Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2011

Tokyo has cafes devoted to maids, cats and even butlers, but we’ve never come across one that’s inspired by… postcards. Scheduled to open next month in Ueno station, Up Café (http://up-cafe.com) celebrates Tokyo’s most renowned shitamachi district via postcards made from customer-submitted photos and drawings. All the cards are available in the shop for free, and artwork from the general public is now being accepted. Other than embodying the vague concept of “grand harmony,” the only condition is that the submissions be somehow related to Ueno. Up Café’s food and drink menu, we’re told, will also “express the spirit of the neighborhood.” See the (Japanese) website for details.