The Turkey Bazaar is a Turkish (mosaic) lamp shop in Kawagoe. It is located up a quaint alleyway off Ichibangai, the main tourist thoroughfare of “Little Edo” as Kawagoe is called. The shop has been there quite a few years, but in 2021 they opened a cafe across the path from the shop. Both the buildings of the shop and the cafe are picturesque and both burst with color inside.
Turkey Bazaar Cafe
The cafe that opened in 2021 is also a Hookah lounge and Turkish lamp workshop space. The cafe is on the first (ground) floor and the Hookah lounge is upstairs. The ceilings are covered with beautiful mosaic Turkish lamps. It is a really relaxing and photogenic space. Furthermore, they have traditional Turkish hats and clothes you can use freely for Instabae / Instagrammable photos!
The cafe sells drinks and snacks. Drinks include Turkish coffee, Chai, tea, coffee and juice, including cherry juice. Snacks include sandwiches, Kebabs, mixed nuts, Turkish ice-cream and Baklava, which is a type of layered pastry. All are served beautifully on a silver tray. You can just get a drink or a food set, but you can also get a set with shisha included…
Hookah lounge
Believe or not, this is not the only Hookah lounge in Kawagoe! There are at least two others. But the one in Turkey Bazaar is the most comfortable. They have many different flavors of shisha. Shisha is nicotine free water tobacco that is smoked from a Hookah or water pipe (hubble bubble). If you are new to Hookah, the staff will kindly instruct you how to use it.
Turkish / Mosaic Lamp Making Workshop
If you would like to try your hand at making your own mosaic lamp, like the ones displayed in Turkey Bazaar, they have a reasonably priced workshop in the cafe. Even children can participate. However, as it takes about two hours and requires a certain level of concentration, it is probably best suited to older children. You can book on Jalan or ring the cafe; 049-272-7933.
>>You might also like; this new cafe with wind chimes in Kawagoe.
Information
Cafe: Turkey Bazaar Cafe ~ with Hookah (Shisha) Lounge and mosaic lamp workshop
Location: 1-4 Saiwaicho, Kawaoge, Saitama 〒350-0063. View on Google Maps.
Hours: from 10 to 6 pm from Wednesdays to Mondays, closed on Tuesdays.
Cost: drinks start from 400 yen, food costs between 700 and 900 yen and it costs 2700 to rent a hookah with one flavor of shisha and a drink. Prices for the Turkish lamp workshop start from 6500 yen.
They have no official website, but they do have an official Instagram account.
colourful indeed! These kind of lamps have become very popular saw so many for sale in Morocco. Lovely designs thanks for sharing!
I want to try the workshop and make my own, but it’d be nowhere near as beautiful as these ones