Interesting Cafe
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Nearly a century old, this ‘masterpiece cafe’ in Tokyo discourages socializing and forbids mobile phones
Walking into the Lion Cafe, in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, the first thing one notices is the seating. All chairs face one direction, towards two gigantic speakers on the wall, the stars of this 98-year-old institution.
It’s one of the city’s few remaining meikyoku kissa, or masterpiece cafés.
“Meikyoku kissa is a place that plays classical music, where customers can listen to music, have a drink and relax,” says Naoya Yamadera, the current manager of the Lion Cafe.
His father, Yanosuke Yamadera, built the original in 1926. It burned down during World War II air raids and was rebuilt and expanded in the 1950s, the decor inspired by its original European Baroque style.
