One cafe custom that quietly shapes everyday life in Japan is morning service. Originating mainly in Aichi Prefecture—especially Ichinomiya and Nagoya—and spreading to neighboring Gifu, morning service is a long-standing kissaten (traditional cafe) culture. During the morning hours, customers who order a drink receive a simple breakfast set—such as toast, a boiled egg, and sometimes salad—either for free or with a small additional charge. It’s a modest gesture, but one that has become deeply embedded in local routines.
According to various online sources, this practice dates back to around the 1950s in Ichinomiya, when the textile industry was thriving. Businesspeople often gathered early in the morning for meetings, and cafes began serving peanuts or boiled eggs alongside drinks to welcome them. Over time, this habit evolved into what we now know as morning service.
Personally, I really enjoy this culture. Around Gifu University, there are several cafes that offer morning service, and I’ve had the chance to try it at places like Komeda Coffee and local cafes such as Shopan. Each cafe has its own style, which makes trying different morning services surprisingly fun.
From another perspective, morning service is also a smart marketing strategy. It encourages customers to visit cafes early in the day while remaining affordable for the general public. For busy people, it removes the need to cook breakfast at home, which is a big advantage. Compared to ordering each item separately (tanpin), morning service is usually much cheaper, offering better value for money. (We only need to pay for the drink, it is helpful!)
While toast-based sets are the most common, some cafes also serve Japanese-style morning sets, featuring rice, miso soup, and tsukemono (Japanese pickles). This variety reflects the individuality of each cafe and the flexibility of the morning service concept.
From the perspective of time efficiency, Chinese people pick up some Handheld foods sold at stalls on the street.
返信削除At kissaten in Japan, you may sit and order and wait 5 minutes or so, but there it takes less than a minute! I hear this is also true in many asian countries. Maybe only Japanese tend to spend much time preparing breakfast at home.