Fuglen Asakusa

Nothing signals the gentrification of Asakusa quite like a branch of uber trendy Norwegian coffee shop Fuglen opening in the neighborhood.

The first, and better known Fuglen store in Tokyo is over in Tomigaya, near Shibuya. Although the original old school branch is in Oslo.

The Asakusa branch is much more spacious than the tiny branch in Shibuya, spread over the lowest two floors of a building which also houses a branch of 9h—a chain of modern capsule hotels.

As with the Tomigaya branch, there are benches outside on which to sit and observe the colorful streetlife of Asakusa.

Fuglen is located slightly further along the same street as the outdoor evening drinking mecca of Hoppy Dori.

by Greg Lane