Finding a spot to lounge around for a while in Tokyo can be a nightmare. Coffee shops and traditional kissa fill up thanks to remote workers. Many free spaces where people used to relax are also disappearing.
In this context, book cafes are an oasis of quiet space. Popular but rarely super-crowded, most cafes let you read and borrow (or buy) books from their extensive collections. (You can also, obviously, bring your own if you can’t read Japanese.) Depending on the cafe, you spend an hour and a half or – in some cases – all day reading, resting, and sipping lattes.
Here’s a quick look at six great book cafes spread around the city. If you’re a tourist, check one of them out on your next weekend in Tokyo. If you’re a resident, see which one of these locations may become your new favorite excuse to leave your house. Also, make sure to bookmark this page, as I plan to add to these listings over the next few months!
Mori no Tosyo Shitsu (Forest Library)
Mori no Tosyo Shitsu, or the Forest Library, is where you’d least expect to find it: Center Gai, right next to the Shibuya Scramble. It’s well-hidden, squirreled away on the 8th floor of the nondescript Daiichi Kangin Kyodo Building. Like many small Tokyo shops, if you don’t know it’s there, you’ll likely never run across it.
Forest Library, which acts as both a coffee shop and a bar, charges for blocks of time that include unlimited free drinks. How much you pay depends on how long you stay and what you want to drink:
Non-alcoholic: 1,000 yen (USD $6.70) for one hour; 2,000 yen ($13) for three hours; 3,000 yen ($20) to stay all-day
Alcoholic: 1,500 yen ($10) for one hour; 3,000 yen for three hours; 4,000 yen ($26) to stay all-day
Mori also charges extra for food items (500 yen a piece), as well as a 500 yen charge if you want to sit on a sofa space.
Most of the books (as far as I could see) were in Japanese. I brought my own and admittedly didn’t look very hard. The staff, however, was ready and willing to speak English with any non-Japanese speakers, meaning you’ll have no trouble as a non-Japanese-speaking foreigner here.
If you’re a resident, Mori also has a membership program. For 11,000 yen/year (or 22,000 yen for a lifetime), you get 500 yen off of admission and a card key to enter the facility freely.
Without a doubt, Forest Library is my favorite little spot in all of Tokyo. The last time I went (a Saturday shortly after lunch), it wasn’t overly crowded. It’s an oasis in the tourist hell that is otherwise Shibuya. And at these prices, the service and atmosphere can’t be beat.
Location: Shibuya, Udagawacho, 23−3, Shibuya Daiichi Kangin Kyodo Building, 8F. Straight across from the JR Shibuya Hachiko exit through the Center Gai arch; the building will be on your left.
Hours: 9am to 10:45pm
Price: As stated above
Payment types: Cash, credit card, e-money, QR code payment
Website: Mori no Tosyo Shitsu (Japanese only)
R-za Reading Cafe
Looking for a nice cafe to chat with your friends? If so, don’t come here!
Located in the popular and artsy Koenji neighborhood in Suginami City, R-za (アール座) is a silent reading cafe – a great place to come if you truly want to read or enjoy the quiet. There’s absolutely no speaking – not even the employees talk. The store operates as a traditional cafe, selling a variety of coffees, teas, and pastries.
One caveat: Unlike some of the other options listed here, you may indeed have a long wait at R-za. It’s very popular, and there are only around 11 seats. Fortunately, there are a ton of other cafes in Koenji you can visit if R-za is full. For example, check out Eseru, which is above R-za. in the same building.
Location: Suginami City, Koeni South 3-57-6 2F
Hours: 12pm to 10:30pm; closed Mondays
Price: 1,000 to 2,000 yen depending on order
Payment types: Cash only
Website: R-za. Reading Cafe on Tabelog
Kaido Books & Coffee
Located in a sleepy part of Shinagawa City, Kaido is a two-level store with a beautiful wood interior. If you’re a Japanese reader, you can browse their collection of used books, all of which are for sale.
Kaido sells (great) coffee, tea, and several food items, including different types of hot dogs if you’re especially hungry. By far, the most delicious item on their menu is their fresh-baked scones, which are (seriously) some of the best scones I’ve had anywhere.
Unlike Mori, Kaido doesn’t operate on a time system. Seating is limited to 90 minutes. Groups of two or more can make reservations on Hot Pepper.
Location: Shinagawa, Kitashinagawa 2-3-7 Maruya Building 103
Hours: 9am to 5:30pm Wednesday to Friday; 9am to 6pm Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
Price: 1,000 to 2,000 yen
Payment types: Cash, credit card, e-money, QR code payment
Website: Kaido Books & Coffee (Instagram)
fuzkue
Like Koenji farther west, Shimokitazawa in Setagawa City is known for its unique subculture scene. It also has a great cafe culture, with multiple shinise (old stores passed down over time) mixed in with new locations and concepts.
One store, Fuzkue, is a small chain with two other locations – one in Hatsudai and the other in Nishi-Ogikubo. Like Forest Library in Shibuya, fuzkue is designed for long stays. However, the store also incorporates a unique “vanishing seat fee” system in which the amount you pay to stay goes down the more you order.
For example, you can pay around 1,600 yen to stay for up to four hours. However, that seat fee goes down as you order drinks and food. If you order two drinks and something to eat, the seat fee becomes zero. You can stay longer than four hours by paying 600 yen for every extra hour you stay.
You can also elect for a short stay of about an hour. The seat fee is 900 yen – however, if you order a drink and something to eat, it drops to zero.
Location (Shimokitazawa store): Setagaya City, Daita 2-chome 36-12 Shimokita Senrogai BONUS TRACK
Hours: 12pm to 10pm daily
Price: Average 2,000 yen per person per 4-hour stay; average 1,000 yen for a 1-hour stay
Payment types: Cash, credit card, e-money, QR code payment
Website: fuzkue
Bunkitsu
I covered Bunkitsu extensively in a previous post. It’s worth mentioning again, as it’s a great place to rest and get your bearings if you’re out for the day.
Bunkitsu is best thought of as a cafe that also contains a bookstore. For 1,650 yen ($11) on weekdays and $2,530 yen ($17) on weekends, you can grab a seat in their spacious Roppongi store and stay as long as you like. The fee includes free coffee; the cafe also has a variety of other coffee drinks, teas, and food available for purchase.
Bunkitsu has around 90 seats, which means it’s usually easy to score seating. The store also has conference spaces and rooms it rents out to large parties.
Location: 106-0032 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi 6-1-20
Hours: 9am to 8pm, with special late-night hours to 10:30pm
Price: 1,650 yen on weekdays; 2,530 yen on weekends
Payment types: Cash, credit card, e-money, QR code payment
Website: Bunkitsu
Fukuroshosabo
Run by local Japanese coffee chain Doutor, Fukuroshosabo is likely the nicest Doutor you’ll ever visit. This Ikebukuro store is the brainchild of Doutor and Yanashita Kyohei, who has also run another book cafe, Kamome Books & Coffee, in Kagurazaka for 10 years.
For you Japanese readers, the store also contains over 1,000 carefully-selected book titles that visitors can purchase to take home. However, you won’t know exactly what you’re buying! Each book is wrapped in a cover that conceals its name, with the cover bearing a review and rating of the hidden title.
You can also buy their Book and Coffee set, which includes a title along with the day’s chosen coffee blend. The store also sells French toast with a variety of toppings, as well as a few small plates (pasta, omuraisu, and a bacon & eggs French toast). They also serve booze (wine + cocktails) for you drinkers.
An even bigger plus: Fukuroshosabo is huge. With 116 seats, you won’t have to wait long for a table, even during its busiest times.
Location: Toshima City, Ikebukuro 1-12-1 Esola Ikebukuro 4F
Hours: 10:30am to 10pm daily
Price: Between 1,000 and 2,000 yen
Payment types: Cash, credit card, e-money, QR code payment
Website: Fukuroshosabo
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