Fuglen Kyoto opened on 18 December 2025 as the latest Japanese outpost of the Oslo-born specialty coffee brand, extending its Nordic light-roast philosophy into Kyoto’s quiet Kita Ward. Located in the Shichiku residential area on Kitayama Dori, it sits roughly 1.3 km from Kitaoji Station on the Karasuma Line, positioning the shop just far enough from central Kyoto to feel distinctly local while remaining accessible on foot or by bus. The name “Fuglen,” meaning “the bird” in Norwegian, signals the brand’s Scandinavian roots and long history as a coffee and cocktail destination in Oslo before its expansion into Japan.​

From the street, Fuglen Kyoto presents a compact, low-rise exterior that blends with the residential streetscape while introducing subtle Nordic cues through clean lines, pale materials, and large windows facing Kitayama Dori. The design leans into a coffee-stand concept: a small frontage where takeout and quick counter service are emphasized, softened by wooden accents that echo both Kyoto townscapes and Scandinavian restraint. Inside, the brand’s signature mid-century Scandinavian design language carries through in vintage-inspired furnishings, warm woods, and minimal decor, framing the bar area and brewing equipment as the main visual focus. The main point of attraction is the marriage of Nordic light-roast coffee with Kyoto’s slower residential rhythm, offering a focused coffee experience rather than a large sit-down café space.​

The menu centers on specialty coffee prepared with Fuglen’s Nordic roast profiles, highlighting fruity, floral, and clean cup characteristics across espresso-based drinks and filter options. Beans are roasted under the Fuglen Coffee Roasters banner, a program developed since 2014 in Japan to express lighter roasts suited to both straight espresso and hand-brewed coffee. Alongside the coffee, the Kyoto shop offers baked goods and pastries sourced in collaboration with local bakeries, with items such as croissants and other viennoiserie planned as a key pairing for the light, delicate coffee profiles. Non-coffee options and seasonal drinks follow the brand’s broader Japanese outlets, providing alternatives for visitors seeking a lighter café stop in the neighborhood.​

Fuglen Kyoto functions as a compact neighborhood coffee stand where Nordic roasting meets Kyoto’s residential calm, emphasizing quality-focused drinks over large-scale seating. Its combination of understated exterior, Scandinavian-influenced interior design, and a tightly curated coffee and pastry lineup positions the cafe as a precise, concept-driven stop for those exploring northern Kyoto on foot.

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