5 Reasons Why We Don’t Need Any More Starbucks
And all the better coffee shops in Japan
In Japan, we have been flooded by Starbucks. As of February 2022, 1,704 stores have opened throughout the nation, and 384 are in Tokyo.
As a woman living in Tokyo, I have no idea how many gallons of coffee I’ve drunk at Starbucks. Even the book Pour Your Heart Into It written by Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, had been my bible for a very long time. Staying hungry and being passionate were something I modeled in my life.
However, after becoming a parent and moving to a quieter district, my Starbucks visits decreased dramatically. It’s still in my immediate neighborhood, but now my go-to stops are mainly domestic coffee chains. I rediscovered that Doutor Coffee, Komeda Coffee, and other local cafes offer better coffee or more comfortable space than Starbucks.
1. World Barista Championship Winners Work at Local Shops
First and foremost, coffee. If you want to experience specialty coffee in Japan, you should go to Maruyama Coffee or Sarutahiko coffee. The shops offer amazingly high-grade coffee, and especially at Maruyama coffee, many world championship winners work as baristas.
2. Food Menu Is Much More Attractive at Japanese Chains
Coffee stores in Japan generally offer a much wider variety of food options. For instance, at Komeda coffee, if you visit there and order any drink by 11 am, you’ll get a free slice of toast along with your choice of boiled egg, egg salad, or sweetened red bean paste.
This morning's special deal originated in the Nagoya region. Komeda coffee started its business in Nagoya and cultivated a potential market throughout Japan with this competitive value. Free morning plates were welcomed exuberantly by people who had never experienced this benefit, living outside Nagoya.
I also recommend trying the Shiro-Noir at Komeda coffee. Fluffy pastry and soft cream on top will make your snack time perfect.
3. Matcha Drink at Starbucks Doesn’t Taste Real
You know about Matcha tea because you’ve tasted Matcha beverages at Starbucks? Unfortunately, they’re too commercialized and sweetened. What Starbucks offers as Matcha is more like green-colored chemical stuff. The real Matcha tea is silky, fresh, thick yet smooth to roll down your throat.
4. Starbucks Isn’t Relaxing
Baristas are always screaming drink names. And usually, there’s no place to be away from chatty people because shops are designed to maximize the number of chairs. However, if you visit local coffee stores in Japan, you’ll quickly find more peaceful places with wider space and comfortable sofas.
5. It’s Way More Expensive Than Other Stores
Starbucks is successful in Japan thanks to branding. People having coffee hammering away on Macbook Air at Starbucks are viewed as sort of fashion icons of Tokyoite.
Last year, I visited one of those Starbucks in the Roppongi area with my friend. It was a cold day. I’d already had a cup of coffee earlier in the morning, so I ordered Chai Tea Latte. It cost around $4 and tasted so chemical that I couldn’t finish all. The sweetness was almost unreal.
When I was an office worker, stopping by Starbuck was my ritual, especially before important meetings with colleagues from the headquarters in the U.S. They always appeared with Venti size hot coffee.
Japanese people rarely order Venti. Even short, the smallest cup seems pretty popular. To confront the Venti guys, I also needed adrenaline to go through tough negotiations under the guard of the siren. But things have changed. Now I crave coffee to relax, and many coffee shops in Tokyo are too crowded with all the noise.
If another Starbucks opens in my neighborhood, I won’t be rolling out the green moss carpet. After spending so much money on branding and too-sweet beverages, I finally found that there is far more rich café culture in Japan.
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