How Intellectuals Made Coffee Shops Cultural Icons

Ever wondered why certain old coffee shops still get talked about—not for their drinks, but for who drank (or didn’t drink) there? From Shanghai’s Gongfei Cafe to Tokyo’s early literary haunts, these spots became legendary not because of their brews, but because of the thinkers and writers who made them cultural landmarks.

In short: The most famous historical coffee shops often owed their fame not to their coffee, but to the intellectuals who gathered there—like Lu Xun in Shanghai or Japan’s early literary crowd in Tokyo cafés that prioritized ideas over espresso.

Gongfei Cafe: Shanghai’s Literary Landmark Without a Signature Drink

Though it never served its signature drink to him, Gongfei Cafe became iconic because Lu Xun visited it repeatedly. Located near the tram terminus on North Sichuan Road in Shanghai and right across from the Inshin Bookstore, it wasn’t the city’s oldest or finest café—but it gained lasting fame as the meeting spot for the Chinese Left-Wing Writers’ Union.

Lu Xun, famously a green tea drinker who avoided coffee, nonetheless frequented Gongfei. He attended meetings there to help organize the Left-Wing Writers’ Union, always ordering just a cup of green tea. Writer Wei Mengke recalled that Lu Xun never adopted Western coffee-drinking habits, often sharing tea with fellow writer Xia Yan. Though he never touched the café’s main offering, his regular presence made Gongfei the “most famous café of that era.”

Café Culture as a Haven for Leftist Thinkers

Writers and activists of the 1930s used cafés like Gongfei as safe, neutral spaces. Yang Qianru remembered that Yang Hansheng often brought them to Gongfei for Left-Wing Writers’ gatherings, choosing it partly because it was run by foreigners and thus less scrutinized by police. Similarly, Xiao Jun and Xiao Hong—newly arrived from the northeast with manuscripts in hand—first visited Lu Xun at the Inshin Bookstore, then went with him to Gongfei for talks. Even Zhou Yang’s wife reportedly met her husband at Gongfei before the three adjourned upstairs for long discussions over coffee and tea. For aspiring writers, the path to Lu Xun often led through the Inshin Bookstore and then Gongfei.

Japan’s First Café: A Scholar’s Experiment in Tokyo

In Japan, coffee culture also began with intellectuals. On April 13, 1888, Tokyo saw the opening of its first coffee shop, Kōfuku , in Ueno’s Nishikurogane-chō. Its founder, Zheng Yongqing , was the adopted son of Zheng Yongning, a descendant of Zheng Chenggong’s (Koxinga) younger brother. Born in Nagasaki in 1859, Zheng studied at Yale University and was fluent in Chinese, English, French, and Japanese. A highly educated man, he aimed to promote coffee as an intellectual’s drink. Positioning it as a refined alternative to the traditional teahouse, he named his café Kōfuku (“May I?”), a name phonetically close to the Japanese pronunciation of “coffee.” Over time, “kōfuku” even became one of the earliest Japanese terms for coffee. The café also stocked books, magazines, and even writing materials, blending the scent of coffee with that of literature.

Back then, Japanese intellectuals developed curious café habits. Some brought geisha to accompany their reading, while others, like Lu Xun, frequented coffee shops without ever drinking coffee. What mattered was the atmosphere: sitting at a high-backed chair, a popular literary journal spread out, whether one sipped coffee, tea, or even plain water.

Kōfuku’s Legacy and the Rise of Commercial Cafés

Despite its refined concept, Kōfuku folded after four years due to high costs and low patronage. But it sparked a wave of imitators. By 1890, Tokyo’s Gemba Coffee opened in Asakusa. Then, in 1909, Brazilian-Japanese immigrant Suga Tatsuo launched Café Paulista, which secured free Brazilian coffee beans and grew into a national chain. Its Tokyo branch, established in 1911, still stands opposite the Hakuhinkan Toys store in Ginza. Its slogan: “Black as a devil, sweet as love, hot as hell,” and at just five sen a cup (plus five more for a doughnut), it attracted students and young writers. Kyōka Izumi of the Esperanto Promotion Society allegedly bought one coffee and occupied ten seats weekly for his study group—earning a reputation for stinginess.

Café Paulista’s women’s section, opened in 1911, hosted editorial meetings for the stylish women of the Blue Stockings magazine, inspired by Britain’s 18th-century Bluestockings. Though the women’s section no longer exists, women in blue socks are still treated with special courtesy—and may even get their coffee for free. Rumor has it that John Lennon and Yoko Ono visited the café three nights in a row during their stay in Ginza, ordering the house blend Paulista Old, which remains on the menu to this day. Whether Yoko Ono wore blue socks remains unknown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Gongfei Cafe famous if Lu Xun never drank coffee there?

Gongfei Cafe became famous not for its drinks but for being a regular meeting place of Lu Xun and other Left-Wing Writers’ Union members. Though Lu Xun always ordered green tea instead of coffee, his frequent visits and the café’s role in organizing key literary gatherings made it the “most famous café of that era.”

What was special about Japan’s first coffee shop, Kōfuku?

Japan’s first coffee shop, Kōfuku, opened in 1888 in Tokyo and was founded by Zheng Yongqing, a Yale-educated intellectual fluent in multiple languages. He promoted coffee as a refined, intellectual drink and blended the café with a library-like atmosphere. Though it closed in four years due to financial issues, it set the stage for Japan’s café culture.

Why did intellectuals in the 1930s gather at coffee shops like Gongfei?

In the 1930s, coffee shops such as Gongfei offered relatively safe, neutral meeting spaces for leftist intellectuals and writers. Less monitored by authorities and frequented by cultural figures, they became hubs for discussion, networking, and organizing—much like European literary salons.

What was the marketing slogan for Café Paulista in Tokyo?

Café Paulista, which opened in 1911 in Tokyo, used the slogan: “Black as a devil, sweet as love, hot as hell.” Its affordable pricing (5 sen per cup) and central location made it popular among students and writers, including members of the nearby Keio University.

Did Yoko Ono visit Café Paulista?

Rumor has it that Yoko Ono visited Tokyo’s Café Paulista three nights in a row with John Lennon during their stay in Ginza, ordering the Paulista Old blend. Whether she wore blue socks—now a symbol of the café’s historic female patrons—is unknown.

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