Retro cool: Kyoto's kissaten cafe scene www.cnn.com

Kissatens -- faux European-style coffee houses -- are the birthplace of Kyoto's thriving cafe culture.
The classic kissaten is retro in design: mirrors, dark paneling and elaborate light fixtures and replica paintings from the European masters.
Dara Han, who writes about Kyoto's cafes and restaurants on cafe blog Hitori Kyoto , adds that the kissaten functions a lot like a neighborhood bar.
Not just a cafeThe distinction between a kissaten and a cafe is one that most people living in Japan understand instinctively.
One thing's for sure: a kissaten "coffee ceremony" would be as quirky and eccentric as the cafes themselves.