Interpreting Japanese traditions with a new style from the West Coast of the United States

Interview: Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe

 Photo Takumi Ota

The “Inspired by Kyoto” Project explores what it means to pass on Kyoto to the future. We touch on the thoughts of practitioners who are creating the future of Kyoto without being bound by precedents in various fields, and transmit them to the world in the form of narratives.

Blue Bottle Coffee was founded in 2002 in San Francisco, USA. It makes and serves its coffee one cup at a time, like a traditional Japanese coffee shop, and there are many fans of not only the quality of the coffee, but also the sophisticated atmosphere.

In this article, we discover “Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe”, the first cafe to be established in the Kansai region. The Okazaki area of Kyoto City, where the Kyoto Cafe is located, has a Meiji period atmosphere that coexists with the traditional cityscape of Kyoto, and is loved by local residents as an area with unique colors. The bustling Kyoto Cafe is a bold renovation of an old building in the area. 

In this email interview with Blue Bottle Coffee Japan, I would like to ask Blue Bottle Coffee about the Kyoto Cafe, and from there, I would like to gain an understanding of Inspired by Kyoto.

 Photo Takumi Ota

The charm of Kyoto spun from the perspective of Blue Bottle Coffee

I heard that the cafe design for Blue Bottle Coffee emphasizes two points: “Simplicity to allow customers to concentrate on the coffee” and “Design that blends in with the community of the area where the cafe is located”. What kind of local community did you value for the Kyoto Cafe?

For the Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe, we renovated a Kyoto “Machiya” townhouse, which is more than 100 years old. We not only created a warm and simple design using a lot of wood that aligns with the Blue Bottle Coffee style, but by taking in the atmosphere and history of Kyoto and making use of the existing Kyoto Machiya building, we aimed to put strong roots down in the area and integrate into the local community. In addition, Blue Bottle Studio -Kyoto-, which requires reservation, opened in March 2023 on the separate building’s second floor. This studio offers coffee courses that seek to deliver what brand founder James Freeman considers to be the ultimate coffee experience. It is a special location and space where you can enjoy the luxury of coffee while feeling the history of Kyoto and the nature of the four seasons. “Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe is designed so that you can enjoy Blue Bottle Coffee while feeling the atmosphere of a Kyoto Machiya, and we value creating a space where you can experience delicious coffee in a way that blends in well with the historic area of Kyoto.”

I felt that it was a space where the feel of the 100-year-old building and the simple style of Blue Bottle Coffee coexist. Does the space contain a certain meaning?

“We took advantage of the characteristics of a Kyoto Machiya of the period to create a renovated cafe where you feel the charm of an environment that allows you to enjoy the design at every turn, making full use of the existing building. For example, we use the beautiful structure of a traditional Kyoto Machiya with its heavy pillars and beams arranged in an orderly manner, and the earthen walls that are rough and elegantly exposed. In addition, while retaining a space that has the full atmosphere of a Kyoto Machiya, we added new value and expressed the unique style and spatial beauty of Blue Bottle Coffee. I feel the charm and value of fusing Blue Bottle Coffee with a Kyoto Machiya, which has a historical worldview full of openness, such as through the large glass windows with natural light, the high ceiling at the stairwell, and the lighting that makes use of the generous space. When you want to relax on a sunny day or after a stroll, I hope you will come and enjoy a coffee in the courtyard where you can see the expressions of the four seasons or the cafe space.”

 Photo Takumi Ota

I think Blue Bottle Coffee has many fans around the world, what was the response to this cafe?

“Located near Nanzen-ji Temple, the Kyoto Cafe is visited by tourists from all over the world, and many people who like architecture also come from the point of view of seeing the renovated Kyoto Machiya, which has a history of more than 100 years. In addition, I feel that “Blue Bottle Studio -Kyoto-”, which provides “coffee courses that seek to deliver the ultimate coffee experience” and that can only be enjoyed here, is also highly talked about. You can experience coffee while feeling the four seasons of Japan in a special space that offers an extraordinary feeling while preserving the warm space of a Kyoto Machiya. Even among Blue Bottle Coffee fans, sometimes people want to spend a special day in a special place, and the cafe has been well received by many people.”

The meaning of old and new coexisting without separation

Why did you open your first store in the Kansai area in Kyoto?

“One major factor is that the founder, James Freeman, finds inspiration in Japanese “monozukuri” manufacturing and Japanese culture, and has a special feeling for the city of Kyoto. In addition, since its inception, Blue Bottle Coffee has been defining the concept of a cafe that respects the history and culture of the area where they are located, with the aim of creating a cafe that is firmly rooted in their region. We wanted to deliver an experience that could only be enjoyed in this area, and we encountered a wonderful historical Kyoto Machiya, a traditional two-story structure over 100 years old, in the perfect location of Nanzen-ji Temple. We wanted to deliver the Blue Bottle Coffee experience in this place that blends into the historical cityscape, so we opened the first store in Kansai here.”

 Photo Takumi Ota

What do you feel is unique about Kyoto compared to cafes in other regions?

“Kyoto has many areas that make you want to walk around. It is a historical city full of old-fashioned streets and culture with a different look every season. An environment where you can enjoy walking around the historic cityscape while feeling the seasons of nature with a cup of coffee in your hand is a value that can only be enjoyed in Kyoto, and I feel that this is Kyoto’s charm.”

From the perspective of the Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe, what values do you think Kyoto should cherish for the future?

“In Kyoto, where many historic buildings and cityscapes still remain, I think it is important to harmonize in a way that suits the times while cherishing the atmosphere that can only be felt here.

 Photo Takumi Ota

Although we have not been in Kyoto for a long time, so we are reluctant to comment, the strength to flexibly accept changes in line with the new era while protecting the core of ideas and customs nurtured in the accumulated history is one of the reasons why we feel attracted to the city of Kyoto. I believe that the depth of the context of Kyoto, a place where you make new discoveries no matter how many times you visit, is a universal attraction regardless of whether you are from the west or the east.”

Inspired by Kyoto

Blue Bottle Coffee values a unique worldview and aesthetics, but I feel that the Kyoto Cafe was born from interpreting the traditions and history of Kyoto. I think that Kyoto is not only a historical city that preserves the old era, but also a modern and progressive place that can bring new value to the world. This is led not only by Kyoto residents, the city is always open to new values from around the world. This approach leads to innovation, and I believe the accumulation of innovation becomes tradition. If Kyoto has a reason to exist in the future from the world’s perspective, I think that this is it.

Blue Bottle Studio - Kyoto -

Blue Bottle Studio - Kyoto - operates in Spring and Fall, and in Spring 2024, it will be open from March 20 (Wed) to May 6 (Mon). Click here for details.

 Photo Takumi Ota