Starbucks Lands in Japan

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I am not fond of coffee shops as such because I enjoy tea more. Also living in the suburbs of Riga, Latvia I have no coffee shops near me. What is interesting is that Starbucks chose not to open up here in Latvia instead the famous place here for coffee is Double Coffee. However Starbucks has chosen to open up in Japan. Starbucks has opened a coffee shop in the ancient capital of Kyoto. This is a most interesting coffee shop with three rooms that include tatami – the traditional straw matting that is placed on the floors of Japanese houses. In these rooms you’ll find no chairs and people sit on the floor on flat cushions placed on the mats. This new shop has been set up in a house dating back 100 years in one of the most historic areas of Kyoto. Located on the Ninen-zaka shopping street it sits between two UNESCO World Heritage site temples. It is an area popular with tourists and of course if you do any heavy shopping you’ll need some coffee to keep you going. To blend in with the surroundings this Starbucks has no neon lighting, no big signs or logos and over the front door is a traditional dark-blue curtain. There is even a Japanese garden. In order for lines not to form they limit the number of customers during peak hours so that the quiet atmosphere of the area is not disrupted. Do you have a Starbucks where you live? Is there anyone from Kyoto, Japan?