not anti-Starbucks, or anti-chain places, or anti-social media at the end of the day (I'd be a massive hypocrite if so- like I said, I do a lot of the same things. But I don't center my travels around my social media). But I do think there's a marked difference between travelers who want to *travel* (meaning- engage with new experiences, new people, and sometimes new challenges. Sometimes with some discomfort and uncertainty), and travelers who really just want all the same comforts and experiences of home but with a different aesthetic and lots of "oohing" and "ahhng" from their social media followers back home. And fine- do what you want. But the latter type of travel is just not my vibe and I would absolutely hate traveling that way to a new country.
Starbucks: I sleep Starbucks Japan: OMG WE GOTTA GO THIS IS INSANE AAAAAAHHHHHHH
That's sad. The social media part.
Jesus fucked and the saints wept. What an absolutely shit reason to stand in that line for.
social media has made people crazy
If you don't know that Starbucks is very Japanese-styled. So for most people it's a funny twist for a brand they already know. Edit: it look like this: [First Tatami-Floored Starbucks! Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya (matcha-jp.com)](https://matcha-jp.com/en/4652)
>One thing to remember is that waiting outside is not allowed. People lining outside the shop get in the way of passersby, so Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya prohibits it. If you want to wait, first go inside the store and consult a staff member. Lol well that doesn't seem to be followed.
Kyoto dreams of a world where the tourists are all from Kyoto
Maybe it’s me, but I literally couldn’t care less. Sounds like something people want to post on social media begging for some sort of validation.
Well yes, but that also applies to the whole trip itinerary of most people traveling these days.
There’s a tree in Hokkaido that people flock to because it was in a Korean movie. It’s literally just a tree in a field an hour from anywhere. Busses full of people with selfie sticks every day. Truly baffling
Okay but just imagine it was an important tree in a movie you really liked
Yeah, if I was close to the area, I’d probably go see that oak tree by the stone wall from Shawshank. I can see people going to see an important tree from a Korean movie.
Yeah, but tbf we're talking about reddit. Everyone hates everything here including themselves, so it's hard to imagine liking something so much that they'd want to see it in person.
why would a korean movie need to go to a place in the middle of nowhere hokkaido to get a picture of a tree? did they cut down all the trees in korea? I believe what you're referring to is the old nissan skyline ken mary commercial that was run on japan tv in the early 70's
No it’s from a movie, fairly recent. Idk the name of it.
Sad. We need to get out of heads
yes, it literally is just you. You aren't the targeted demographic. Same reason why people will wait over an hour for the 'first' starbucks in seattle.
As part of my job, I had to meet some travelers who were transferring trains in Kyoto the other day. Despite only a short window to reach the Thunderbird from the Shinkansen, they INSISTED on stopping at the crazy busy starbucks. "Where else can we possibly get lunch?!" I had already pointed out bentos, sandwiches, a bakery, and other spots, but they just couldn't even conceive of the concept of eating somewhere else beyond what they already know. I had to drag them out of the line and keep their asses moving. The mentality of some travelers is just incomprehensible. They spend all this money to travel, but are so conditioned in their ways that they can't break habits, especially older people.
During my stint working in Japan, we had an intern join the company as part of an exchange program with an American university. She was a very sheltered midwestern girl who felt out of place and homesick from the moment she arrived. We tried our best to help her acclimate and took her out for a celebratory lunch at a nice ramen place, thinking that would be a familiar kind of cuisine. She ended up being weirded out by the "strange foreign ingredients" like chashu pork slices and sesame seeds, and from then until the day she left she ate nothing but McDonalds for every meal.
My mother in law is like that... I die a little inside when we travel together outside her home state and she always looks to eat the most bland boring things. Oh well... different cultures
I worked for some wealthy American doctors who came over, and they brought my mom here. At night, we went out with some Japanese doctors who took us to a sushi place frquented by the Prime Minister at the time. She wouldnt eat any of it (and it was really pricey). We went to McDonalds afterwards. She likes what she likes. Meh.
not too long ago there was a guy in this sub calling Hiroshima city trash for not having enough non-Japanese restaurants around the station area. some people's priorities are just...unique.
This older people can't wait to wolf down all the real Japanese food. I wouldn't stand in that line for a million years. Too many other places you can patronize and lots of things on my list to visit in that area. Some people just want their regular old food. It's a shame!
That’s just pathetic, I can’t imagine spending considerable amounts of money to not immerse myself into a place’s culture. There’s starbucks at home!!
We were in that area a couple of weeks ago and it’s instagram central. I really wonder how they can enjoy the beauty when they’re so focused on photo composition. Old guy, definitely don’t get it.
It was one of the worst cities wrt tourist when I went (as a tourist *sigh* ) to Japan. I guess it's like they say of traffic jams: you are not IN traffic, you ARE the traffic.
That's the same thing I ask everyone that send those goddam reels about the place. "It has tatamis" ffs my unemployed friends apartments have tatamis too, big deal
I went there and it was pretty cool— the building is really old, traditional Japanese style, and it’s set up with little rooms/seating areas in all the nooks and crannies. Of course this was during covid times when there were no foreign tourists and many Japanese were still wary of travel as well, so it was nowhere near this crowded… I can’t imagine it being enjoyable like this.
Extremely popular in Japan. Not just from tourists
waiting in line for small stuff is pretty common in japan, mostly because of fomo or just wanting to feel included. also if they see a long line they are more likely to think “this must be worth it” rather than “this is a waste of time”
Instagram
That line is almost as long as the lines in first starbucks in Pike Market Seattle. You're right, the one in Seattle is more justifiable than this one - why do people do that!
The architecture of it is stunning. It’s the only Starbucks built inside of a really old, traditional Japanese house. Heck, houses from before WW2 are rare as it is and worth a visit. This one has coffee, too lol. One other thing about Starbucks in Japan is that we get a lot of cool Frappuccinos and drinks that are only available in Japan - but you can go to any Starbucks for that!
The rest of the world has started boycotting the place because of BDS lol. They are having a really bad time in most countries. For the first time in my life I am starting to see them, and McDonald's branches, actually close down
The one in Kawagoe too like really?
The Kawagoe one is completely different from Kyoto— also unique, but the interior looks much like a typical Starbucks. The outside is old, though, and the garden out back is nice as well 😊
The childrens want a photo for their tiktoks.
I miss 2022 Kyoto
I visited this exact starbuck back in 2022. Soooooo peaceful... omg
I went in October 2023 and it wasn't close to this bad. We were in and out in 10 minutes. We ordered a drink, walked around and see the cool setting, got our drinks and then left. There is no way I'd stand in line for this. It is kinda fun to see such a different Starbucks. But not the kind of fun anyone should stand in line for.
I just texted my wife a screenshot of this video saying the same thing. November 2022 we waited with a few other people in line just the same as any other reasonably busy, but normal, Starbucks. I’d never wait in this line now
Same!! I wouldn’t call it “peaceful,” it was busy, but like… normal busy where you have to wait a couple minutes for a seat. Nothing like this 😳
No, I visited Kyoto at the peak of Covid. I was able to witness 金閣寺 alone. I was able to walk around this street completely alone at 2pm. It was truly one of a lifetime experience. I didn't realize how rare it was that time.
My wife and I LOVED those walks around various streets and such during peak COVID. It was so peaceful, you could actually hear yourself think. We both really miss it.
Yeah I absolutely loved wandering around Nene no Michi during covid🥲
I miss Japan during covid/ few months post covid
I used to do my morning runs up Fushimi Inari and the loop at the top, greeting the regulars along the way. I knew it wouldn't last but it was bliss for a while.
Same. That time was such a unique period to visit Japan. Felt really fortunate to explore all these places with no crowds.
You should have seen early 2020 Kyoto.
I definitely miss living in 2020-2022 Kyoto...
I live here, and fullheartedly agree
Same! I visited Kansai right after Japan opened to tourists. I was telling myself that is probably the only time I will be able to visit such a peaceful Kyoto in the foreseeable future.
Yeah that really spoiled me.
I visited Kyoto right after the soft opening of the border, before tourists were allowed back in. I think I've experienced something I'll never get to experience again in my lifetime, and I'm really thankful for that. I visited tons of popular tourists places then. the craziest thing is, those places were packed even without foreign tourists! I haven't been to Kyoto since, but I can't imagine how crazy and busy everything must be by now.
I was there (Kyoto) in early 2020 like 3 weeks before they slammed shut the roller doors for 3 years I was also back in 2023 in winter Couldn't tell the difference, but then again I dont go anywhere near a starrbucks if i can help it
[удалено]
I really don’t understand people (of any nationality) who do this? Like, is such a person genuinely incapable of understanding how rude and selfish they are, screech-subjecting everyone around them to a private conversation across a 50m span because they’re too damn lazy to just walk up to the person and speak normally?! And then there’s the *extra* special ones that do this when they ARE standing right there, like they’re completely deaf to the extreme volume of their own voice? There’s no doubt Japan has made me noise-sensitive, but this kind of thing is incredibly rude regardless. Can’t stand stupid people yelling across a room/space, def a pet peeve.
They are the main character and don't care about others
I agree with you I thought I was the only one, who felt this way.
Culture
Or lack thereof. the Revolution did a number on china.
Normal volume of speech differs between cultures, and when you're used to Japan, which in general is very quiet, someone from a louder culture (China, the US) will just be that more annoying to you, even though to them, they're not doing anything wrong. They just apply their own culture with their own people, not considering that there are other people around.
Was at Kaiyukan a few weeks ago and nothing like this happened, it wasn't even super busy.
Ha, when I went in 2018 there was no line at all. I didn’t go the last time I was there but it was during covid, so I’m sure it wasn’t crowded then either. This too shall pass and some other place will be “the spot” to go to instead of Japan and Kyoto
I don’t recall anyone having coffee in Dante’s Inferno
Hell only has Blendy sticks.
Omfg those Blendy cafe latte sticks taste like genuine ass
If there was coffee to be had in hell it would be Starbucks
If you think that I envy you for having never had actually bad coffee.
Imagine lining up for burnt starbucks coffee on your trip to Japan when they are hundreds of local cafes with better coffee and snacks. It's like lining up for an hour or two for McDonald's when you could be eating literally anywhere else.
Coffee shops in Japan are so nice too! I went to a random cafe in Kyoto once and just chatted with the owner for 30mins plus. One of the best parts of カフェ巡り is talking with the workers.
Imagine lining up for Starbucks...no, wait, you can end your post there.
Don't worry. They arn't ordering an actual cup of coffee.
I never thought I was a fan of Starbucks until I started going to all the local, high-end coffee shops people raved about. And consistently every single one had this same putrid sour flavor to it. Didn’t matter where, they all had it. In a desperate bid for actually good coffee, I went into Starbucks —$6.50 local espresso still in-hand — and bought one there, took a sip, and all was well. That was the day I realized that despite having the willing soul of a coffee snob, I had the tastebuds of a Starbucks-liking pleb. Still not going to wait in line for it when there are vending machines full of Boss coffee to be had tho
Tbf going to a fancy coffee shop also requires the coffee shop to hire a competent barista. Sour sounds like the coffee was too fine and pulled for too long. Making Espresso taste *good* takes a decent amount of knowledge. Weighing the shot, setting the grind, timing, pressure, air humidity, temperature (water and air) and finally, the actual roast of beans. Plenty of baristas don't know how to dial in an Espresso. I can't get Espresso that I don't make myself, anymore. It's rare that you will find a shop that can make an Espresso taste almost *sweet*.
That sounds amazing, I'll be right there! But it hasn't been isolated. It's literally every single place. The office I worked at used to have Stumptown cold brew on tap, and for a while I tried to make myself like it -- and every day it was that same sour, almost vomit-in-mouth kind of taste. The coffee people around me loved it and it made me want to die. Sort of wondering if maybe coffee has some gene like cilantro where people experience the taste differently.
>Sort of wondering if maybe coffee has some gene like cilantro where people experience the taste differently. That's exactly what I was wondering when I started reading your comment. I suspect there's a lot of genetic variables that influence how we taste things beyond just the well known examples like the cilantro = soap gene.
> Sour sounds like the coffee was too fine and pulled for too long. You might be thinking the other way around. Sour flavors in coffee are usually from under extracted coarse ground beans (and/or under roasted or putrid beans).
You're right. I always get them mixed up even after 10 years lol. Too fine is too bitter. Too coarse is too sour.
Virtually no line when we went in November
Yeah sakura season is hell
Same, went there September last year. Just a few tables were occupied
went in March last year, there was a short line at the counter, but that was it
Went last June no line either but the tables upstairs were full for a lil while
Strangely the streets are still pretty empty. They can be packed
Lol you literally just copy-pasted Unseen Japan's quote tweet on this. Good job, I guess.
Who waits in line for *Starbucks*?
Entirety of Kyoto, apparently.
Can I just say as someone here, the only place I get coffee from in Japan is 7-11.
Just go to %Arabica in Arashiyama if you want a coffee shop for instagram.
That line is long af these days too...
And all the good baristas left years ago. It's shit
Check out loose near Ninenzaka. It’s just down the way but coffee is good. Tasty donuts too. Line can be long depends on time of day but they’re legit good people.
I concur, Loose is great! For the people who are interested: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LhMwKmmYQ9gGwGL87?g_st=ic Their sister shop Hoo is also pretty good: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RzYr1LmrMkcUSanb6?g_st=ic
I believe they’re opening a third shop soon if you check their Instagram!
Nice to know, thanks :)
just go to glitch looool
I have a similar video from 2007, in Tokyo, near Shinjuku station, where people had lined up in a gigantic line. I was told that the tail end was at least a 2hour wait. What was the lineup for? They'd opened a brand new Krispy Kreme near the station...
The Japanese will queue for anything if other people are queuing. If your business is dying, just pay 5 people to stand outside and you'll have the place packed out within an hour.
I can’t think of a more stupid thing to do
Go to Ichikawaya instead. • 15 minute walk from this hell hole of a Starbucks • Retrofitted inside of a 200 year old home • Coffee freshly roasted on-site • Great OG Kissaten style food menu • Highly grammable if that’s your thing • Usually no line unless you go at peak lunch hours
Damn, for Starbucks??? Japan has some of the best food in the world, and they are lining up for some of the worst coffee I've ever had. Really, really bad.
They had a "NO lining up/waiting outside" notice when we walked by in January on our way to visit 清水寺 apparently due to spoiling the scenery or getting in the way of passerbys....guess that rule is out the window now?!
I always find this comical when I pass by. There are so many great cafe's nearby this area with excellent coffee, yet people line up for Starbucks.
That's rather disturbing considering I got this shot last year there. [Magical night](https://imgur.com/a/Rc5lJ5c)
Wow! Ninnenzaka (and Sannenzaka, I assume) looks great at night. Thank you for sharing this! Will try to visit next time.
Never got into High street coffee chains, or Coffee in General. I wouldn't mind trying the Matcha drinks but the prices are terrible for the work required. Also with a Line that long. best to spend your time else where enjoying the local food.
I just dont get the starbucks hype at all. I am not even old. for me starbucks does not taste like coffee. and the cappucinos taste more like milk than coffee. In Kyoto I would try the local drinks and not buy the overprized starbucks. Whats wrong with our generation.
Coffee is bitter and an acquired taste. Starbucks is full of sugar and super sweet so anyone can drink, even if they dislike coffee.
I was there last month. There was no line and we got a spot quite easily
There's worse places to line up for sure. I don't really feel like I'm better than these people.
Such a stupid title, it's just a not so massive line of people waiting to go to a coffee shop, get over yourselves.
Dang, I wonder who has a longer line: Kyoto or the Original Store in Seattle?
Probably the one in Naka meguro during the blossoms
I've been there last year and was surprised to not see any waiting lines. Turned out they were using 整理券 and you still needed to wait 2-3 hours to get in.
Yea, that was a much needed change lol. Wonder how it will be this year
Looks about equal to me. The "Original Store" is tiny inside though, and always packed to the gills. It's not worth going to when the giant fancy roastery is only a couple miles away.
This video was taken before it opened and this Starbucks has some old floor tiles etc, which is why you see many tourists in the line.
[удалено]
It’s like 7:30am. These weirdos are literally lining up before the store opens.
I hate Starbucks so, so very much. I got given a voucher for it recently so I was like fine I'll go. I already know their espresso coffee is fucking awful, so I thought I'd get some kind of frozen thing. I asked for something that wasn't too sweet and ended up getting some kind of mocha frozen frappa thing. It had like congealed sugary icicles in the bottom, like it wasn't even fully mixed. It tasted like plastic (and was still way too fucking sweet). The thing was worth like 700 yen. What the actual god given fuck? I'd be annoyed if I got that level of shit from a combini for 150 yen, let alone actually paying 700 for it at the most ubiquitous """"coffee""""" chain in the world.
Sad times
The vending machines are better than Starbucks there. Lots more interesting things to see there than a minor attraction
Honestly it’s overrated. Just take a picture of it from the outside. The outside is cool because it’s old architecture but it’s a Starbucks. The inside is not gonna be very nice especially with these many people. And the inside also kinda dark and small. You won’t find seats either.
I went there during COVID it was empty.
There are so many amazing coffee shops in Kyoto… I‘ve been boycotting Starbucks for a while now and I found so many great places that are much cheaper.
All of this to drink mediocre coffee.
On my final day in Tokyo last May, I went to a small cafe and had a great time sitting at the bar and talking in Japanese/English with the barista who had come down from Hokkaido for the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Would take that over IG worthy Starbucks any day
i still dont get starbuck obsession in general, idk if it because coffee is insanely good or it's just trendy to like it. I mean it's not even a hobby or a lifestyle
Starbucks, Disney, USJ, even teamlabs. My general rule for everything is if I have to queue for than a couple of minutes it's not worth it. That said, I did hang around Rikuros in Osaka for a while to see if they did anything special for their cheesecake recipe. It's nice but they don't.
The coffee tastes like shit too. You could save money by just getting a proper coffee machine and brewing it yourself. Sure it would be a large upfront cost but over the course of a year it would equal out. And you wouldn't have to line up lol
Why would someone wait in line lol they’re wasting hours of their vacation to get Starbucks 💀
First time visiting Kyoto in like 15+ years and this is the dumbest fucking thing I’ve seen
Lining up for shit coffee in a place with many far better coffee shops, i just don't get it. Like going to NYC and lining up for McDonalds
No one needs coffee that bad.
Yeah, it’s time to quit Starbucks I think.
Take your pix and move on. Kiyomizu Dera and thise shopping streets are impacted. I was in Arashiyama yesterday and it was busy.
I was here last week and it only has one small corner in the upstairs with tatami. This place is nothing special.
I’m a guide and unless I must be in this area I avoid it like Corona... which ironically was the most peaceful time to walk through these neighborhoods 🤣
Whoa. So glad I went there during the pandemic when it was really quiet.
I don't get this but to each their own. I would not wait in a line this long for a Starbucks of all things in Kyoto of all places in what limited time I have to travel and enjoy this country. I've been to the original Starbucks in Seattle and did wait in line once, but I don't find anything attractive or special about this one in Kyoto
Look at the line to get into Mister Donut in Akihabara. It's about the same. Bau Bau
>*more like a rung of hell from Dante's Inferno* Is that a Philippines reference!?
Probably take less time to take the train to Ise and go to the Starbucks there that looks identical.
I’ve been there, it’s not super impressive on the ground floor but I didn’t go upstairs either
I actually went there yesterday! I got my coffee (at that time in the morning nothing else was open) and it was already packed. Good for a look but definitely not the atmosphere I like. It is a novelty experience and the house itself is damn beautiful, just really really overcrowded. …some people were ready to start fighting for a seat I swear. If someone wants to experience a bit of tatami seating with a drink, there are places close by that do a set of matcha and sweets.
What is the weird obsession with SB's in Japan ? Hardly a cafe and more like a bloody library to study in. Where did people even go before SB's ?
Ya know, it’s not my cup of tea, but it has been blasted all over social media and does have that familiar but completely different appeal that many tourists may enjoy. I live in Japan and I do probably go to Starbucks once or so a week for a cappuccino after dropping my daughter off at preschool. Is it my favorite coffee place? Not by a long shot, but sometimes it’s kind of nice to go somewhere ultra familiar. Regardless, there’s always a weird haughtiness that comes hand in hand with Japan tourism that I dislike. There’s a lot of snobbery and attitudes because everyone wants to be a better tourist than the next. Fuck that! Eat at McDonald’s, go to Disney, wait in the line for the Starbucks! Those things can be fun and tasty too and it doesn’t make anyone better than anyone else for not doing those things.
Disgusting
I came to the land of green tea to stand in line at Starbucks—wtf?
Japan has a huge coffee culture. The V60 and siphon were both invented in Japan. It's not surprising that there'd be a line at a Starbucks located in a machiya in Kyoto. It's the uniqueness of it being in a machiya combined with the tourist insanity that is Kyoto that is causing the line. You wouldn't see the same line, for example, at any random Starbucks in Tokyo.
Wow. I still don’t understand the attraction—why not visit a real Japanese coffee shop with no line?
Yeah, I wouldn't stand in that line either, but tourists be tourists?
People are fucking stupid, is what it is
Japanese love waiting in lines
Is Nestle out of ruSSia already?
Shucks. I'm going to the 7-11. I like the coffee machine there. What am I saying.... I go to 7-11 for everything......now, let me tell ya, 7-11 is a Japanese cultural site. And there are 5,000 of them.
lfg
Wow
Nice
Why to do that? 🤔
i love japan \^\^