In the culturally rich neighbourhood of Shimokitazawa, a new café is redefining the role of sound in public spaces. “Et – THE CULTURAL COFFEEHOUSE” is more than just a coffee shop – it’s a creative gathering space where architecture, materials, and music all reflect a deeper pursuit of quality. To help realize this vision, Genelec’s Smart IP loudspeaker series has been installed throughout the café, offering pristine audio and seamless control via a single Ethernet cable.
Located between Higashi-Kitazawa, Shimokitazawa, and Setagaya-Daita stations, Et was developed by the SCENIIUS division of Nitto Kogyo Co., Ltd. General Manager Hayato Kimura, a longtime Shimokitazawa resident, explains the concept: “I worked at Blue Bottle Coffee Japan for 10 years, thinking about how cafés can enrich the city. During that time, I felt that a café should not just be a place to drink coffee, but a place where you can easily spend happy time. After leaving the company, I opened Et in 2024 with that idea in mind.”
Et’s focus on detail extends to every element of the customer experience. The café serves coffee brewed through distillation, alongside food crafted with a deep respect for producers and ingredients. That same care guided the decision to install Genelec’s Smart IP loudspeakers.
“I wanted to create a store in Shimokitazawa that would develop new cultures and communities with delicious coffee at its core,” said Kimura. “To achieve this, we needed a complete vision – not just from a business perspective, but also from the perspective of creating the space. As part of that process, we chose Genelec loudspeakers to deliver the sound.”
With a long history as a musician and composer, Kimura has trusted Genelec for many years. “I first used Genelec in a music production environment nearly 20 years ago, and I’ve been a fan ever since,” he noted. “However, I wasn’t aware that it could be used in a retail environment. Tetsushi Mase, who specified the sound equipment for Et, told me that there were models suitable for commercial AV use, and I thought, ‘Genelec is definitely the way to go.’”
Mase is an audio engineer who also runs a nearby recording studio and café. “I was consulted by Mr Kimura, who is an old friend of mine, and I recommended Genelec after listening to his store concept,” Mase explained. “The appeal of Genelec loudspeakers is that they bring studio-grade clarity and precision to commercial environments. Smart IP is efficient and highly scalable, and delivers audio, power and control over a single LAN cable.”
Et’s sound design covers three distinct zones: the first floor, the spiral staircase, and the second floor. Four Genelec 4435A Smart IP in-ceiling speakers serve the first floor, while another 4435A is placed on the staircase to create a musical link between levels. Upstairs, three 4436A pendant-style Smart IP models are suspended from the ceiling. Each loudspeaker blends visually into the space, ensuring minimal intrusion on the café’s aesthetic.
Crucially, the Smart IP system enables individual zoning, allowing different audio content – or a continuous musical theme – to be played across the three areas. “In the future, I would like to create a performance where the music played on each floor has a story-like quality,” explained Kimura.
To round out the system, a Genelec 7050C studio subwoofer is installed on each floor, adding controlled low-frequency extension. Although the Smart IP series operates via networked audio, the analogue-only subwoofers were successfully integrated thanks to Mase’s creative system design. “With a little ingenuity,” he shared, “we were able to make it work perfectly.”
The café’s playlist spans both digital and analogue sources, with music (including Kimura’s own original compositions) streamed via iPad or played from vinyl on a connected record player. “When you listen to records on Genelec loudspeakers, the sound has a true physical presence,” Kimura added. “You can really feel the sound image of the record. You can even tell the difference between the compressed sound of the iPad and the analogue sound of vinyl.”
That level of detail hasn’t gone unnoticed by Et’s music-savvy clientele. “Due to the location of Shimokitazawa, many of our customers are in the music industry, and they are often surprised, saying, ‘It’s amazing that you have Genelec speakers installed!’”
Kimura continued: “By installing Genelec speakers, Et has become a unique space. As for the quality of the sound, we are able to play any music without disturbing our customers, many of whom have pets or babies. We deliver a comfortable sound to everyone.”
Looking back on the project, Kimura feels a warm glow of satisfaction: “I’m very happy that the café is now letting customers experience the same appeal of Genelec speakers that I first felt as a musician in a music store all those years ago.”
