Iyoshi Cola in Nakano: Tokyo craft cola, the menu, and what I ordered
If you have seen Iyoshi Cola in a shop window and wondered what it is: it is a Tokyo craft cola, made with spices and Japanese ingredients, and the newest shop is in Nakano. You can watch the drink being put together in front of you, in a room that looks more like an old herbal pharmacy than a cafe. Here is the menu, what I drank, and what to know before you go.
Iyoshi Cola's Nakano shop sells craft cola by the cup from about ¥750 to ¥850, with a limited Gold Edition priced much higher. I had The Japan Edition (¥850), which uses Japanese pepper, yuzu and honey. The shop is cashless only and, as announced, opens 13:00–20:00 and is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so check before you go.
It looks like an old herbal pharmacy
Step inside and you do not see a cafe counter. You see a wall of small wooden drawers, the kind a traditional herbal-medicine shop uses, with an old speaker and amplifier beside it and a steel counter in front. That is deliberate: the brand grew out of a herbal medicine workshop.
What Iyoshi Cola is
Iyoshi Cola calls itself a craft cola maker. It was started by Cola Kobayashi, a cola enthusiast who tried to make cola from an old recipe he found online, and it grew out of his late grandfather's herbal medicine workshop, which opened in 1954 in Shimo-Ochiai in Tokyo. According to the company's own story, he began selling at the Aoyama Farmers Market in July 2018, and named the brand after his grandfather's workshop. So when you walk in and see wooden drawers like a Chinese-medicine cabinet, that is not just a theme: it is the story of the brand.
I had seen the name everywhere without knowing it was a Tokyo brand. If you are used to cola as something very sweet and fizzy, this is a different drink: strongly spiced, less sugary, and built from ingredients like cinnamon, clove, cardamom and kola nut.
The menu (as shown on the board)
| Drink | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Dreamy Flavor | The signature. Kola nut, lemon, lime, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, vanilla, black pepper. Marked as the one to try first. | ¥750 |
| The Japan Edition | Japanese pepper, spicebush (kuromoji), yuzu, Japanese honeybee honey, kola nut, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, vanilla. | ¥850 |
| Iyoshi Milkola | Cola syrup with milk and soda. | ¥850 |
| The Gold Edition | Limited. Includes Korean ginseng and cordyceps, among other ingredients. | Much higher than the others |
| Iyoshi & Spirits | An alcoholic version with rum or whiskey. | About ¥1,000 |
Menu and prices are as I read them on the sign outside; they may change, so check the board when you go.
What I drank: The Japan Edition
I chose the Japan Edition because I wanted the one that tastes Japanese. It has sansho (Japanese pepper) and yuzu, and honey, and the sweetness is gentle. The spice is a bit more restrained than in some cola, but you smell the Japanese notes straight away. At ¥850 it is not cheap for a drink, but it is made at the counter in front of you, and that is part of what you are paying for.
Watch it being made
The cola is assembled on a steel counter in front of you: syrup, the tap, and a finish of fresh spice.
It comes in a pouch, not a glass
When your drink is ready, it is handed to you in a clear stand-up pouch with a straw, not in a glass. The company lists pouch drinks that you can drink right away. It is easy to carry, so you can sip while you walk the back streets.
Bring a card, phone payment or IC card: the menu board says "NO CASH" and the company says the shop is cashless only. If you have never had craft cola, start with the Dreamy Flavor or the Japan Edition. And if the spice level worries you, the Milkola is the gentlest.
Practical details
Shop: Iyoshi Cola Nakano 5-chome (opened April 29, 2026), 5-60-2 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. It is the company's fourth directly operated shop. Hours: 13:00–20:00, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, per the opening announcement; confirm on the official store page before you go. Payment: cashless only. On offer: a cola stand to drink on the spot, drinks in pouches, and a shelf of bottles to take home.
Pair it with a morning at LOU, which is close by, and a walk through the back streets. Both LOU and Iyoshi are closed on Wednesdays.
Common questions
How much is a drink at Iyoshi Cola in Nakano?
About ¥750 for The Dreamy Flavor, ¥850 for The Japan Edition and the Milkola, according to the menu board I photographed. The Gold Edition is a limited item that costs much more.
Does Iyoshi Cola take cash?
No. The menu board and the company's announcement say it is cashless only, so bring a card or phone payment.
What are the Nakano shop's opening hours?
13:00–20:00, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, according to the shop's opening announcement. Confirm on the official page before you go.
Which Iyoshi Cola should I order first?
The Dreamy Flavor is marked as the one to try first. If you want something that tastes more Japanese, the Japan Edition uses Japanese pepper, yuzu and honey.
Where is Iyoshi Cola from?
It is a Tokyo brand. It started in 2018 and grew out of the founder's grandfather's herbal medicine workshop, which opened in 1954 in Shimo-Ochiai.
Is it near LOU?
Both are in Nakano 5-chome, so they pair well in one outing. LOU opens in the morning and Iyoshi from 13:00.