Mar 01 (NHK) - Starbucks opened a sprawling, high-end roastery cafe in Tokyo on Thursday.
The 4-story shop was designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma.
Beans are kept in a giant container.
Customers can choose from a range of types and extraction methods.
One option on the menu is a coffee made from beans aged in whiskey barrels. It costs about 11 dollars.
Starbucks is Japan's biggest coffee chain. It has more than 1,400 outlets. But it's facing increasingly tough competition from convenience stores that sell freshly brewed coffee at much cheaper prices.