Top Brunch in Japan

Northshore ★ 4.8 · Osaka

Nakanoshima and Kitahama · 1-1-28 Kitahama, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0041

Osaka's most photographed riverside cafe, a converted warehouse over the Dojima River; known for souffle pancakes and a morning specialty coffee ritual.

Fuglen Tokyo ★ 4.8 · Tokyo

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0063, Japan

Fuglen Tokyo in Tomigaya pours Norwegian filter coffee from 07:00, with croissants and brown-cheese toasts in a brunch room behind a vintage Oslo cafe front.

Tip: Weekday mornings calm; weekends queue from 09:00. The brown-cheese toast is the local order.

Centre The Bakery brunch counter ★ 4.7 · Tokyo

Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

Centre The Bakery in Tokyo's Ginza runs the shokupan toast flight that put the city's milk bread on the map. Three loaves, three preparations, side-by-side.

Tip: Cafe side seats a 50-minute toast brunch; takeaway counter sells loaves whole. Queue from 10:30 most days.

REC Coffee Shirogane ★ 4.6 · Fukuoka

yakuin · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0012, Japan

REC Coffee Shirogane is founder Yoshikazu Iwasa's flagship cafe, open from 08:00 with espresso pulls and a tight pastry case for weekend brunch.

Tip: Closest to Yakuin Station. Whole-bean retail bags at the counter.

Ippodo Kaboku Cha-shitsu ★ 4.6 · Kyoto

karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0915, Japan

Ippodo's adjoining cha-shitsu in Kyoto, behind the tea shop. Self-whisk a bowl of matcha at the counter with a seasonal namagashi pair, walk-in any day.

bills Umeda ★ 4.6 · Osaka

Umeda and Kita · 4-20 Ofuka-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0011

The Grand Front Osaka branch of Bill Granger's Sydney brunch brand, famous for ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter and impossibly soft scrambled eggs.

Ain Soph Journey Shinjuku ★ 4.6 · Tokyo

Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan

Ain Soph Journey in Tokyo's Shinjuku-Sanchome serves the souffle-style vegan pancake brunch that built its reputation. All-plant menu, English staff.

Tip: Saturday brunch queues from 11:00; arrive by opening or reserve. The pancakes serve two comfortably.

Amam Dacotan Ropponmatsu ★ 4.5 · Fukuoka

ropponmatsu · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0044, Japan

Amam Dacotan's Ropponmatsu flagship runs as the Sunday brunch destination, with 140 bakes and a counter coffee programme served until the bread runs out.

Tip: Queue from 09:00. Seven-person inside limit; sit at the blue-building eating area.

I'm Donut? Fukuoka ★ 4.5 · Fukuoka

tenjin · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0004, Japan

I'm Donut? in Fukuoka pours nama donuts in classic and seasonal flavours from a small Watanabe-dori shop. The morning queue is the city's most reliable.

Tip: Walk-in only, often sold out by 14:00. Closest subway is Tenjin Minami exit 6.

Manu Coffee Kujira ★ 4.5 · Fukuoka

yakuin · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0012, Japan

Manu Coffee Kujira in Yakuin runs the brand's flagship roasting hub. A two-floor cafe with single-origin filter and seasonal pastries for weekend mornings.

Tip: Five-minute walk from Yakuin Station. The second floor has sofas.

Yanagibashi Rengo Ichiba Breakfast ★ 4.5 · Fukuoka

hakata · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0003, Japan

Yanagibashi Rengo Ichiba opens at 08:00 with ready-to-eat seafood don and tempura plates at several market counters. Hakata's best two hours of breakfast.

Tip: Closed Sundays and public holidays. Five-minute drive from Hakata Station.

Inoda Coffee Honten Morning ★ 4.5 · Kyoto

karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8118, Japan

Inoda's 1940 machiya kissaten in Karasuma, Kyoto, opens at 07:00. The Kyoto Morning set with egg, sausage, toast and Arabian Pearl blend at 1,100 yen.

Iolite Coffee Roasters Morning ★ 4.5 · Kyoto

nakagyo · 422 Ikesucho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8242, Japan

Iolite in Nakagyo in Kyoto opens early; the morning is a hand-drip and toast set, cedar-beam machiya counter, single-origin pour-over from the in-house roast.

West Wood Bakers ★ 4.5 · Osaka

Horie and Nishi-ku · 1-16-9 Minamihorie, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0015

A Minamihorie sourdough bakery with a brunch menu until 14:00: avocado toast, ricotta with seasonal fruit, and house pour-over from an open kitchen.

Bills Omotesando ★ 4.5 · Tokyo

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan

Bills Omotesando in Tokyo is Bill Granger's Tokyo flagship. Ricotta hotcakes since 1993 and scrambled eggs that started a global brunch trend in Sydney.

Tip: Reserve weekend brunches; queues from 09:00 otherwise. The ricotta hotcakes plate stays the menu's anchor.

daco Imaizumi ★ 4.4 · Fukuoka

imaizumi · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0021, Japan

daco from Amam Dacotan founder Ryota Hirako opened July 2024. The Imaizumi bakery-cafe runs nama donuts and a small sandwich programme worth the queue.

Tip: Open 10:00; line starts by 11:00. Five minutes from Tenjin Minami Station.

Stereo Coffee ★ 4.4 · Fukuoka

tenjin · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0004, Japan

Stereo Coffee on Watanabe-dori runs a multi-roaster pour-over programme with light snacks. Work-friendly brunch corner with JBL speakers anchoring the room.

Tip: A few minutes from Yakuin metro. Music shortlisted by co-owner Yusuke Watanabe.

Smart Coffee ★ 4.4 · Kyoto

karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8082, Japan

A 1932 kissaten in Kyoto's Teramachi arcade. Pillow-thick hotcakes, house-roasted coffee and a tamago sando at the city's reference Showa-era breakfast.

Akatsuki Coffee Brunch ★ 4.4 · Kyoto

demachiyanagi · Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8182, Japan

Akatsuki Coffee's no-laptops brunch room in Sakyo, Kyoto, husband-and-wife run. Daily cakes, a single Weekenders pour-over and a quiet morning room.

Cafe Morihico Maruyama Brunch ★ 4.4 · Sapporo

maruyama · Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0802, Japan

Morihico's morning runs hand-drip Forest Drops, hotcakes and seasonal Hokkaido fruit. Quiet 09:00 weekday opens are the easier seat at this Maruyama room.

Tip: Walk in by 10:00 weekdays; the weekend hotcake queue starts 09:30.

Blue Bottle Coffee Kiyosumi-Shirakawa ★ 4.4 · Tokyo

Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0023, Japan

Blue Bottle Kiyosumi-Shirakawa in Tokyo opens at 08:00 daily for pour-over coffee, waffles and breakfast pastries inside its converted-factory flagship.

Tip: Weekend queues from 09:00. The drip flight reads three single-origins side by side; the Belgian waffle is the food order.

Viron Shibuya brasserie ★ 4.4 · Tokyo

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042, Japan

Viron Shibuya in Tokyo is the French boulangerie-brasserie open from 09:00 for breakfasts of Retrodor baguette, croissants, and croque-monsieur with wine.

Tip: Bakery counter downstairs, brasserie upstairs. The morning queue is for the takeaway window.

Le Petitmec Croissant Morning ★ 4.3 · Kyoto

karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8094, Japan

Le Petitmec Oike opens at 08:00 in Kyoto with the anchor French boulangerie morning. Beurre croissants, pain au chocolat and take-away coffee at the door.

Blue Bottle Kyoto Brunch ★ 4.3 · Kyoto

northern-higashiyama · Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8437, Japan

Blue Bottle's Kyoto cafe by Nanzen-ji serves morning pour-overs in a converted machiya. Single-origin brews and a wagashi-pairing programme at counter.

THE CITY BAKERY Osaka Umeda ★ 4.3 · Osaka

Umeda and Kita · 2-2-22 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0001

The Osaka franchise of New York's THE CITY BAKERY, serving weekend brunch with the pretzel croissant, granola bowl, and legendarily thick hot chocolate.

Baristart Coffee Brunch ★ 4.3 · Sapporo

odori · Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0061, Japan

Baristart's brunch runs Hokkaido milk lattes alongside avocado toast and a Hokkaido egg sandwich. The morning queue is shorter than the afternoon rush.

Tip: Open 10:00; the chalkboard shows the morning's milk choice Weekends fill by noon.

Rokkatei Maruyama Tea Salon Brunch ★ 4.3 · Sapporo

maruyama · Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0802, Japan

Rokkatei's Maruyama tea salon runs Marusei butter sandwiches and whisked matcha on the second floor. Buy take-home from the ground floor on the way out.

Tip: Closed Tuesdays; second-floor cafe shares stairs with the take-home shop.

Eggs 'n Things Harajuku ★ 4.3 · Tokyo

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan

Eggs 'n Things Harajuku in Tokyo is the Honolulu pancake chain's Japanese flagship. Mountain of whipped cream, strawberries and macadamia syrup over pancakes.

Tip: Weekend queues from 08:30. Walk-in only; arrive by 09:00 weekdays for the canonical breakfast.

Walden Woods Kyoto ★ 4.2 · Kyoto

karasuma-kawaramachi · Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8445, Japan

Walden Woods' white-on-white brunch cafe in Shimogyo, Kyoto. Espresso tonics, lattes and a morning oat-milk programme; minimalist stepped-wood seating.

Kissa Soiree ★ 4.2 · Kyoto

karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8016, Japan

Soiree's 1948 Showa kissaten on Nishikiyamachi in Kyoto. iconic blue-soda jellies, cheesecakes and the city's most-photographed kissaten neon since the 1960s.