First-ever cafe on Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden grounds is now open

A new cafe has opened within the grounds of Tokyo's Imperial Palace, marking the first of its kind in the city. The Sarutahiko Coffee branch, located in the eastern garden area, offers visitors a chance to enjoy an exclusive blend of coffee inspired by the changing seasons, beautiful plant life, and crisp air of the gardens.

The cafe serves both dark-roast and light-roast varieties, each with its own unique flavor profile. The dark-roast boasts dark chocolate notes and the scent of violets, while the light-roast offers hints of caramel, orange, and cherry, with a subtle taste of grapes that becomes more pronounced as the coffee cools.

In addition to the coffee, the cafe features a selection of cakes, pastries, and other desserts that blend both Japanese and Western confectionery traditions. Customers can also purchase packs of the Imperial Palace East Garden Blend to take home.

The cafe is connected to a new rest area and is located across a pedestrian pathway from the Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, an art/history museum that also opened on November 3. Patrons can enjoy their beverages on the cafe's second-floor terrace, taking in views of the surrounding greenery, or at indoor seating, which features tables made from hinoki (Japanese cedar) wood harvested from the same forest used for rebuilding ceremonies at Ise Shrine.

The cafe operates on the same schedule as the Imperial Palace Gardens, closing at dusk to ensure it remains ecologically friendly. Given the skyscraper-free buffer zone around the gardens, the cafe is powered entirely by solar energy, allowing visitors to enjoy a unique and environmentally conscious experience while indulging in a drink and a snack in an exceptional location.