Tokyo is certainly not short of themed-cafes: animals, anime characters, monsters, historical periods, everything is fair game. In this post I will show you three cafes that are relevant to fountain pens and stationery enthusiasts.
1. Cafe Stylo at Itoya
Itoya is probably the most amazing stationery shop in the world. It has many locations, also outside Japan, but speaking of Itoya means speaking of its flagship location in Ginza: 9 floors filled with every conceivable stationery item. And if that is not enough, you can visit their annex for more pens, inks, paper and notepads.
Probably the most interesting floor is the third reserved to high-end writing instruments.
The display cabinets are filled with pens worth thousand of dollars; entry level fountain pen models start at around 40 USD (in the annex you can find cheaper pens).
If you go, check if they have any store exclusive item. In my September 2018 visit, they were introducing a number of exclusive Lamy pens, a few available only at Itoya (I love Ginza pens) and others only available in other two stores in Tokyo. These are the kind of items that get collectors go amok.
Cafe Stylo is located on the 12th floor and is accessible using the elevator on the back entrance.
Their menu sports breakfast and lunch items as well as desserts and drinks for a quick stop. They are open from 10am to 10pm, with last order to be placed before 9pm.
They proudly claim to source their eggs from Kurofuji farm in Yamanashi where chicken are kept free range at 1100 meters above the sea level. Consequently, their organic Benedict egg dishes, while a bit pricey, are highly recommended for a hearty breakfast.
I can vouch for their desserts, like this chocolate mousse sadly no longer available on their menu.
Where in Tokyo:
2 Chome-7-15 Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Check their website to see the menus.
2. Maruzen Café
Maruzen is a historic chain of bookshops that can be found around Japan. They also carry amazing selections of fountain pens and stationery.
The basement of their flagship Nihombashi location (just across the street from Takashimaya) offers one of the best selections of Japanese and international fountain pens that can be found in Tokyo. They are also one of the few stores to carry Nakaya pens. In March they organize a fountain pen fair where they release a truckload of limited edition pens and inks (see the pictures above from March 2018). When browsing the shelves in the basement, look for the Athena inks that are exclusive to Maruzen.
The third floor in Nihombashi hosts the namesake café (now operated by Café de Cléa).
It is a relatively spacious location, with seating both for solo diners (like in the picture above) and large groups.
In my September 2018 visit I had their signature lemon mousse that I highly recommend.
But Maruzen Café is a place where you can also have a full lunch or dinner. In particular, look for their curry and Hayashi rice dishes. I recommend to try their curry hamburger steaks (pictured one with omelette) that are different from Westerner hamburger, and make for a satisfactory meal. Also the Hayashi dishes should not be missed since lore has it that the dish was invented by Yuteki Hayashi, the founder and first president of Maruzen itself.
Where in Tokyo:
2-3-10 Nihonbashi Chuo Tokyo
In Japanese: 東京都 中央区 日本橋 2-3-10 日本橋丸善東急ビル３F
3. Bunbougu Cafe
Finally, in the Omotesando area, there is a full-fledged stationery themed cafe called Bunbougu Cafe (“bunbougu” means stationery in Japanese).
The cafe is located in a basement level.
All kind of stationery and cute products are for sale.
A selection of pencils, crayons and some decorative tapes (called washi in Japanese) are available for free to all customers.
If you go, make sure to try their stationery-themed gashapon: these vending machines dispense random stationery contained in a plastic ball.
Above is pictured what I got for 200 yen (less than 2 USD): a pterodactyl-shaped eraser and a roll of washi tape.
In my September 2018 visit I just had a drink (grapefruit juice). In a previous visit I enjoyed a massive parfait that was no longer available on the menu. They have food suitable both for a meal or for a drink with friends. A simple drink starts at around 600 yen after tax.
But there is a bonus! If you are in this part of town and are interested in stationery and fountain pens you cannot miss the Tokyo branch of Bung Box, a very popular destination for fountain pen enthusiasts. The shop is just 50 meters from the cafe and, while tiny, it is filled with the sought after Bung Box inks (made by Sailor), their shop exclusive limited edition pens and more. It must be noted that the two places, even if they share a very similar name, are not related (for what it matters to my knowledge Bung Box came first). It is worth a visit, but check opening times on the website because their schedule is quite irregular.
Where in Tokyo:
4-8-1 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo
Check their website for a preview of the menu.
Final thoughts about a possible itinerary:
1. Start your day with a breakfast at Stylo Cafe (Itoya) based on organic Benedict eggs.
2. Head to Maruzen Cafe for a substantial lunch based on Hayashi rice.
3. Move to Omotesando for a drink or a sweet treat at Bunbougu Cafe.