Koenji, Thursday to Sunday

Tokyo · 2-3 hours · afternoon

Four coffee stops woven through Koenji's shotengai, from a hidden alley pour to a counter where the barista picks your bean before you do. Under a kilometer end to end, closer together than the neighbourhood's own sprawl of vintage stores and record shops suggests. Also works on a Tuesday, just not a Monday or a Wednesday.

The route

1. Walnuts Coffee
Koenji, Suginami
Opens earliest of the four at 10:00, so start here. Closed Wednesdays, stays open past midnight Friday through Sunday if you ever loop back. A six-seat hidden-alley pour, handmade cups, Nordic-leaning roast.
5 min walk to the next stop
2. Porta Coffee Stand
Koenji, Suginami
Open every day of the week, the one stop here with no schedule to work around. Limited seating, most people take theirs out into the shotengai.
5 min walk to the next stop
3. INCredible COFFEE
Koenji, Suginami
Closed Mondays, and runs a genuine midday break (10:00-11:30) most days, arrive after 11:30 to be safe. Cold brew with real black sugar notes, and the shop runs its own monthly latte art competition.
2 min walk to the next stop
4. MYTH CAFE
Koenji, Suginami
The latest opener of the four (12:00-14:00 depending on the day), which is exactly why it closes the route. Six counter seats, mostly takeout, a quieter finish to a coffee-forward walk.