Cafe de l'Ambre in Tokyo's Ginza has poured aged beans since 1948 when Ichiro Sekiguchi opened Japan's first specialty coffee shop. Still on Suzuran-dori.
Fuglen Tokyo in Tokyo's Tomigaya is the Norwegian Oslo cafe's first overseas outpost, opened 2012. Coffee until evening, Scandinavian cocktails after 19:00.
Blue Bottle Coffee in Tokyo Kiyosumi-Shirakawa opened 2015 as the brand's first overseas roastery cafe. Converted-factory flagship, beans roasted on-site.
Signature drink: Single-origin pour-over
Tip: The drip flight tastes three single-origin pours side by side. Weekends queue from 09:00; weekdays after 10:30 are calm.
Onibus Coffee in Tokyo's Nakameguro roasts imported beans on-site in a renovated wooden house by the Toyoko Line tracks. The second-floor bench is the spot.
Signature drink: Single-origin hand-drip
Tip: Order an Ethiopia hand-drip and take it upstairs to the bench overlooking the elevated train tracks. No laptops, by design.
Koffee Mameya in Tokyo's Omotesando is Eiichi Kunitomo's bean-counter behind a wooden door. No menu: the barista matches a roast to your taste profile.
Signature drink: Custom bean-matched pour-over
Tip: Plan 15 minutes for the conversation; the small flight option lets you try three pour-overs back-to-back.
Streamer Coffee in Tokyo's Shibuya was Hiroshi Sawada's 2010 milestone, the latte-art champion's home cafe. The Military matcha-espresso latte is the order.
Signature drink: Military latte with matcha
Tip: Open 09:00-18:00 daily. Multiple branches across Tokyo; Shibuya is the original espresso-bar room.