As I used to live in Yamanashi Prefecture, I would go to Tokyo 2 or 3 times a month. Most of the time to go to a particular place or event, but that day I just wanted to chill with a friend in Yoyogi Park (代々木公園). We didn’t have any particular plan. I remember we had a look at Meiji Jingu Shrine (明治神宮), and walked through Shinjuku’s surroundings; we had a nice burger and a dessert. In the afternoon, we wanted a coffee before going back to Shinjuku Station.
Harajuku: A fashion hotspot
At the moment, we couldn’t decide where to go. But, come on, it’s Tokyo, one of the biggest cities in the world, and one with the wildest diversity of coffee shops of the planet! We had to find something interesting. And we actually did and it overcame my expectations again – my friend and I ended up in Harajuku district, the hottest spot for fashion in Japan!
For over 20 years, Harajuku has attracted people for its wildest and most eccentric stores, especially along Takeshita-dori (竹下通り). But at the time I was there, the streets weren’t so crowded and the number of fashionable people was small. So, check out Takeshita-dori during the weekend, and you’ll have weird but awesome surprises.
Cafe Reissue’s 3D latte art
Our coffee shop is three blocks from Takeshita-dori. It is located on the second floor of a building. The storefront is almost invisible, with tiny and discreet letters.
The place is called “Reissue” (リシュー), and what is interesting about it is that you can literally drink a cute little cat, dog, bunny, Totoro, or whatever your heart desires, made of foam latte. In other words, it’s a 2D and 3D art coffee! Customers can choose a character, an image, a photograph, or basically ANYTHING and they will recreate it with your beverage’s foam.
As I hadn’t decided what artwork to pick, I checked the Instagram #reissuecafe page to get some inspiration. I chose a Totoro’s artwork from the movie “My Neighbor Totoro” – it is possibly the most famous animation from Japan, and because of that, in the cafe’s instagram page you can find a lot of characters from the movie. My friend decided to order two little cats “relaxing” inside the coffee cup following the Japanese kawaii (cute) trends.
To top it off: Excellent service and quality
Another great thing about this place was the service and quality. Even though it was very busy, our orders were served promptly. I ordered a moccacino and I wasn’t expecting much of the taste because I assumed I was paying simply for the artwork, but the taste was incredible!
Their team consisted of baristas and two artists to make the coffee’s final art. The final work is so well done you can easily notice they put a lot of efforts to provide you with the best latte art experience. This is why I would definitely come back.
The place itself is simple and cozy, with magazines and some mangas to read and chill for as long as you want.
One regular coffee with latte foam 3D art is 500 yen. You might think is a little pricey, but this is a very unique place that you can find only in Japan. It’s definitely worth a visit!
Reissue Access
- Address: 3-25-7 Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
- How to get there from Shinjuku Station: Take the JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku Station – from there it is 7 minutes’ walk.
