LEAVES Coffee Roasters

LEAVES Coffee began in 2010 when Yasuo Ishii — until then a professional boxing champion — bought a single bag of green beans and started teaching himself to roast. A decade later, LEAVES is one of Japan's most internationally recognized specialty roasters, and Ishii is one of the country's most respected industry voices.

The Taito-ku operation runs across two sites: LEAVES Coffee Roasters, the production roastery in Komagata with a small bar and bean shop, and LEAVES Coffee Apartment, a larger café concept a short walk away in Kuramae. Both lean light-roast, with a single-origin focus and a transparent sourcing approach that has built relationships with farmers across Ethiopia, Colombia, and Honduras over the years.

The coffee programme is precise without being cold. Service runs filter, espresso, and a thoughtful retail bean rotation, with seasonal limited releases that move quickly. The space — both sites — feels like a workshop more than a café: white walls, exposed concrete, the smell of fresh roast in the air.

Near Tokyo Skytree and a short walk from Asakusa, LEAVES has become a near-mandatory stop on any Tokyo coffee itinerary.