Research Overview

Commissioned by a client considering new inbound business ventures, we conducted research, using a cultural anthropological approach, to explore popular cafes and coffee shops in the vicinity of Tokyo among foreign visitors.

Research Methodology

• Preliminary Research
  Initially, desk research was conducted on several gourmet sites that international visitors to Japan use as references for choosing cafes.
• Analysis of Popularity Trends and Factors
  Based on star ratings and reviews, we selected the top 100 popular cafes in Tokyo. From this list, we identified 12 particularly distinctive cafes and conducted a detailed analysis, ranging from the location environment to the services provided.
• Text Analysis of Reviews
  To avoid bias, English language reviews from multiple sources were collected for the selected 100 cafes. All reviews were digitized, and insights were derived through text mining and qualitative analysis.

Research Findings

• We identified the top 100 popular cafes among international visitors to Japan and the geographical distribution trends, further clarifying the relationship between these trends and tourism behavior.
• We reinterpreted the physical elements within these cafes, such as baristas and roasting machines, as well as conceptual elements like music, single-origin coffee, and specialty coffee, using Actor Network Theory. This approach helped us understand the impacts of these elements both within the cafe environment and as part of the Japan travel experience.
• An analysis was conducted on each cafe considering cultural aspects, such as whether people visiting cafes in Japan during their trip are looking for unique Japanese experiences with Japanese tea, latte art, and coffee shops, or whether they seek familiar coffee like that of their home country.

Key Points and Outcomes

• During the research and analysis process, we derived sharp insights in a short period, utilizing public information and text analysis software.
• Not only did we conduct quantitative analysis of big data collected from reviews, but we also added qualitative analysis to this data, enabling a depth of study similar to online ethnography.
• To deepen this study further, it has been suggested that accompanying actual travelers and conducting participant observation is crucial. Future anthropological fieldwork is planned to explore how cafe experiences are positioned within the continuum of a visitor’s stay in Japan and what elements are key to enhancing these experiences into something truly remarkable.

Contact info:
info@ideafund.co.jp