In the Tokyo coffee scene, The Roastery by NOZY is a known name. The single origin roastery first opened in 2013 in the heart of Cat Street as a collaboration between Setagaya’s Nozy Coffee and Tysons & Co restaurant group. Walking in feels like stepping back to the third wave coffee scene from a decade ago: industrial bones in that vaguely American arts district kind of way. A decade later, it feels decidedly unpretentious compared to many trendier cafés in the scene, but still a visual shorthand for coffee taken seriously.

Within the modestly sized café, the roaster takes up the back half and the coffee bar the front half. Walking in, you’re immersed in the smell, the heat, the sounds of a roaster at work, a backdrop alive with activity. The crowd it draws in a mix of local and international coffee lovers. Less about the aesthetic or presentation, more about the coffee immersion, exploring their current selection, smelling, tasting your way through the rotating beans and picking up a bag or two as a gift or souvenir.