Why does environment coffee shape a cafe's photo policy?

The Blue Bottle Coffee Shinagawa store sits on the third floor of Atre Shinagawa, with a north-side glass curtain wall looking down on Shinagawa Station's central ticket gates and the Konan Exit. Tourists began photographing the crowds of suited commuters below, and commuters complained, so the store posted a notice asking customers not to photograph the scene outside.

The store's design follows Blue Bottle's emphasis on harmony with its surroundings, and the window view turned it into what Japanese netizens call a commuter observation cafe. For the coffee enthusiast, the case shows how environment coffee can draw a crowd and create friction, since the notice only increased curiosity rather than settling the debate.

Sitting by the window of a café, sipping coffee while watching the scenery outside, is a cozy image cherished by many. The Blue Bottle Coffee Shinagawa store, with its entire north-side glass curtain wall, offers a panoramic view of the surging crowds of commuters at Shinagawa Station, and has unexpectedly become famous as a "corporate slave observation café." A large number of tourists make special trips to photograph the black torrent of suit-clad commuters outside the window, sparking dissatisfaction and complaints from the commuters being photographed. The store subsequently posted a rare notice asking customers not to photograph the commuting scene below. This "no outdoor photography" reminder not only failed to quell the enthusiasm for checking in, but instead aroused even more curiosity. This article will take you through the unique situation of this store, as well as the controversies and amusing stories surrounding it.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

Sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window of a café, watching the traffic or natural scenery outside while leisurely enjoying a cup of coffee—this is probably the ideal coffee-drinking time for many people.

Blue Bottle Coffee has always emphasized "one store, one design," and when planning its stores, it also takes harmony with the surrounding environment into consideration. Located on the third floor of "Atre Shinagawa," this store features a simple and bright overall style. The most eye-catching element is the huge glass window on the north side of the store, where guests can sit by the window, sip coffee, and look down at the endless stream of pedestrians below.

But recently, this store has been jokingly called the "corporate slave observation café" by Japanese netizens. Some might think it got this name because many office workers sit inside working, but that's not the case—the subjects being observed are not inside the store, but the commuters outside the window.

It is said that the Blue Bottle Shinagawa store is right next to one of Shinagawa Station's exits—Konan Exit. Looking down from the north-side window, one can take in the entire view of Shinagawa Station's central ticket gates and the wide passage leading from the Shinkansen platforms to the Konan Exit.

Since well-known companies such as Sony and Canon are clustered around Shinagawa Station, during weekday morning and evening rush hours, a spectacular scene unfolds: office workers in suits converge into a "black tide of people," hurrying out of the platforms.

When foreign tourists visiting the Shinagawa immigration bureau to process visas took a break at this café, they were stunned by the "black torrent of office workers" they had never seen before. After taking photos and posting them on social media, even more tourists were drawn to check in specifically. Gradually, the café earned the title of "corporate slave observation café."

Most people taking photos simply want to share this stunning scene with others, but as the protagonists in the photos, the office workers who pass by here every day during their commute, when they look up and see tourists drinking coffee and taking photos above, probably have mixed feelings—some even feel these photos are mocking hardworking laborers.

These office workers, unwilling to become the subjects of foreign tourists' lenses, are quite displeased about this and probably complained to the café about the phenomenon, hoping that guests drinking coffee upstairs would not point their cameras at them. As a result, the store added a notice completely different from other cafés—"Please do not photograph the commuting scene below."

Netizens say they've seen "no indoor photography" signs, but this is the first time they've seen "no outdoor photography." The store's intention was to reduce such incidents, but the effect seemed counterproductive—it made more people want to go and take photos. One Japanese netizen commented: "Take a paid day off on a weekday and go there to leisurely observe—it sounds like it'd be quite fun."

Chinese netizens who have been to Shinagawa Station say that although many major cities in China also have surging crowds at subway stations and other transportation hubs, the scene at Shinagawa Station during morning rush hour, with a group of workers in black formal wear passing through, is extremely visually striking. It's not hard to understand why foreign tourists, after seeing it once, want to take photos and share them.

Image source: Internet

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For some content on the website, such as images, we will respect the original copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large quantity, there may be个别 images and texts that have not been credited in time. Please forgive us. If the original author has any disputes, they can contact the website for handling. Once verified, we will immediately correct it. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is any infringement, please inform us for deletion. Thank you ~ !

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.