Blue Brew Coffee Roaster, Kyōjima, Tokyo: Uniting People and the City with Coffee
The Kyōjima district in Sumida, Tokyo, survived the firebombings of World War II remarkably unscathed. Recently, an old Kyōjima home has been transformed into a café with old Tokyo charm.
In April 2026, Blue Brew Coffee Roaster opened its doors in a former tenement house in Kyōjima, a charming part of Sumida, Tokyo. Despite its unassuming location, the café quickly gained attention from both locals and tourists. The interior features an elegant camphorwood counter, gray mud-plaster walls, and a mysterious ceiling sign, all of which draw visitors in.
The menu offers a variety of coffee options, including cold brew and a Mørk mocha made with Australian cacao. The owner and barista, Sekine Kenta, creates a unique experience by paying close attention to detail and using specially designed cups and cards to enhance the sensory experience of each drink. Sekine's dedication to his craft is evident, as he spends 45 minutes each morning tasting eight different beans and calibrates his espresso machine hourly to ensure consistency.
His background in baseball and a previous job in the railway industry led him to the world of coffee, where he found a sense of purpose and connection with people. The café's history is steeped in the area's heritage, from its origins as a residence, koto school, and okonomiyaki restaurant, to its current role as a beloved coffee shop. By living above the shop, Sekine brings a sense of tradition and community to the streetscape.
Written by urgent.news from Nippon.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
