After 8:00 a.m. on weekday mornings, many Japanese are on a crowded train to get to work.
Or many are rushing home to work after dropping their children off at kindergarten or elementary school.
There is a space where you can enjoy a relaxing breakfast with freshly brewed coffee in hand, while listening to relaxing background music, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the city.
That is a coffee shop!
Many Japanese coffee shops offer a morning menu that includes coffee and a light breakfast at a reasonable price.
Some are used by businessmen for business meetings and rendezvous times, while others, like this one, offer a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.
So this time, I will focus on mornings at coffee shop chains where you can relax and unwind, and explain the appeal of mornings, recommended stores, menus, etc., including my own experience.
I would be very happy if you would take this opportunity to learn about mornings at coffee shop chains.
What is a coffee shop morning, anyway?
A coffee shop morning is a special service offered in Japanese coffee shops during the morning hours.
Usually, when you order a drink such as coffee or tea, a breakfast item such as toast, boiled eggs, or salad is included for free or very inexpensively.
The price is only the cost of the drink or a little extra, making it very cost-effective.
Especially in the Chubu region, centering on Nagoya, the hearty morning sets are offered and have become an established part of the local food culture.
What is the background behind the development of the coffee shop morning culture?
The background behind the spread of coffee shop mornings is the intensifying competition among coffee shops from the 1960s to the 1970s.
With the number of coffee shops rapidly increasing at that time, it started as a sales promotion measure to attract customers during the quiet morning hours.
Especially in Nagoya, a service called the “coffee ticket system” had been widespread since the 1950s, and this developed into the morning service.
It is also said that the cultural background of Japanese people’s “hospitality” and “service spirit” also influenced the development of this fattening service.
Today, it also functions as a social gathering place for the community and a place for relaxation in the morning, especially for the elderly.
The birthplace of Japan’s coffee shop morning culture is Nagoya, where toast is served with ogura-an (sweet bean paste) on top.
Three Attractions of Japan’s Coffee Shop Morning Culture
I have summarized some of the attractions of Japan’s coffee shop morning culture that I find.
High cost performance
Coffee store mornings have an amazing cost performance!
For only 400-500 yen for a drink, a rich breakfast menu including toast, boiled eggs, salad, yogurt, etc. is usually included.
Known especially in the Nagoya area as “Nagoya morning,” you can enjoy regional specialties such as Ogura toast and thick slices of buttered toast.
This concept of “a meal included with just the price of a drink,” which is unthinkable in other countries, is a unique Japanese hospitality culture that brings surprise and joy to foreign visitors to Japan.
Unique variations at each store
Morning offerings vary widely from coffee shop to coffee shop, and each store’s individuality shines through.
Traditional pure coffee shops offer the standard toast set, modern coffee shops offer Western-style menus such as croissants and French toast, and regional coffee shops offer unique mornings that incorporate local cuisine.
Some of them offer more than 10 different morning menus to choose from, while others offer all-you-can-eat vegetables and fruits in a buffet style.
This diversity creates the enjoyment of “what coffee shop should I go to next?” and fosters a culture of coffee shop-hopping.
Role as a social gathering place for the local community
Coffee store mornings are not just a place to eat, but an important social gathering place for the local community.
Especially in regional cities and suburbs, morning conversations among regular customers and with store owners have become part of the morning routine and serve as a place to exchange local information.
For foreign tourists, it is a valuable opportunity to catch a glimpse of the daily lives of local Japanese people and learn about local haunts and customs that are not listed in tourist guidebooks.
In addition, many coffee shops offer morning breakfast for a few hours after opening, so visitors can spend their mornings with plenty of time to spare, which is also an attractive feature of this place for a break from the busy tourist schedule.
Especially in privately owned stores in the community, it is common to see neighbors who are regulars talking with each other.
My 3 favorite coffee shop chains that serve morning
I will introduce my 3 favorite coffee shop chains that serve morning.
My recommendation for coffee shop chains that offer mornings
My recommendation for coffee shop chains that offer mornings
Coffee House
✅ Recommended Points
- Coffee House is a coffee chain with numerous locations throughout Japan, featuring a relaxed atmosphere with a full-service system.
- Its signature menu item is “charcoal coffee” made with domestic binchotan charcoal, and it is particular about the quality of its coffee beans.
- Despite being a chain restaurant, it also has the atmosphere of a private store, with different tableware used at each location, providing an extraordinary atmosphere.
- All mornings are served from opening until 11:00 a.m., and the same menu can be enjoyed on weekdays and weekends.
- In addition, the second cup of coffee is half price, making this coffee shop the perfect place to spend a relaxing morning.
✅ Recommended Menu
- Hot dog with coarsely ground sausage
- Coffee House’s morning menu includes a “hot dog with coarsely ground sausage,” which is available for 760 yen with a drink.
- This menu item can also be ordered separately as a light meal for 530 yen (with salad).
- It is a simple but satisfying dish of coarsely ground pork sausage sandwiched between soft bread.
- With a salad included, it is nutritionally balanced and hearty enough for breakfast.
- The morning set comes with coffee, so you can enjoy it with the Coffee House’s signature charcoal coffee to appreciate the flavor of the savory coffee and the juicy sausage.
- It is a popular menu item that offers a Western-style breakfast in the Japanese coffee shop culture.
Komeda Coffee Shop
✅ Recommended Points
- Komeda Coffee Shop is a coffee shop chain based in Nagoya, the birthplace of “morning”.
- It is a full-service coffee shop that originated in Nagoya and offers customers “the best place to relax” under the concept of “the living room of the city.
- The restaurant’s interior features spacious sofa seating, creating a comfortable space suitable for long stays.
- Its morning service has received particular acclaim, including first place in the latest 2025 survey of “coffee chains with the best mornings.
- Known for its large-sized dishes and hearty menu, it also offers an extensive food menu along with coffee, making it a popular place to enjoy lunch and tea time as well as mornings.
✅ Recommended Menu
- Toast & Komeda’s special ogura-an & butter
- Komeda Coffee Shop’s morning menu is served every morning from opening until 11 a.m. When ordering a drink, customers can choose either mountain bread (toast) or loaf bread for free.
- You can choose from three types of toast (boiled egg, handmade egg paste, or Nagoya specialty ogura-an), each with a thick half-slice of toast and an optional garnish.
- You can order “more butter” for your toast, which is a hidden and popular way to enjoy a generous spread of butter on your hot toast.
- Ogura-an is a refined azuki red bean paste with a moderate sweetness, which is the source of Nagoya’s local delicacy, “Ogura Toast,” and when spread on toast, you can enjoy a perfect combination of Japanese and Western flavors.
- The harmony of thick slices of toast and the refined sweetness of azuki beans can be strongly recommended to foreign tourists as a uniquely Japanese breakfast experience.
Doutor Coffee Farm
✅ Recommended Points
- “Doutor Coffee Farm” and “Doutor Coffee Shop” are basically the same store, with the only difference being the store name, but Coffee Farm is a higher-class development.
- Doutor Coffee Farm is designed to resemble the mansion of a coffee plantation owner, and the interior is a relaxed space with spacious sofas and warm wood.
- The first store opened in October 2017 on Tamatsutsumidori, Tokyo, and has gradually expanded since then.
- The store’s most distinctive feature is its three specialty coffee blends that give form to its commitment to coffee, focusing on different roasts and blending to bring out the true flavor of the coffee beans.
- All morning menus are served with coffee or tea, and this is a place where you can enjoy a high-quality coffee shop space that offers higher quality service and food than regular Doutor.
✅ Recommended Menu
- Oatmeal Pancake Plate
- The Oatmeal Pancake Plate at Doutor Coffee Farm is a health-conscious sweet menu using additive-free oatmeal.
- Although the texture is a little firmer than regular pancakes, the pancakes are firmly enjoyable, and the unique texture of oatmeal has been described as addictive.
- This menu item is also known as the “hidden ace,” a popular menu item, and some have said that Doutor has skills that other chains cannot imitate when it comes to pancakes.
- When served as a morning set, it is a perfect combination with coffee and a healthy breakfast choice for foreign tourists.
- The oatmeal’s natural sweetness and high nutritional value make this menu item a symbol of modern Japanese coffee shop culture, where you can enjoy a solid yet guilt-free meal.
Please note that oatmeal pancake plates are only available at some Doutor Coffee Farm stores.
The following stores are subject to change:
- Doutor Coffee Farm Setagaya Tamatsutsumidori Store
- Doutor Coffee Farm Edogawa Store
- Doutor Coffee Farm Machida Store
- Doutor Coffee Farm Nitori Fushimi Mukojima Store
- Doutor Coffee Farm Akashi Uozumi Store
Please note that this information is current as of 2023 and you need to confirm if all stores are still open today!
We recommend that you check Doutor Coffee Farm’s official website for the latest menu information or call each store directly.
It is quite difficult to describe the oatmeal pancake, but it is a menu item that has that addictive and addictive feeling of being soft and fluffy.
Column: What is the origin of Ogura Toast, and what did a student do?
Ogura toast originated around 1921 at Mitsuba, a coffee shop in Sakae, Nagoya.
Originally a Japanese-style confectionery, the store was converted to a coffee shop due to the soaring price of glutinous rice after World War I. The store then began to offer butter toast, which was popular at the time.
While serving buttered toast, which was popular at the time, the owner saw students eating toast dipped in zenzai (sweetened red bean paste) and got the idea.
Nagoya was originally known for its tea ceremony culture and its love of sweets made with azuki beans, so it was easy to accept azuki toast, a perfect combination of Japanese and Western flavors.
Later, as the morning service at coffee shops became popular, it became a standard menu item because of its excellent combination with coffee.
Especially with the nationwide expansion of Komeda Coffee, Ogura Toast, once popular in Aichi and Gifu prefectures, spread across the country and developed into a menu representative of Japan’s coffee shop culture.
Heh. So Ogura Toast was born from a student dipping toast in Zenzai (Japanese red bean soup), and also from the unique culture of Nagoya. That’s new to me!
Three ways to enjoy coffee shop chains offering morning for foreign visitors to Japan
To enjoy coffee shop chains offering morning specials to its fullest, try these tips:
✅ Enjoy the combination
The morning breakfast at Komeda Coffee Shop is characterized by the luxury of being able to choose from three different toppings (standard boiled egg, handmade egg paste, or Nagoya’s famous ogura-an) on a thick slice of toast made from Hokkaido wheat.
The morning service is available from opening time to 11:00 a.m., and the most popular way to enjoy this service is with an egg or sweet bean paste on a piece of fluffy toast soaked in plenty of butter.
The second cup of “refillable coffee” is half price, allowing you to take your time in the morning.
The fluffy sofa seats are so comfortable that they are called a “second living room,” and you can relax as if you were at home.
✅ Specialty Coffee and Luxury
Doutor Coffee Farm is a high-end coffee shop that is distinctly different from ordinary Doutor coffee shops.
You can enjoy a fine morning coffee with specialty coffee in a sophisticated store inspired by the mansion of the owner of a coffee plantation.
The coffee is hand-drip brewed with a choice of three different blends, and the breakfast menu, including oatmeal pancakes, is popular for its combination of health and taste.
The best way to enjoy the high-grade space and aromatic coffee is to sink into the sofa while ordering a drink, and enjoy it with all five senses.
You can enjoy a luxurious coffee shop experience in a calm atmosphere that will make you forget the hustle and bustle of the city and spend a special morning.
✅ Fluffy Souffle Pancakes
The most attractive morning dish at Hoshino Coffee Shop is the fluffy texture of the souffle pancakes.
The “Mini Pancake Plate,” which is smaller in size than the regular menu but has a moist texture and gentle sweetness, is a popular menu item served from opening until 11:00.
It is a great point to enjoy it with a drink at a reasonable price.
The store’s interior has a relaxed atmosphere with the warmth of wood, designed to make it easy to read or work.
Some stores have books lined up on bookshelves, so you can enjoy coffee and pancakes while picking up your favorite book, just like you would in your own study.
If you want to enjoy an elegant café time in the morning, this is the coffee shop you should definitely visit.
Hoshino Coffee Shop also offers many attractive morming sets, so be sure to check them out.
You can experience the feeling of a coffee shop from the comfort of your home!
The coffee shop chain is a place where you can relax for a long time, and with Amazon, you can purchase items that will make you feel like you are in a coffee shop from the comfort of your own home.
In this article, I would like to introduce some of the items I recommend that can be purchased on Amazon.
Please customize them in your own way and enjoy an elegant moment as if you were in a coffee shop at home.
Please use this as a reference to find your favorite items.
If you are interested, check out the following products on Amazon!
Komeda Coffee, Gold Iced Coffee, Copper Mug (1 Piece)
There are many different types of coffee shops in Japan, large and small.
