The Best Spots in Chūō Ward, Tokyo,According to an Expert
Hideya Sato
Chuo City Tourism Association
We promote activities that leverage the abundant tourism resources within Chuo Ward to enhance its appeal through tourism development, thereby contributing to regional revitalization and the creation of a community that inspires pride and affection.
- web site
- https://www.chuo-kanko.or.jp/
- address
- Kyobashi Plaza 3F 1-25-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku
- telephone number
- 03-6228-7907
Cawaii Bread & Coffee
Cawaii Bread & Coffee is a small bakery and coffee shop located along the Kamejima River, about a 3-minute walk from Hatchobori Station. Originally, a printing company occupied this space, but Office of Ryue Nishizawa renovated the 46-square-meter area, completing the project in 2014. The space, extending from the front road towards the canal, features a glass-walled workshop, an eat-in area, and a shop space. Ryue Nishizawa is an architect with numerous awards, including the Pritzker Prize (often called the Nobel Prize of architecture), the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize, and the Togo Murano Prize. This shop is operated by “Cawaii Factory,” an editorial and writing collective focused on art and design, run by Tamaki Harada and Mari Nakayama. Their office is located along the Kamejima River. One day, Harada noticed there was no bakery nearby. She wanted to provide delicious bread and coffee to people working and living in the neighborhood who craved good bread, and that’s how the idea for this shop was born.
I often visit a company that runs tours along the Kamejima River, where participants explore Tokyo’s sights while cycling, kayaking, or running. I hear that European guests on the kayak tours often remark that the Kamejima River resembles the canals of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Sandwiched between the Sumida River and the Nihonbashi River, Kamejima River is relatively narrow. Apartments and shops line its banks, creating a vibrant, everyday atmosphere. My favorite spot is the terrace seating along the shore. Sitting on a bench, gazing leisurely at the river surface while imagining Amsterdam, is pure bliss for me.
Cawaii Bread & Coffee is a shop brimming with deep dedication, from its glass-walled kitchen where you can watch bread being baked and its open-air design facing the street and river, to its meticulous ingredient selection and sourcing. The bread baked in a radiant heat oven is made with a commitment to domestic wheat, house-cultivated yeast, and organic ingredients, with continuous refinement. For instance, cultivating the starter for their “Sourdough Bread,” made solely with flour and water, reportedly took five years. If reading this has made you want to taste the bread crafted at Cawaii Bread & Coffee, we highly recommend their umami-rich whole wheat bread or sourdough bread. Our authentic breads, made from our own starter and free of additives, pair perfectly with stews, steak, and wine. We encourage you to savor them as part of your evening meal.
We source a different variety of coffee beans each month from “FACTORY KAFE Kosen,” the roastery run by master roaster Minoru Ooya. We roast the beans to suit each variety and its unique character, and fine-tune our Swiss Thermopian espresso machine with bread pairing in mind. We offer rich, full-bodied espresso as our base, along with Americano and latte. Additionally, the cheese for our sandwiches and the milk for our lattes come from Yoshida Farm, which produces high-quality cheese amidst the beautiful nature of Kibi Highlands in Okayama Prefecture. Yoshida Farm is a fermier (cheese-specialized farm) where the second-generation owner, Mr. Harano, carefully handcrafts cheese using only milk from their own livestock. This milk comes from Brown Swiss cows, a Swiss breed selected by founder Mr. Zensaku Yoshida as well-suited to the Kibi Highlands.
Cawaii Bread & Coffee
- address
- T&Y Building 1F 2-30-16 Hatchobori, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- telephone number
- 03-3523-5040
- web site
- https://www.instagram.com/cawaiibreadandcoffee/
