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The Tokyo Café Toilet ReviewVol. IIIAug 17, 2026
← Matches
Match Nº 13 · Daikanyama · July 28, 2026

Grain & Ladder vs. Café Pigment

A roaster and a ceramics studio walk into Daikanyama. Only one of them brought the right soap dispenser.

Exhibit A — Grain & Ladder.
Exhibit A — Grain & Ladder.
Exhibit B — Café Pigment.
Exhibit B — Café Pigment.
Contender A

Grain & Ladder

Est. 2021 · Apparatus: TOTO Washlet S500e · Paper: 2-ply, unbranded · Soap: liquid, bergamot · Sound: ambient roaster hum

Grain & Ladder's restroom has the quiet competence of a place that has read its own manual. The Washlet is current-generation. The soap dispenser is full. These are not remarkable facts, and that is the point.

Contender B

Café Pigment

Est. 2019 · Apparatus: INAX Satis G · Paper: 2-ply, recycled · Soap: bar, lemongrass · Sound: muffled ceramics studio next door

Café Pigment shares a wall with a ceramics studio, and on certain afternoons the restroom hums with the kiln. The INAX Satis G is a dignified machine. The bar soap is lemongrass and has been cut by hand, a detail that was noted but not scored.

Scorecard
Grain
Café
Cleanliness
9
8
Apparatus
9
8
Silence
8
6
Scent
9
8
Paper
9
8
44
Grain & Ladder
38
Café Pigment
The verdict

Grain & Ladder wins on breadth of excellence rather than any single flourish. Café Pigment's handmade soap and borrowed kiln hum deserve a publication of their own. This is not that publication.

Winner — Grain & Ladder