Travelers in Tokyo who want coffee have lots of options. Travelers looking for a place to stay have many hotel choices. Travelers looking for a place to mingle over drinks and dinner have a lot to choose from. A business in Tokyo, CITAN, blends it all together into one building.
Located in Nihonbashi, CITAN gets its name from a Japanese word meaning “starting edge” (始端, shitan). The business aims to be a place of new beginnings for all travelers. English speakers will be pleasantly surprised by how accessible this place is for non-Japanese speakers. They offer translated menus, and some of their staff are able to speak some English.
Open for coffee 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 5 to 11:30 p.m. for dinner, CITAN offers visitors and guests a personalized experience. Some people go for a place to stay during their time in Tokyo, while others go before a long day of work to grab coffee.
On the first floor, Berth Coffee offers a variety of coffee blends, espresso beverages and tea lattes. Berth Coffee is a perfect place for coffee fanatics. They switch out their blends regularly to showcase different coffee roasters. Whenever ordering fresh coffee at the bar, visitors are able to watch the barista grind the coffee and do the pour-over up close.
Most recently, their Ethiopia Wote Konga and Ethiopia Dimtu blends have been a fan favorite amongst some customers. They offer fruity, somewhat floral, undertones which pair well with their New York cheesecake. Another popular beverage choice would have to be their iced matcha tea latte as well as their dirty chai tea lattes.
Prices vary from drink to drink, but overall, the entire menu is reasonably priced. The quality of the food and the drinks often exceed all expectations. This coffee shop offers two milk alternatives with soy and oat milk. For the upcharge of only 50 to 100 yen. The approximate cost in USD would be about 70 cents.
At first glance, CITAN seems to be just a regular coffee shop, but with further inspection, some visitors may be pleased by what they discover. There is more to this café than one may think.
Downstairs, the café turns into a retro, dimly lit lounge. In the corner, there’s a wall of vinyl records that would make a great Instagram picture backdrop. In the basement of Berth Coffee, they host DJ events every weekend. The schedule is available on their website. This space is for people to mingle, relax, and listen to music.
On the second to seventh floors, different housing options for temporary travelers are offered. CITAN has dormitory-styled rooms that vary from single beds to 8-bed rooms. For women traveling alone but still wanting to have housing on a budget, CITAN offers rooms dedicated to housing just women for maximum comfort.
CITAN is a rare multiple-resource business. For travelers going to Japan, this may be the place that can fit all needs.
Experience the fresh morning coffee, comfortable housing that’s close to train stations and end the day lounging with new friends at CITAN.
