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Japanese cafe lets customers enjoy random flavors of coffee using capsule vending machines

Koh Ruide Oct 14, 2019
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Can’t decide what to get? Then leave it all up to gacha.

For our Japanese-language reporter Mr. Sato, nothing beats sipping a perfectly brewed cup of coffee to kickstart the day. And while Starbucks is currently offering exciting Halloween flavors like Masquerade Raspberry Mocha, Mr. Sato much prefers simple flavors in the morning.

His instincts for the odd and strange, however, delivered him to a cafe in Roppongi Hills called Gacha Gacha Coffee. Its location within the 250-meter (820 feet) high Tokyo City View Observation Deck meant that entry required a fee of 1,800 yen (US$16).

▼ Might as well enjoy the scenery while you are there, Mr. Sato.

If your main purpose is to only drink coffee, then 1,800 yen might be too dear a price to pay. Good thing our adventurous reporter was here for the spectacular view, too. Right, Mr. Sato?

▼ “A crystal-clear view of the city and Tokyo Tower is good and all,
but where’s my coffee?” he muttered grumpily.

▼ Making his way over to Sky Gallery 3, Mr. Sato found what he had been looking for.

▼ The place certainly felt like a cozy cafe, but with no staff around to help and
odd contraptions all over, he was at a loss as to what to do.

▼ “I am in the right place, right?”

▼ Peering at instructions imprinted on the wall,
Mr. Sato realized that everything here was self-service.

Like its namesake, the place had capsule vending machines numbered from one to five, each corresponding to different coffee beans within. What’s more, a special dispenser with a question mark supposedly contained mystery coffee beans as well.

▼ One turn of the crank cost 500 yen.

▼ Out popped his morning pick-me-up.

▼ Cracking it open with glee, Mr. Sato found a pack of Nyeri Hill roast nestled inside.

▼ Never having tried Kenyan coffee in his life before,
our now excited reporter impatiently tore open the packaging and fed it into the mill…

▼ …then gave the switch a flick.

▼ An unseen grinder whirred to life, depositing aromatic ground coffee into the dripper below.

▼ Next was placing it on top of a paper cup…

▼ …and choosing his options.

“Express” offered a 90-second drip that produced a light and smooth finish, whereas the three-minute “rich” option resulted in a deeper and bolder flavor.

▼ “I want to be rich!” exclaimed Mr. Sato as steaming hot water dribbled down.

▼ Gacha coffee all ready to go! The smell was incredible.

▼ “Sipping coffee while appreciating gorgeous scenery… what a classy way to start the day.

Mr. Sato found the entire process of brewing his own cup of random coffee really exciting, not to mention having a stunning Tokyo landscape at his disposal. Sure, he would have spent a lot less and gotten a lot more at other coffee stores, but Gacha Gacha Coffee will forever be ingrained into his mind as one of most stylish places to have a cup of joe.

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[ Read in Japanese ]