The specialty coffee brand % Arabica, based in Kyoto and expanding globally, has opened its first street-level store in Tokyo, located along the Meguro River promenade in Nakameguro.

Set within a landscape where urban life meets seasonal change, the new space presents an opportunity to experience the brand’s philosophy through both coffee and design.

©Masato Kawano (︎Nacása & Partners Inc.)/Courtesy of % ARABICA Tokyo Nakameguro

From Kyoto to the World—A Brand in Expansion
Founded in Kyoto in 2014, % Arabica has grown under the slogan “From Kyoto to the world,” expanding to 239 stores across 26 countries as of March 2026.

Rather than simply increasing its number of locations, the brand has developed each store in response to its surrounding culture and environment, shaping a consistent yet locally attuned experience.

Courtesy of % ARABICA Tokyo Nakameguro

Coffee—Selecting the Best of Each Year
At the core of % Arabica is a philosophy articulated by its founder, Kenneth Shoji:
“% Arabica is about my love for coffee, design, and seeing the world.”

To achieve the highest quality, Shoji visits coffee-producing regions across the globe each year, tasting more than 1,000 varieties to select only the best beans of that season.

This pursuit extends beyond sourcing. The brand owns a coffee farm in Hawaii, trades green beans globally, and works closely with roasting and espresso technologies to ensure precision at every stage. The result is a cup defined not by excess, but by clarity—where subtraction becomes a form of refinement.

Courtesy of % ARABICA Tokyo Nakameguro

Design—Space as an Extension of the Brand
For Shoji, % Arabica is shaped by three passions: coffee, design, and the act of seeing the world.

Each location is developed in collaboration with architects and designers, resulting in spaces that are distinct yet unified by a minimalist aesthetic. This approach to spatial design has been widely recognized in international design awards.

The Nakameguro store was created in collaboration with no.10, a design unit of Nomura Co., Ltd. Elements such as ivy-covered façades, infinity-inspired lighting, and the brand’s signature yellow mirror introduce depth within a restrained architectural language.

Courtesy of % ARABICA Tokyo Nakameguro

Coffee as a Link Between City and Self
Shoji’s background—growing up traveling the world and encountering diverse cultures—shaped a persistent question: who he was, and what kind of life he wanted to live.

His answer was not excess, but simplicity: a grounded life centered on the essentials—food, clothing, shelter—and an exceptional cup of coffee as part of everyday life.

In Nakameguro, along the Meguro River where the rhythms of the city and nature intersect, % Arabica’s presence reframes the act of drinking coffee. It becomes less about consumption and more about connection—to place, to time, and to oneself.

From Kyoto to cities across the globe, the brand’s trajectory finds a new expression here, quietly rearticulating the relationship between individuals and the urban environment.






About % Arabica
% Arabica is a specialty coffee brand founded in Kyoto in 2014. Guided by the vision “See the World Through Coffee,” it has expanded to 239 locations across 26 countries as of March 2026, integrating coffee, design, and cultural experience into a global practice.