Watching the Shinkansen run beyond the water's surface from the rooftop of Takanawa Gateway. Rooftop dining "LAUBE" opens, where city breath and greenery merge.
On March 28, 2026, WAT Inc. will open "LAUBE," a rooftop dining space on the top floor of the new cultural facility "MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives." Directed by the mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery, the venue offers a unique urban botanical experience, blending nature with the rhythmic pulse of the city. Guests can enjoy craft drinks and light meals while overlooking the railway tracks and urban landscape.
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- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 16:19
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On March 28, 2026 (Saturday), WAT Inc. (Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Koji Ishiwata) will open the rooftop dining facility "LAUBE" on the 6th floor, the top floor of the newly born cultural facility "MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives" in the Takanawa Gateway area.
The name "LAUBE" means "a hut in the shade of grass" in German. Responding to the museum's role as an experimental ground connecting culture to the next 100 years, it proposes an unprecedented experience where nature, plants, and the city's pulse coexist despite being in the center of the metropolis.
Beyond the water's surface, the Shinkansen runs.
What symbolizes LAUBE is a landscape that connects the sky and the city. A water basin reminiscent of an infinity pool spreads out, and beyond its surface, the view expands to include the Shinagawa marshalling yard, Shinkansen spur tracks, and National Route 1—a landscape where Japan's great artery moves ceaselessly, and where travel and daily life intersect. The interior design by Hideyuki Nakayama Architecture, LLC softly blurs the boundary between inside and outside, naturally inviting visitors to the terrace along with soft planting centered on native species.
Instead of a symbolic night view looked down upon from a high-rise building, you feel the "life-sized breath of the city" at a distance that feels within reach. This is a place that presents a comfortable "margin" (breathing space) in busy urban life.
Urban botanical directed by mitosaya.
In this project, "mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery," in which Ishiwata participates, oversees the entire direction. It implements "genuine nature" in the city that can actually function, be harvested, and be tasted, rather than just greenery as a production element. In addition, graphic design such as logos and sign planning is handled by "TAKAIYAMA inc.," a design office that has collaborated with mitosaya for many years.
- Craft drinks: Serving cocktails using mitosaya's distilled spirits and fresh botanicals, as well as seasonal mocktails by "CAN-PANY" from Kiyosumi-Shirakawa.
- Earthenware handles and aprons: Produced by potter Kota Nishiyama using soil from the mitosaya garden. You can enjoy a primitive taste. Also, the staff's aprons are finished with coffee dyeing, also by mitosaya.
- Original goods development and sales: Selling original products supervised by mitosaya. Items unique to the distillery that materialize the distance from nature are lined up, such as garden sandals and potted plants born from the soil of the medicinal herb garden, garden pencils to pull plants into daily life, and scarves.
- Rooftop garden "MoN Farm": In the approximately 80-square-meter vegetable garden, seasonal flowers, trees, fruit trees, as well as vegetables and herbs, centered on native species, are grown. The harvest is used in the menu, and in the future, it is planned to be opened as a place for community activities.
WAT's craft food gathers on the rooftop.
LAUBE makes use of the discerning craft food shops that WAT itself has developed and built up. On weekend nights, it will be offered as a "Craft Night Terrace," providing craft drinks and light meals with the night breeze of the city center.
- Bakery/Ice Cream: Providing freshly baked bread that highlights the individuality of the ingredients and ice cream made with seasonal ingredients, in collaboration with "Marked" in Kuramae/Honjo. The taste in the rooftop wind and light is an experience that can only be had here.
- Coffee: A cup carefully selected and meticulously roasted by "Coffee Wrights." Taking time to drink slowly at a terrace seat is also one of the ways to enjoy LAUBE.
- Afternoon Tea: Offering afternoon tea sets using seasonal ingredients. For an afternoon spent with the city's scenery, while quietly drawing the afterglow of appreciation at MoN to your side. You can enjoy a structure unique to LAUBE, from sweets to savory. (Scheduled to be available soon)
- Takeout: Box sets that color a picnic in the city or the start of a trip. Picnic sets that can be spread out as they are on the outdoor terrace and the rooftop "MoN Farm" are also planned to be developed.
- For private use and events: The rooftop space of LAUBE, where you can feel the "margin" of the city center, also accepts charter party use for special scenes such as corporate receptions and private gatherings. Please contact us for details.
Message from WAT Representative Koji Ishiwata:
"The top floor of Takanawa Gateway, a place where a new story is about to begin. When I first visited this place, the vibrancy of the railway tracks and roads spreading below me made me feel the awesomeness of the city of Tokyo, and at the same time, a comfortable 'margin.' I want to fill that margin not just as an eatery, but with mitosaya in the context of plants and distillation. In a cramped city, everyone can suddenly take a deep breath, and a new community is born through food and conversation. We are aiming for an existence like that 'hut in the shade of grass.'"
Comment from supervisor Hiroshi Eguchi:
"As the word culture has its etymology in tilling, it feels very natural to have a garden cafe and a small vegetable garden on the top floor of MoN Takanawa, where art and culture intersect. We are honored that mitosaya can play that role together with WAT. At LAUBE, we serve cocktails using mitosaya's distilled spirits and fresh botanicals, and CAN-PANY's non-alcoholic drinks can also be enjoyed on tap. We also have an attached shop that handles ingredients that make you a little happy, as well as garden goods and stationery that you would want to use in town or in your garden. If you leave LAUBE and walk up the slope, there is a small vegetable garden by mitosaya on the rooftop. The pleasure of growing plants, which you can feel more precisely because it is in the city. After the harvest, of course, we toast at LAUBE."
Store Overview:
(Table data translated: Name: LAUBE, Location: MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives 6F, Address: 3-16-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Opening Date: March 28, 2026, Business Hours: 10:00-22:30 (L.O. 22:00), Regular Holidays: Same as museum holidays, Number of seats: 79 (48 indoor, 31 outdoor), SNS/Reservation: @laube_2026, Interior Design: Hideyuki Nakayama Architecture, LLC)
Related Personnel Profiles:
WAT Inc.: Established in 2013. Based on the philosophy of "providing a place where you can interact with peace of mind," it develops and operates cafes and restaurants. It has a track record of operating museum cafes such as ENFUSE at the Kyocera Museum of Art in Kyoto and the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts (LAUBE is the 3rd museum cafe). It is also particular about food craftsmanship, such as "Coffee Wrights" and "Marked."
Koji Ishiwata: Representative Director of WAT Inc. / Director of mitosaya Inc. Develops and operates food/community-type cafes such as Coffee Wrights, Marked, and ENFUSE. Has been in charge of business and operations as a director of mitosaya since around 2016. Supported the landing of US West Coast food brands such as Blue Bottle Coffee and Dandelion Chocolate in Japan.
mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery: A distillery in Otaki-cho, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture. Using fruit trees, medicinal herbs, and herbs grown on the premises with an attached medicinal herb garden, and the rich bounty produced by reliable partners nationwide, we engage in manufacturing using technologies such as fermentation and distillation. In Koto-ku, Tokyo, we develop CAN-PANY, which manufactures and fills non-alcoholic beverages. At LAUBE, in addition to supervising the drink menu, we are also involved in the planting inside the LAUBE store and the production of original goods.
Hiroshi Eguchi: Representative Director of mitosaya Inc. / Distiller. After managing a bookstore, etc., he entered the path of a distiller. After learning distillation techniques at a distillery in Southern Germany, he established the mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery in Otaki-cho, Chiba, to make distilled spirits from excellent Japanese fruit trees and plants.
Hideyuki Nakayama Architecture, LLC: Established in 2007 by architect Hideyuki Nakayama, born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1972. Became independent after Tokyo University of the Arts and Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects. Characterized by delicate space creation that dissolves the boundary between inside and outside, and is also known for the design of the mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery. Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. Handled interior design for LAUBE.
TAKAIYAMA inc.: A design office established in 2009 by graphic designer Hideyuki Yamano. Active centering on graphic design, from 2D to 3D, such as books, brand design, and architectural signage. Also handled graphics for the mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery. Handled graphic design such as logo and sign planning for LAUBE.
Inquiries: WAT Inc. Public Relations: Otsuka Email: info@wat-inc.jp
The name "LAUBE" means "a hut in the shade of grass" in German. Responding to the museum's role as an experimental ground connecting culture to the next 100 years, it proposes an unprecedented experience where nature, plants, and the city's pulse coexist despite being in the center of the metropolis.
Beyond the water's surface, the Shinkansen runs.
What symbolizes LAUBE is a landscape that connects the sky and the city. A water basin reminiscent of an infinity pool spreads out, and beyond its surface, the view expands to include the Shinagawa marshalling yard, Shinkansen spur tracks, and National Route 1—a landscape where Japan's great artery moves ceaselessly, and where travel and daily life intersect. The interior design by Hideyuki Nakayama Architecture, LLC softly blurs the boundary between inside and outside, naturally inviting visitors to the terrace along with soft planting centered on native species.
Instead of a symbolic night view looked down upon from a high-rise building, you feel the "life-sized breath of the city" at a distance that feels within reach. This is a place that presents a comfortable "margin" (breathing space) in busy urban life.
Urban botanical directed by mitosaya.
In this project, "mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery," in which Ishiwata participates, oversees the entire direction. It implements "genuine nature" in the city that can actually function, be harvested, and be tasted, rather than just greenery as a production element. In addition, graphic design such as logos and sign planning is handled by "TAKAIYAMA inc.," a design office that has collaborated with mitosaya for many years.
- Craft drinks: Serving cocktails using mitosaya's distilled spirits and fresh botanicals, as well as seasonal mocktails by "CAN-PANY" from Kiyosumi-Shirakawa.
- Earthenware handles and aprons: Produced by potter Kota Nishiyama using soil from the mitosaya garden. You can enjoy a primitive taste. Also, the staff's aprons are finished with coffee dyeing, also by mitosaya.
- Original goods development and sales: Selling original products supervised by mitosaya. Items unique to the distillery that materialize the distance from nature are lined up, such as garden sandals and potted plants born from the soil of the medicinal herb garden, garden pencils to pull plants into daily life, and scarves.
- Rooftop garden "MoN Farm": In the approximately 80-square-meter vegetable garden, seasonal flowers, trees, fruit trees, as well as vegetables and herbs, centered on native species, are grown. The harvest is used in the menu, and in the future, it is planned to be opened as a place for community activities.
WAT's craft food gathers on the rooftop.
LAUBE makes use of the discerning craft food shops that WAT itself has developed and built up. On weekend nights, it will be offered as a "Craft Night Terrace," providing craft drinks and light meals with the night breeze of the city center.
- Bakery/Ice Cream: Providing freshly baked bread that highlights the individuality of the ingredients and ice cream made with seasonal ingredients, in collaboration with "Marked" in Kuramae/Honjo. The taste in the rooftop wind and light is an experience that can only be had here.
- Coffee: A cup carefully selected and meticulously roasted by "Coffee Wrights." Taking time to drink slowly at a terrace seat is also one of the ways to enjoy LAUBE.
- Afternoon Tea: Offering afternoon tea sets using seasonal ingredients. For an afternoon spent with the city's scenery, while quietly drawing the afterglow of appreciation at MoN to your side. You can enjoy a structure unique to LAUBE, from sweets to savory. (Scheduled to be available soon)
- Takeout: Box sets that color a picnic in the city or the start of a trip. Picnic sets that can be spread out as they are on the outdoor terrace and the rooftop "MoN Farm" are also planned to be developed.
- For private use and events: The rooftop space of LAUBE, where you can feel the "margin" of the city center, also accepts charter party use for special scenes such as corporate receptions and private gatherings. Please contact us for details.
Message from WAT Representative Koji Ishiwata:
"The top floor of Takanawa Gateway, a place where a new story is about to begin. When I first visited this place, the vibrancy of the railway tracks and roads spreading below me made me feel the awesomeness of the city of Tokyo, and at the same time, a comfortable 'margin.' I want to fill that margin not just as an eatery, but with mitosaya in the context of plants and distillation. In a cramped city, everyone can suddenly take a deep breath, and a new community is born through food and conversation. We are aiming for an existence like that 'hut in the shade of grass.'"
Comment from supervisor Hiroshi Eguchi:
"As the word culture has its etymology in tilling, it feels very natural to have a garden cafe and a small vegetable garden on the top floor of MoN Takanawa, where art and culture intersect. We are honored that mitosaya can play that role together with WAT. At LAUBE, we serve cocktails using mitosaya's distilled spirits and fresh botanicals, and CAN-PANY's non-alcoholic drinks can also be enjoyed on tap. We also have an attached shop that handles ingredients that make you a little happy, as well as garden goods and stationery that you would want to use in town or in your garden. If you leave LAUBE and walk up the slope, there is a small vegetable garden by mitosaya on the rooftop. The pleasure of growing plants, which you can feel more precisely because it is in the city. After the harvest, of course, we toast at LAUBE."
Store Overview:
(Table data translated: Name: LAUBE, Location: MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives 6F, Address: 3-16-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Opening Date: March 28, 2026, Business Hours: 10:00-22:30 (L.O. 22:00), Regular Holidays: Same as museum holidays, Number of seats: 79 (48 indoor, 31 outdoor), SNS/Reservation: @laube_2026, Interior Design: Hideyuki Nakayama Architecture, LLC)
Related Personnel Profiles:
WAT Inc.: Established in 2013. Based on the philosophy of "providing a place where you can interact with peace of mind," it develops and operates cafes and restaurants. It has a track record of operating museum cafes such as ENFUSE at the Kyocera Museum of Art in Kyoto and the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts (LAUBE is the 3rd museum cafe). It is also particular about food craftsmanship, such as "Coffee Wrights" and "Marked."
Koji Ishiwata: Representative Director of WAT Inc. / Director of mitosaya Inc. Develops and operates food/community-type cafes such as Coffee Wrights, Marked, and ENFUSE. Has been in charge of business and operations as a director of mitosaya since around 2016. Supported the landing of US West Coast food brands such as Blue Bottle Coffee and Dandelion Chocolate in Japan.
mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery: A distillery in Otaki-cho, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture. Using fruit trees, medicinal herbs, and herbs grown on the premises with an attached medicinal herb garden, and the rich bounty produced by reliable partners nationwide, we engage in manufacturing using technologies such as fermentation and distillation. In Koto-ku, Tokyo, we develop CAN-PANY, which manufactures and fills non-alcoholic beverages. At LAUBE, in addition to supervising the drink menu, we are also involved in the planting inside the LAUBE store and the production of original goods.
Hiroshi Eguchi: Representative Director of mitosaya Inc. / Distiller. After managing a bookstore, etc., he entered the path of a distiller. After learning distillation techniques at a distillery in Southern Germany, he established the mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery in Otaki-cho, Chiba, to make distilled spirits from excellent Japanese fruit trees and plants.
Hideyuki Nakayama Architecture, LLC: Established in 2007 by architect Hideyuki Nakayama, born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1972. Became independent after Tokyo University of the Arts and Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects. Characterized by delicate space creation that dissolves the boundary between inside and outside, and is also known for the design of the mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery. Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. Handled interior design for LAUBE.
TAKAIYAMA inc.: A design office established in 2009 by graphic designer Hideyuki Yamano. Active centering on graphic design, from 2D to 3D, such as books, brand design, and architectural signage. Also handled graphics for the mitosaya Medicinal Herb Garden Distillery. Handled graphic design such as logo and sign planning for LAUBE.
Inquiries: WAT Inc. Public Relations: Otsuka Email: info@wat-inc.jp