Vermillion Station

Vermillion – station. (instagram.com/vermillion_espresso) is a Kyoto café complex that opened in September 2025, directly facing Higashi Honganji Temple and within about an 8-minute walk from Kyoto Station Exit 1 or 8 minute walk from Karasuma Line – Gojo Station exit 5. Conceived as a hybrid space for café service, Kyoto-themed souvenirs, and workshops, it is designed as a calm urban stopover for both travelers and local residents moving through the Kyoto Station area. The name “Vermillion” is shared with the brand’s original Fushimi Inari locations and refers to the vivid vermilion color of the shrine’s torii gates, tying this new branch to the visual identity of Kyoto’s most iconic religious site. ​

The exterior features a simple cyan-blue hue facade with marble benches along the front next to the entrance. The building incorporates a renovated Kyoto machiya that used to be a Buddhist altar shop that was more than a 100 years old, combining traditional wooden architecture with design elements by the owners’ long residence in Melbourne. Inside, the interior blends classic machiya elements, exposed timber, original woodwork, sandwalls with contemporary café fixtures that support a casual, open-plan seating style suited to solo guests and small groups.

The café is spread across two floors. On the ground level, the kitchen and order counter sit near the entrance, alongside a few tables, a striking communal table carved from a single polished hardwood tree trunk at the center of the space, and window-side seating. A retail area is tucked further to the right.

Upstairs, the main café area opens up with additional seating, including tables for two and four, a large communal table at the back, soft pouf seating by the windows, and an elevated tatami platform thoughtfully refurbished as seating with small tables.

The cafe’s position opposite Higashi Honganji create a streetscape where visitors can look out toward the temple area, making the large temple view a principal visual attraction of the space. ​

The food and drink lineup follows the Vermillion cafe’s established focus on specialty coffee and brunch-style dishes. Coffee is offered in both espresso and drip formats, featuring a house blend alongside seasonal single-origin beans, complemented by alternatives such as Uji matcha lattes, single-origin Ceylon tea, soft drinks, and Japanese beer. The kitchen emphasizes homemade brunch plates built around locally sourced bread, sausages, and seasonal vegetables, alongside options like hummus plates, smashed avocado on toast, and a rotating range of baked sweets including muffins, cookies, banana bread, and seasonal cakes, with attention to vegetarian and vegan-friendly choices where possible.

​ Vermillion – station. is a thoughtfully designed café that blends the charm of a traditional Kyoto townhouse with the brand’s modern identity rooted in Fushimi Inari. With temple views, a thoughtfully renovated space, and a menu centered on specialty coffee and hearty brunch plates, it’s an easy, polished stop near Kyoto Station for a calm break between sightseeing.