The iced caramel latte from Playlist, a new coffee bar near Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, wasn’t too sweet and boasted the perfect blend of coffee and caramel flavors. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Coffee lovers at Yokota Air Base can now find a midday caffeine fix at Playlist, a new, tiny coffee bar just outside this airlift hub in western Tokyo.
Painted bright yellow with palm trees growing outside, Playlist is easy to find, tucked next to the Lieonshare clothing store.
This walk-up, takeout-only shop has no inside seating, but there’s a bench outside the takeout window, and it’s adjacent to Friendship Park, a convenient spot for a coffee break.
That stretch of Route 16, or Base Street, is lined with clothing and antique shops waiting for exploration by strolling coffee sippers.
Playlist, a new walk-up coffee bar near Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, has a chill vibe. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Playlist has a chill vibe; the barista brought out a tiny speaker and played 1970s funk music while a co-worker and I waited for our orders. It has an English menu and accepts credit cards.
My iced caramel latte for 600 yen, or about $4.63, wasn’t too sweet and boasted the perfect blend of coffee and caramel.
My friend tried the espresso tonic – tonic water topped with espresso – for 650 yen. I tried a sip, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. My co-worker said she liked how the tonic water balanced the flavor of the fruity coffee beans.
The espresso tonic from Playlist, a new coffee bar near Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, is tonic water topped with espresso. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Playlist offers several blends: Its own Playlist Blend of Ethiopian and Brazilian beans; the Green Continent, a blend of Brazilian and Kenyan coffees; and the El Salvador San Andres El, an apricot-flavored coffee.
The shop also offers a kid's menu of apple juice, strawberry milk and caramel milk. The same beverages are available in adult sizes for 50 yen more.
If you like what you taste at Playlist, the shop sells its coffee blends in three packs for 700 yen, or 10 packs for 2,000 yen.
The downside? Playlist doesn’t open until 11 a.m., so early morning caffeine seekers will have to go somewhere else.
Playlist, a new walk-up coffee bar near Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, has a chill vibe. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Playlist
Location: 2351-1 Fussa, Fussa City, Tokyo 197-0011
Directions: A 5-minute walk from Yokota Air Base’s main gate.
Times: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and Friday through Sunday; closed Wednesday and Thursday.
Prices: Most beverages cost between 250 yen and 700 yen.
