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When you enter any store in Japan, without fail, staff will greet you with a warm but formal irasshaimase! (Welcome!).
Well, nearly any store. At one cafe I recently visited, instead of the usual greeting, the woman working the register let out a cheery やほー! (yo!).
“How’ve you been? C’mon, sit down!”
I’d never met the woman behind the counter who greeted me. Yet from the moment I entered, she and the other staff treated me like an old friend who’d come in from the cold.
This is the Tomodachi ga Yatteru Cafe – The Cafe Run By Your Friends – a unique concept cafe in Tokyo’s Harajuku that, frankly, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of.
A cafe designed to spark conversation
When I planned to visit Tomodachi ga Yatteru Cafe (TYC), I was a little wary about navigating the hustle and bustle of Harajuku. Fortunately, TYC’s removed from the chaos of Takeshita Street.
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Leaving Harajuku Station’s east exit, I wound my way down to Jingumae’s 6-chome, down a side street a little ways past some of the major foreign fashion outlets like Tommy Hilfiger. There, a lone sign (Japanese only) clued me into the store’s somewhat hidden location.
In keeping with its themes of camaraderie and conversation, TYC’s pristine interior has one long table for all customers. Despite its out-of-the-way location, when I went on a Saturday afternoon, nearly every seat was full.
When you’re old and can’t remember the word for “cookie”
Another way TYC differs from a standard cafe in Japan (or anywhere, honestly): the menus. All of the names of menu items are meant to spark conversation with the staff, who respond to the names with vivid descriptions of each item. For example, their cookie is called なんだっけ、あの丸い菓子の。。。(“That round dessert, um, what’s it called…?”) Meanwhile, the brownie goes by いっっっちばん甘いやつ何？(“What’s the ABSOLUTE sweetest thing you got?”)
I ordered the brownie. “Ah, the sweetest!” the male staff member taking my order responded, “That’s the brownie – soft and served with a side of ice cream and very sweet.” I combined it with a latte – er, I mean, the たしかラテ美味しかったよね? (“I remember the latte being tasty”).
As everyone at the table waited or enjoyed our food, staff members made a point to come up and engage us in conversation in casual Japanese. I talked with the woman who greeted me at the door about her attempts to learn English (“I haven’t gotten very far, it’s haaard”) as well as our mutual love of sweets. (The brownie was, indeed, one of the sweetest things I’ve ever eaten in Japan, which isn’t known for its overly sugared desserts.)
Staff also made a point of pulling in people they caught looking through the store’s glass door. The one female staff member waved excitedly as she caught two women peering inside. “You’re coming in, right?” she said as she opened the door for them. “C’mon already!”
And of course, when you leave, the staff will take selfies with you to memorialize your visit. Because that’s what friends do, yeah?
An idea sparked by a company retreat
The company kakeru opened Tomodachi ga Yatteru Cafe (TYC) in April 2023. Since then, it seems, business has been booming. Like a traditional Japanese kissa, the store runs from 11am to 5:30pm as a coffee shop and then switches to alcoholic service from 5:30 until 11pm.
But what led the company to launch this unique concept?
“We were on a company retreat,” says kakeru publicist Odagiri Moe, “and someone said, ‘Mind if we go to this place my friend runs?’ That got us thinking: Wouldn’t it be great if anyone could have that experience?”
The company opened its store in Harajuku due to the area’s cosmopolitan nature and its reputation as a breeding ground for new ideas. Odagiri says they currently don’t have plans to expand. So if you want to experience TYC, head to Harajuku.
Everyone’s welcome (no matter what language you speak)
When I went, I was the only apparent non-Japanese customer and I spoke Japanese with the staff. Indeed, if you know some Japanese, this is a great way to help hone your skills. But Japanese language isn’t a requirement, says Odagiri. The store has multiple employees who can speak other languages, such as English and Mandarin Chinese. In the absence of someone who speaks your language, Odagiri says, staff will use body language and do their best to create a warm and welcoming environment.
While Odagiri says the store gets a lot of tourist foreign resident traffic, I’d love to see them put explanations in English, Korean, and Mandarin outside to help draw people in. Currently, if you don’t speak Japanese and have never heard of TYC, odds are you’ll pass it by without a second glance.
But, hey – now you have heard of TYC! While I love Tokyo, a large city like this can feel cold and distant if you don’t make an effort to get out and meet people. TYC’s formula of serving warm human interaction along with your caffeine, sugar, and booze can help you feel a little less anonymous. I heartily recommend putting it on your to-do list the next time you’re in town.
Going to TYC
Want to check out TYC for yourself? The store is at Jingumae 6-6-2 (Belpia Building) on the 3rd floor. Coffee time (11am-5:30pm) is unreserved and first-come, first-served. You can make reservations for bar time (5:30pm-11pm) on Toreta.in.
While TYC is one of a kind (for now), kakeru runs other concept shops around Tokyo. You may also want to check out JANAI COFFEE in Ebisu, a takeaway-only “coffee shop” with a hidden speakeasy. (It’s up to you to figure out how to get in!)
Sources
東京・原宿にて「友達がやってるカフェ／バー」4月22日（土）オープン. PRTimes
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