A cafe stocked with art books and other reading material for customers to enjoy. (World Photo Press Cafe Style Vol. 1) IS JAPAN BECOMING A "CAFE SOCIETY"? Young Women Favor Parisian-Style Hangouts August 20, 2001 A cafe is neither a teahouse nor a coffee shop. Since last year the cafe business has been booming all over Japan. These fashionable hangouts do not just serve tasty cups of coffee and tempting desserts; other factors like their interior design and decor and the music playing in the background make cafes mellow spaces that have won the hearts of younger generations, especially women in their twenties and thirties. Young women continue to be infatuated with the chic cafes found on the streets of Paris, and that Parisian cafe atmosphere can be experienced even in Japan. Not only are chains and cafes with distinctive designs or concepts opening, but the number of cafes operated by boutiques and knickknack stores is also on the increase. Boom Sparked by Starbucks? There are numerous explanations for the cafe boom. One of the most persuasive is that the success of American espresso chain Starbucks--which arrived in Japan in 1996 and has in to time at all accumulated over 220 outlets--proved there was demand for a variety of types of quality coffee. Unfulfilled by homogenous American-style chain cafes, however, fashion-sensitive young women have gravitated toward cafes with a European flavor. Rather than places for simply meeting friends and chatting, the cafes that are garnering popularity are relaxed, Parisian-style places where a woman, even on her own, can drop in and relax by reading a book while sipping coffee, places that feel like an extension of one's own room. This cafe is a relaxing space featuring natural wood furnishings and antiques. (World Photo Press Cafe Style Vol. 1) Interior Design and Music Also Important Cafe patrons are so choosy about the interior design of the places they frequent--a factor which hinges on the taste of cafe operators--that fashion magazines have run special features on cafe decor. Some cafes serve meals as well as drinks, always mindful that the food should complement the coffee and other drinks. "Cafe cuisine" often features rice and several different accompaniments on one plate. Recipes for these dishes have been carried in magazines, collections have been published, and one large book store even created a section to house material on cafe cuisine. A humble bowl of miso soup, a staple of Japanese dinner tables, becomes hip when it is served in a cafe-au-lait mug, showing that even foods that have been around for a long time take on a fresh, European flavor when served cafe style. "Cafe music," an essential tool for producing a comfortable ambiance, is also attracting attention. The manager of the Cafe Apres-Midi in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the former editor of a record-store magazine. Not content with just playing Brazilian music in his cafe, he has even released a series of CDs named after it. The owner of the popular Lotus cafe in the Harajuku district of Tokyo was also involved in the production of a series of cafe-music CDs. The music has no set style but is generally mellow, the kind of sound that does not disrupt conversations.   Your Name What did you think of this article? It was interesting. It was boring. Send this article to a friend Cafe Culture's Impact Widespread A cafe is a place where people can relax with a drink and a bite to eat. With this simple premise in mind, some cafes have appeared that do not specialize in coffee. There are hangouts specializing in self-service black tea and, attracting particular attention recently, some specializing in green tea. Green tea packaged in soft-drink-style plastic bottles has been a hit in convenience stores and supermarkets, but these establishments take the opposite approach--aiming to give their customers a taste of non-mass-produced tea served from a traditional teapot. Just like the cafes, interior design and music are important to these green-tea specialists, a concept that is in clear contrast to past Japanese teahouses. The cafe boom is said to reflect the feelings of women who are building careers for themselves and want to have a place to relax around town that feels like their own room. Confectionery schools are increasing their courses in cafe management. Even chains of teahouses that have been around for decades are being forced to transform into fashionable cafes to keep up with the trend. Will the cafe boom be a flash in the pan, or will it have a more lasting effect on how Japanese people spend their leisure time? Copyright (c) 2001 Japan Information Network. Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.