coffee then dessert?

CAFFEINE RUN

US coffee shops such as Starbucks and Blue Bottle are available in Japan but there are plenty of excellent Japanese coffee chains as well that you should visit! KOMEDA, DOUTOUR, EXCELSIOR, and even TULLEY’S are great options! My favorite one to visit is COFFEE WRIGHT in Omotesando because they share the space with a great donut shop called HIGUMA. A cool coffee shop in Harajuku can make 3D latte art shop and it’s called CAFE REISSUE. Some shops (pictured above) will have amazing designs you will ever see.

I did want to talk about CAFE REISSUE as it’s a very popular place to stop by. If you go on weekends, expect the queue for a table to be 1-2+ hours especially during peak time. I highly recommend you stop by weekdays after 13:30 and before 17:30. I got seated immediately and got my latte art in about 10 minutes. CASH ONLY.

GORGEOUS AND AESTHETIC DESSERTS

desserts so good you could cry

Whether you want cakes, ice cream or milk tea, you’ll find something you love! Asakusa will have a plethora of options within walking distance and it truly just depends on what you want! Be sure to try as much as you can while you’re in town and the one I recommend the most is CREAMIA ICE CREAM! Some of these scattered throughout Tokyo but I can suggest PARLOR VINEFRU, PARFAITERIA BEL, INITIAL OMOTESANDO while EXCELSIOR CAFE will sell Cremia ice cream! Keep in mind some of these establishments will require 1 order per person! (No sharing!)

HARAJUKU: NOT ONLY KNOWN FOR FASHION

DESSERTS IN JAPAN AREN’T TOO SWEET

Let’s talk about Harajuku since we are on the subject of desserts. It’s truly the most eclectic neighborhood I have ever been. Harajuku is known for it’s quirky fashion shops that many adore. Fashion is far out and colorful, more than what the average Japanese person would wear and I adore it. While you can shop for really awesome vintage and designer clothes, there’s tons of cosignment shops as well!

Aside from all the wonderful clothes, you’ll most likely want to get some good eats. While it’s mostly a bunch of novelty fun foods pictured here, you can also find a Gyukatsu Motomura and a few other pretty decent spots. There are a lot of desserts shops such as the famed ZAKU ZAKU ice cream shop and SANTA MONICA CREPES. Just fair warning that Harajuku gets extremely congested during weekends so I HIGHLY suggest avoiding it then unless you enjoy being shoulder to shoulder every single place you go to.