Drawing Cafe: A Relaxing Art Day with My Son in Tokyo

My older son had a day off school on Monday because his sports day had been held on Saturday. We wanted to make the most of the day together, so we started thinking about what we could do.

At first, we considered visiting an island in Yokosuka, but my son wasn’t particularly excited about that idea. Then he suggested that we draw together, which gave my wife the idea to look for a drawing cafe.

It turned out to be a great suggestion!

An Art Cafe with Everything You Need

My wife found an art and craft cafe that works a little like a manga cafe. You pay by the hour to use the space, and you get access to all the art and craft supplies available there.

There was a wide selection of materials, including paints, paintbrushes, paper, pens, pastels and pencils. They even had traditional Japanese calligraphy brushes, known as fude, along with ink.

Like a manga cafe, the place also had a drink bar, and you could order food. The menu mainly consisted of simple, home-style light meals, making it a comfortable place to spend a few hours.

The cafe was located in an arcade beneath the JR railway tracks in Tokyo. The area was full of traditional artisan shops selling Japanese pottery, jewellery, fans, tea and even randoseru, the school bags commonly used by elementary school children in Japan.

It was an interesting setting, and I enjoyed having a look around the area.

Drawing Godzilla and Trying Japanese Calligraphy

When we arrived, there was nobody else in the cafe apart from the shopkeeper. That meant we practically had the entire place to ourselves for the two hours we stayed.

The shopkeeper explained how everything worked and kindly recommended some paints and brushes for us to try.

My son immediately got into drawing his favourite things: Godzilla and his fellow kaiju, the giant monsters that appear in Japanese science fiction films. He was happy to spend time drawing the characters he loves.

I decided to try my hand at shodo, or Japanese calligraphy.

At first, I didn’t really know what I was doing. When the shopkeeper noticed my attempts, he came over with a proper calligraphy brush, some ink and some special paper. I hadn’t even realised that I wasn’t using the right materials!

After watching me try a couple of times, he kindly gave me a mini lesson on Japanese calligraphy. I really appreciated him taking the time to show me the basics. It was a nice opportunity to try something new and learn a little about a traditional Japanese art form.

A Surprisingly Relaxing Escape in the Middle of Tokyo

Because the cafe was in central Tokyo, I expected the experience to be a little hectic. Tokyo can be busy and crowded, so I wasn’t sure how relaxing it would be.

To my surprise, it was a really peaceful experience, and my son had a great time.

I think one of the nicest things about the cafe was having a dedicated space for drawing and other creative activities. When you try to do something like this at home, it’s easy to get distracted by all the other things that need doing. There are always chores, jobs and other responsibilities competing for your attention.

It was also a nice change from our usual routine. We didn’t need to plan anything particularly exciting or travel somewhere far away to have a good day. We just spent a couple of hours drawing, trying something new and enjoying each other’s company.

I’d definitely recommend looking for a similar place if you enjoy art or want to do something a little different with your family.

Sometimes, the simplest activities turn out to be the most enjoyable!

【スタッフによる要約】

Markが息子さんと東京のドローイングカフェを訪れた休日について紹介します。豊富な画材を使ってゴジラの絵を描いたり、書道に挑戦したりと、親子で創作を楽しんだひととき。東京の街中で見つけた、日常を離れてリラックスできるアート体験について語ります。