RENAISSANCE

A Retro Meikyoku Kissa That Inherited the Spirit of a Legendary Shop

Tucked away underground in Koenji, “RENAISSANCE” is a meikyoku kissa with a retro Showa-era atmosphere. A meikyoku kissa is a uniquely Japanese form of kissaten culture where guests enjoy coffee or tea while listening to classical music played at high volume through high-quality audio equipment. “RENAISSANCE” opened in 2007, taking over part of the interior and record collection from “CLASSIC,” the legendary meikyoku kissa that closed to the regret of many.

Although there are places overseas where people can listen to live performances, the culture of the meikyoku kissa—where customers sit quietly and listen closely to records—is said to be extremely rare outside Japan. In recent years, many international visitors have also come in search of the quiet, profound experience that only this shop offers.

“CLASSIC” was a meikyoku kissa that once radiated a striking individuality from a back alley in Nakano and was beloved by many cultural figures. Its owner was Shichiro Misaku, who was also known as one of the “three eccentrics of Nakano.” Raised in a wealthy family in Kumamoto, Misaku came to Tokyo aspiring to become a painter. He was skilled enough to hold a solo exhibition at a gallery in Ginza, while also showing a talent for invention. With his handsome appearance, he even worked as a model—a truly multifaceted figure.

Misaku passed away in 2005. Afterward, his daughter Ryoko, the second-generation owner, steered “CLASSIC” toward becoming “an ordinary kissaten.” Through that period of change, “RENAISSANCE” inherited the spirit of “CLASSIC” both physically and spiritually. The owner of “RENAISSANCE,” Makiko Hiyama, worked at “CLASSIC” intermittently from her teens through her thirties. Surprisingly, she says she had no interest in classical music at all at the time. However, after opening “RENAISSANCE” as her own shop in 2007, she spent a lonely year with almost no customers, studying music catalogues and continuing to play records. Through that time, she says, she awakened to the greatness of classical music.

A Stately Interior That Recreates the Designs and Atmosphere of the Time

When you open the door of “RENAISSANCE,” fragments of “CLASSIC”—objects that evoke the shop as it once was—are scattered throughout like jewels. The window frame at the entrance uses a door from the former shop, while the yellow-and-black sign faithfully recreates the design of that era, when the lettering was carved into acrylic board rather than printed. The paintings on the walls are works that Ryoko, the second-generation owner of “CLASSIC,” sold at the time for 5,000 yen each. Many are prints, but some original works are mixed in as well. Beside the cash register, there is also a bell that once signaled closing time at 9:30 p.m. Together with a stopped clock, it quietly watches over the customers.

Since the spring of 2025, a vintage clothing shop by Miki Irie, “Kai” (解), has joined one corner of the space. Lined with handmade embroidery and remade accessories using vintage parts, this area adds a new layer of sensibility to the tradition of the meikyoku kissa.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kai_koenji/
ONLINE SHOP:. https://kaivintage.base.shop

How to Spend Time at a Meikyoku Kissa, Listening Closely to Records

The sound system has also been carefully adjusted to suit this space. Just as Misaku once shaved bamboo needles and drew sound from them, Hiyama now fills the space with the tones of LP records by her own hand. That sound transforms the shop into something like a “concert hall.” In contrast to the intimate, close-quartered feel that “CLASSIC” once had, the present-day “RENAISSANCE” is particular about arranging its seats with plenty of space, allowing each guest to enjoy the music without worrying about the gaze of others.

At “RENAISSANCE,” each guest may request one record per visit. It is also possible to have an LP record you have brought with you played in the shop. Talking is not forbidden. However, for the sake of those surrendering themselves to the sound, keeping conversation modest is part of the etiquette here. Photography is prohibited so that the sound of a camera shutter does not break the silence.

There is no need to be knowledgeable about classical music. Here, more than knowing the title of a piece, the true way to enjoy the shop is simply to spend quiet time enveloped in sound.

An Old-Fashioned Kissaten Menu That Accompanies Time Spent Listening to Great Music

The menu also carries on the style of “CLASSIC,” with a simple, pared-down lineup of coffee, tea, and orange juice. As in the old days, two sugar cubes are gently served with the coffee. Surprisingly, guests are free to bring in food, on the condition that they take their own trash home. Items such as ice cream, chocolate, sweet buns, savory bread, and cup noodles are all allowed.

The drinks are there, above all, to accompany the time spent facing the music. Because the menu is so unadorned, the experience of listening closely becomes the main attraction.

“This culture is gradually fading, but this is a meikyoku kissa where Japanese culture remains deeply present,” Hiyama says quietly. Even as “RENAISSANCE” accepts changes in step with the times, it remains a sanctuary that gently embraces “people seeking a place to belong”—a place where they can spend time quietly and at ease. The free spirit that Misaku loved continues to live on underground in Koenji with Hiyama, as if still inscribed in the grooves of the records that slowly keep turning.