Three Tokyo Cafes Taking Sustainability to the Next Level

From high rises to neon-lit streets, the dizzying range of things to do in Tokyo can feel unlimited and fast-paced — but don’t hesitate to slow down, cherish the moments and take a break at one of the city’s many cafes.

Tokyo’s cafe culture is well-developed, with hip and trendy coffee (and tea) shops dotting the landscape and catering to all tastes. For something that stands out from the crowd, see how some of Tokyo’s sustainable cafes go beyond just a tantalizing menu.

Revitalizing the local community

Wakuni Shoten offers the chance to enjoy coffee and light bites at their aesthetic cafe along a quiet Aoba shopping street in Tokyo’s Higashi-Murayama area. World-renowned architect Kengo Kuma led the design, which embodies sustainability at its core. The captivating facade uses patinated copper roof plates, repurposed from a Hiroshima shrine, that delightfully catch sunlight at different angles throughout the day. Inside, support beams from the original structure—a tobacco store—combine with furniture and fittings handcrafted by artisans. This is the brainchild of Tomokazu Uchino, a sheet metal craftsman aiming to revitalize this shopping street area where he grew up. Enjoy a drink alongside something sweet or savory, while admiring the interior art and supporting the local community. Some of Uchino’s crafts, like his metal ‘origami’ cranes, can also be purchased.

Breathing new life into flowers

Opened in January 2024, Cafe Lauren is an extension of ethica’s dry flower shop premises, close to Asakusa. Enjoy their selection of coffee or tea, alongside a few light bites. Sample their homemade curry or sumptuous carrot cake, while unwinding against the rustic backdrop of ethica’s gorgeous displays. Flowers may be ephemeral in nature, but here, ethica machine-dries flowers to　preserve their vibrant colors and shape for up to six months, making them suitable gifts. Their use of unsold stock—from flower producers to retailers—helps support the flower supply chain while reducing ‘flower loss,’ where stock would otherwise get discarded outright. Customers can visit to wait for flower orders*, browse the displays or simply soak up the vibe.

*Note: if you are purchasing dried flowers to bring home overseas, please bear in mind you may need to check the rules in your home country

Sample fresh flavors — grown near to Tokyo

Iconic Stage’s second store at Shin-Marunouchi brings their brand of farm-to-table sustainable produce to the heart of Tokyo. Many of their greens are hydroponically and organically grown at their urban Sustainus farm in a renovated space in nearby Yokohama. Visit this Tokyo store to try their menu offering sweet and savory dishes, produced by Japanese/French cuisine chef, Yuka Macaron. Dishes like Pork Vindaloo Curry with Lemon Rice are packed with flavor, and their 12-herb fresh salad, made with Sustainus-grown greens, tastes as fresh as it gets. Don’t forget to sample a bite or two from the patisserie menu, including parfaits and edible flower cube cakes.

Wakuni Shoten

Café Lauren

Iconic Stage

For up-to-date information on opening hours and further details please check the official website.