The Gorgeous Tokyo Starbucks Located In A Vibrant Greenhouse

Contrary to popular belief, not all Starbucks are created equal. Sure, the worldwide coffee chain has brand guidelines to ensure a cohesive experience across borders and time zones, but store designers for each location are encouraged to embrace local assets, culture, and unique settings to create a sense of place. Case in point, Starbucks Yomiuriland Hana Biyori. Opened in 2020, the stunning coffee outlet built inside an expansive 15,000-square-foot greenhouse is much more than a convenient place to pick up a latte. Instead, it's an integral part of a garden-centric exhibit — and a destination in its own right.

Located in Inagi City, about 12 miles from downtown Tokyo, the Starbucks outlet was purposefully designed to reflect its setting in the Hana Biyori botanical garden at Yomiuriland theme park. As reported by Japankuru, the opening of the expansive indoor-outdoor garden exhibit marked the first step in a 10-year plan to update and expand the circa 1964 amusement park, a year-round destination known as much for its Ferris wheel and roller-coaster as its springtime display of cherry blossoms and spectacular winter light shows.

Although it's not listed on Starbucks' roster of Regional Landmark Stores — a curated collection of outlets housed in unique or historic buildings — Starbucks Yomiuriland Hana Biyori is remarkable in that it was built to blend seamlessly into the botanical garden landscape and nurture a human connection to nature.

In addition to creating a visually appealing design appropriate to its setting, planners were also intent on developing a tranquil space to encourage patrons to connect with nature and contemplate its role in their overall well-being. It's all part of a Starbucks design concept called "New lifestyle with coffee." The interior layout showcases beds of flowering plants — begonias, fuchsias, petunias, geraniums, and bellflowers — that add color and perfume the air. A 26-foot-long saltwater aquarium acts as a focal point and is home to 1,200 fish representing 50 species native to the waters surrounding Okinawa, including clown fish, blue-green damselfish, and sea goldies.

In a nod to environmental sustainability, some of the furniture in the cafe was made by local craftsmen with wood sourced from trees downed during Japan's devastating 2019 Typhoon No. 15. Each piece is unique and designed and constructed to honor the natural shape of the timber. Hana Biyori horticulturists design and maintain the seasonal floral displays inside the Starbucks cafe, often showcasing flora and fauna, like cherry blossoms, that inspire limited-time offerings. In a not-so-subtle link between Starbucks and the product that drives its business, live coffee trees flourish in the botanical setting. But access comes at a price. The only way to experience Starbucks Yomiuriland Hana Biyori is to pay the admission fee to the garden — JP¥ 1,200 or about $US 8.50, as of July 2023.