How Coffee and Tea Shaped China and Japan’s Literary Cafés

When you picture the birthplace of modern Chinese literature, you might imagine smoky Parisian cafés or New York jazz bars—but the real catalyst was a modest Shanghai coffeehouse where Lu Xun never touched a drop of coffee.

No, Lu Xun never drank coffee. Despite the trendy image of literary cafés, he stuck exclusively to green tea—even at Gongfei Café, the spot now famous for hosting him and the early meetings of the Chinese Left-Wing Writers Union.

The Tea-Drinking Icon in a Coffeehouse

Lu Xun famously criticized the notion of “revolutionary cafés” in his essay “Revolutionary Coffeehouse,” painting a satirical picture of intellectuals sipping “proletarian coffee” in grand settings. Ironically, he never drank coffee himself. Though he visited Gongfei Café—just a short walk from his Shanghai home—for meetings related to the Left-Wing Writers Union, he ordered only green tea on each visit. Other attendees sipped coffee; Lu Xun had his tea. Fellow writer Wei Mengke recalled that even when others drank coffee, Lu Xun and Xia Yan would stick to tea. Despite never ordering its signature drink, his frequent presence helped make Gongfei Café a legendary literary spot.

Gongfei Café: A Literary Landmark

Located near the tram terminus on North Sichuan Road in Shanghai and right across from the famous Japanese bookstore Kanzo Shoten , Gongfei Café wasn’t Shanghai’s first or fanciest coffeehouse. But it gained lasting fame as the meeting place for key figures in the Chinese Left-Wing Writers Union. Writer Yang Qianru noted that the café, run by foreigners, was a safer spot for left-wing gatherings, as it drew less attention from police. Notable visitors included Xiao Hong and Xiao Jun, who brought their manuscripts to Lu Xun at Kanzo Shoten before discussing them over drinks at Gongfei. Zhou Yang’s wife also recounted meeting Lu Xun there after coordinating at the bookstore. For aspiring writers of the time, the route to Lu Xun often led through Kanzo Shoten and then upstairs to Gongfei Café’s private rooms.

Japan’s First Coffeehouse: A Scholar’s Experiment

Across the sea, Japan’s coffee culture also began in intellectual circles. On April 13, 1888, Tokyo saw the opening of its first coffeehouse, Kafei Kahi , founded by Zheng Yongqing. Interestingly, Zheng was the adopted son of Zheng Yongning, a descendant of the brother of Chinese national hero Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga). Born in Nagasaki in 1859, Zheng studied at Yale University and was fluent in Chinese, English, French, and Japanese. His café wasn’t just another Western import—it was an experiment in cultural fusion. Naming the shop “Kafei Kahi” (a phonetic approximation of “coffee” that also resembles the Japanese word for “may I?”), he deliberately styled it like a traditional teahouse to appeal to Japanese literati. Inside, alongside coffee, he offered books, magazines, and even writing desks, merging the smells of coffee and ink. Zheng’s goal was to elevate coffee as an intellectual pursuit. The name “Kafei Kahi” became one of several early Japanese terms for coffee, alongside “kofei,” “kufei,” “kuxi,” and even “Tang tea” or “fragrant soup.”

Why Kafei Kahi Failed—And Sparked a Movement

Despite its lofty aspirations, Kafei Kahi struggled financially and closed after four years. Yet its legacy endured. Soon after, other coffeehouses sprouted up, including Tokyo’s House of Gems in 1890 and, later, the Brazilian-immigrant-owned Café Paulista , which began importing free Brazilian coffee beans in 1909. By 1911, Café Paulista had opened a branch in Tokyo’s Ginza district, serving coffee for just five sen (a few cents) per cup—and throwing in a doughnut for another five. This made it a hotspot for students and young writers. The Paulista branch even hosted the editorial meetings of the women’s magazine Seito , founded by feminist writer Hiratsuka Raicho. The magazine took its name from the 18th-century British “Bluestocking” movement, and its female contributors helped define Japan’s New Woman ideal. Though the women’s lounge no longer exists, blue-stockinged patrons today are still said to receive complimentary coffee.

Coffee, Culture, and the Power of Place

Both in Shanghai and Tokyo, the earliest coffeehouses weren’t driven purely by the drink’s popularity—they were shaped by who used them and why. For Lu Xun, tea was a personal choice, but the conversations he had in Gongfei Café helped shape a generation of writers. In Japan, Kafei Kahi may have closed, but its cultural mission lived on in places like Café Paulista, where coffee prices were low, but the ideas were priceless. Whether it was a rejection of coffee or a reimagining of it, these spaces turned beverages into battlegrounds for intellectual and artistic movements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Lu Xun ever drink coffee?

No, Lu Xun never drank coffee. Despite being associated with Gongfei Café—a place known for its coffee—he consistently ordered only green tea during his visits, even though others around him drank coffee. He mentioned coffee critically in his essay “Revolutionary Coffeehouse,” but personally avoided it.

What was special about Gongfei Café in Shanghai?

Gongfei Café was a key meeting place for members of the Chinese Left-Wing Writers Union in the 1930s, especially for early discussions led by Lu Xun. Though not the oldest or most upscale café in Shanghai, it gained lasting fame due to Lu Xun’s frequent visits and its role in literary history, despite him never drinking their coffee.

Why did Japanese intellectuals open early coffeehouses?

Early Japanese coffeehouses like Kafei Kahi were started as cultural experiments. Founder Zheng Yongqing wanted to introduce coffee as an intellectual drink, blending Western coffee with traditional Japanese and Chinese aesthetics. Though the café failed financially, it helped spark Japan’s broader coffee culture.

What was Café Paulista known for?

Café Paulista, founded by Japanese-Brazilian immigrant Mizuno Ryū in 1909 with free Brazilian coffee beans, became famous for its ultra-cheap coffee (five sen per cup) and doughnuts. It attracted students, writers, and even hosted feminist magazine meetings. The original Paulista blend is still on the menu today.

Was coffee popular in China or Japan in the 1930s?

Coffee was not yet widely popular in China or Japan during the 1930s, but it was gaining cultural traction in intellectual and artistic circles. Places like Gongfei Café and Kafei Kahi became important not because of coffee sales, but because of who gathered there.

Did Lu Xun ever go to a coffeehouse for coffee?

No, although Lu Xun visited Gongfei Café multiple times, he never ordered coffee there. He went for political and literary meetings, always choosing green tea instead—yet his presence helped make the café legendary.

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