It's Giving Showa

Open since 1955, with a log-house front and a cave-like room full of folk art and old stuff. Order the seven-colored cream sodas and the pizza toast. Seats are tight, so go solo or as a pair.

A kissaten inside a 1930s wooden townhouse. Sit upstairs on the tatami. The thick-cut egg sandwich and the pudding are the order. Get there early on weekends; it queues.

Self-roasting since 1968 and run by Mamoru Taguchi, a big name in how Japan learned coffee. Get the Bach Blend and the coffee jelly. Weekday mornings are calm enough to work.

Red-brick front, a revolving door, and iced café au lait poured at your table. Nel-drip coffee in a room that still feels like old Ginza. Weekday mornings beat the queue.

A tango kissaten since 1953. Charcoal-roasted coffee, tango records, old furniture. Try the Milonga Blend or the Wiener coffee. It fills up after 3pm.

Stained-glass ceiling, vintage chairs, and tall parfaits. Ask for a non-smoking seat if smoke bothers you. Open until 11pm, which is rare for a kissaten.

A small Showa-red coffeehouse with family photos on the walls and a house blend they've roasted for decades. Some old smoke scent lingers. Go early in the morning. Closed Saturdays.

Open 24 hours. Showa decor, counter seats, house coffee, and Wi-Fi, so it doubles as a late laptop spot. Smoking is allowed, so know that going in.

A night kissaten: opens at 6pm and runs to 1am. Antique decor and the twin-glass cream soda by Maki Kameda. It's quieter after 9pm.

A proper Showa kissaten that stays open until 11pm, just off the Koenji Look shopping street. Keema curry with an egg yolk on top, hijiki omurice, and the house roast.