A new Starbucks has opened in front of Kannai Station.
It is located on the first floor of the new BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai facility.

It opened on March 19, 2026.
This is the Starbucks Coffee BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai store.

This store is Yokohama’s first Starbucks with the “Tea & Cafe” format.
While Starbucks is known for coffee, the Tea & Cafe format extensively features tea beverages using “TEAVANA™” tea leaves.

The appeal lies in its rich menu centered around tea, including Brewed Tea, Tea Creations, Tea Lattes, and Tea Frappuccino® drinks.

We had the opportunity to attend a preview event before the opening to get an early look at the store’s interior and menu.

Right outside Kannai Station’s South Exit. Opening as the face of the new ‘BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai’ facility

The view immediately after exiting the JR Kannai Station South Exit ticket gates.

The store is located within the newly developed “BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai,” right next to Kannai Station.

Given its location right by the station, it seems like a convenient spot to drop by after work or during shopping.

Why ‘Kannai’? The deep connection between Yokohama and tea explained

This is Yokohama’s first Starbucks Tea & Cafe format store.
We asked why Kannai was chosen as the location.

“The background for opening here includes the unique tea culture of this city.

Yokohama has high tea consumption per household, with a culture deeply rooted in enjoying black tea and other teas daily.
Furthermore, since the port opened, the city has a history of importing and exporting tea, making it a place with deep ties to tea.

Additionally, near this new location, there is an existing Starbucks store that has been cherished by the community for about 25 years. The long-standing connection with customers there also supported our decision to open this new store.

Moreover, being located within a highly anticipated new facility was another reason chosen for launching this new format store.

As can be understood from Starbucks’ original company name ‘Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spices,’ it is a brand that has valued tea as much as coffee from the start.

Against this backdrop, in Yokohama where tea culture is ingrained, we want to propose a Starbucks way of enjoying tea.”

The ‘Chinese Tea’ design reflecting Yokohama’s character

The bright interior with a yellow base color.

Starbucks Tea & Cafe format stores have four design themes: “Green Tea,” “Black Tea,” “Chinese Tea,” and “Herbal Tea.”

The Yokohama store features the design themed around “Chinese Tea.”

Warm-toned neon lighting is also a feature.

They adopted a vividly colored Tea Wall that catches the eye even from a distance, creating a rich, colorful space designed to give customers an energizing atmosphere.

One reason this design was chosen for Yokohama is said to be the city’s unique background of having a Chinatown.

Kannai Station

Kannai Station is a major railway station in Yokohama, Japan, opened in 1872 as one of the country’s first train stations. It is historically significant as the terminal station for Japan’s first railway line, which initially ran between Shimbashi (Tokyo) and Yokohama. Today, it serves as a key transportation hub near many of Yokohama’s cultural sites, including Chinatown and the Minato Mirai district.

BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai

“BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai” is a modern commercial and entertainment complex located in the historic Kannai district of Yokohama, Japan. It was developed on the site of the former Yokohama branch of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, which had a long history in the area, and opened in 2020. The complex blends contemporary dining and shopping with the area’s legacy as a key international port city.

Starbucks Coffee BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai store

The Starbucks Coffee BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai store is a modern café located within the BASEGATE Kannai commercial complex in Yokohama’s historic business district. While the store itself is a contemporary retail space, it is situated in the Kannai area, which was a central part of Yokohama’s development as a major international port following the opening of Japan in the 1850s. The café offers a typical Starbucks experience within a convenient urban setting near landmarks like Yokohama Stadium.

Yokohama

Yokohama is a major port city in Japan, located south of Tokyo. It was a small fishing village until 1859, when it opened as one of Japan’s first international ports after the country ended its long period of isolation, rapidly transforming into a center for foreign trade and cultural exchange. Today, it is known for its historic waterfront area, Minato Mirai district, and vibrant Chinatown.

JR Kannai Station

JR Kannai Station is a major railway station located in Yokohama, Japan, serving as a key transportation hub for the city’s central Naka Ward. It opened in 1915 and was historically the terminal station for the Yokohama Line before through services to Tokyo were established. The station is notably close to significant cultural sites like Yokohama Stadium and the Yokohama Chinatown.

Chinatown

Chinatown is a district in many cities outside of China where Chinese immigrants have historically settled, often forming vibrant cultural and commercial hubs. These areas typically emerged in the 19th and early 20th centuries, serving as vital communities for new arrivals facing language barriers and discrimination. Today, they are celebrated for their authentic cuisine, traditional architecture, and festivals like Chinese New Year, preserving heritage while acting as popular tourist destinations.

Starbucks

Starbucks began in 1971 as a single store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, selling high-quality roasted coffee beans. It transformed into a global coffeehouse chain after being purchased and expanded in the 1980s, popularizing espresso-based drinks and creating a ubiquitous “third place” café culture worldwide.

TEAVANA

Teavana was a specialty tea retailer founded in 1997 in Atlanta, Georgia, with the mission of bringing premium loose-leaf teas and tea culture to a broad market. It grew rapidly through mall-based stores before being acquired by Starbucks in 2012, which later discontinued the brand in 2018, closing all standalone shops and integrating some of its products into Starbucks locations.