KAWAGOE, Japan – A number of Starbucks outlets in Japan have become not just go-to places for coffee and tea but also tourist attractions due to their unique and Instagrammable architectural designs.
Foreign visitor arrivals are at an all-time high in Japan, and many of them have included stops to what’s called Regional Landmark Stores of Starbucks Coffee Japan.
In the historical town of Kawagoe (also called Little Edo) in Saitama prefecture north of Tokyo, the Starbucks outlet there is one of 28 Regional Landmark Stores in the whole of Japan.
Visitors flock there not just for their food offerings but to have their photos taken and posted on social media.
“Built in symbolic locations across Japan, the stores offer local designs that allow you to rediscover the wonders of history and culture,” reads a brief explanation on Regional Landmark Stores inside the Kawagoe Kanetsuki Dori (Kanetsuki Street) store.
The concept behind the regional landmark stores is to experience local architecture and design, and most of all, help in community building.
The store is located in the town’s Kurazukuri Zone. Kurazukuri is a “unique style of architecture” that retains the traditional style storehouse building.
According to the Japanese Coffee Blog (a collection of articles on Japanese coffee and coffee culture), “the local customers can come to these stores and feel a deep connection to their roots and heritage, strengthening the ‘community spirit’ among them, whereas the customers coming from outside the region can learn and experience the specialties of that region.” You can find out more about the 27 other Regional Landmark Stores in this blog entry.
“The architecture and the surroundings of this town make one feel like they have time-traveled back to the Edo period,” the japanesecoffeeco.com blog says.
The Kawagoe Kanetsuki Dori store is just 3 or 4 structures away from the Time Bell Tower or “Bell of Time” whose origins go back to the 17th century. The bell tower would be destroyed by fire in 1893, and the existing 16-meter bell tower was built a year later. The bell is mechanically rung four times (6 am, noon, 3 pm, 6 pm) during the day and in 1996, it was recognized as one of the “100 Soundscapes of Japan” by the Ministry of Environment.
The store has a small terrace and Japanese garden at the back, and another small garden on another side of the store.
Starbucks Coffee Japan’s Regional Landmark Stores received the Good Design Award in 2018.
“Our ‘Regional Landmark Stores’ are the symbol of each community to represent the regional culture to the global,” reads a brief outline of the Good Design Award. “Our aim is to inspire local people to be proud of and grow their affections to their community in landmarks of the regions.”
Philippine counterparts
In the Philippines, a few Starbucks outlets located in historical areas come close to this concept of a regional store, based on social media posts.
There’s a small Starbucks outlet in Puerta Isabel in Intramuros, Manila (near Bureau of Immigration) which is built into a wall in Manila’s Walled City.
There’s a newer Starbucks store also in Intramuros in Pandiman Building, General Luna Street. Its façade retains the architectural style of Intraumuros.
Another one is the Starbucks Balay Mestizo in Calle Crisologo corner Calle Salcedo in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, northern Philippines. The outlet is in the Florendo House built in 1870 in Vigan City which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“Starbucks Balay Mestizo Vigan pays tribute to this iconic heritage site by harmoniously uniting history and coffee experience,” says Starbucks Philippines. – Rappler.com
