Kyoto is the sister city of Boston and the capital of tourism in Japan. It’s also the capital of coffee. The average annual purchase of coffee per household in Kyoto is the top in the country. In Kyoto, cafes are everywhere. The competition is tense.
Founded in 1957 in Kyoto, Ogawa Coffee (小川珈琲) is an iconic local coffee chain in Kyoto. In 2015, they opened their first overseas location Ogawa Coffee USA in Downtown Crossing, Boston.
The exterior of Ogawa Coffee USA.
Inside Ogawa Coffee USA.
A handwritten message by Kyoto City mayor Daisaku Kadokawa (門川大作) on the cafe’s wall expressing the 60th anniversary of the relationship between Kyoto City and Boston.
Ogawa Coffee USA is not Japanesey up front. It could be an Asian American cafe if you look closer at Isamu Noguchi-ish lamps and other minor details in the store. After all, It’s just a modern cafe in Downtown Boston.
Ogawa Coffee USA’s menu.
Their menu has a variety of non-American items such as Kyoto House Blend, Houjicha Latte, and London Fog. In my opinion, as a Kyoto native, Houjicha (ほうじ茶 / Japanese brown tea) on a drink menu is absolutely Japanese.
Kyoto House Blend ($3.50), left, croissant ($3.25), right.
Ogawa Coffee USA | 10 Milk St, Boston, MA 02108, United States
