(さぼう)

さぼう
noun
tea room; traditional café
1. tea room; traditional café; tearoom
A café or tea room, often with a refined or traditional atmosphere, serving tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
駅前(えきまえ)茶房(さぼう)でお(ちゃ)をした。
I had tea at a tearoom near the station.
(しず)かな茶房(さぼう)読書(どくしょ)(たの)しんだ。
I enjoyed reading in a quiet tea room.
京都(きょうと)老舗(しにせ)茶房(さぼう)で、抹茶(まっちゃ)和菓子(わがし)をいただいた。
At a long-established tea room in Kyoto, I had matcha and traditional Japanese sweets.

Often used in the names of cafés and tea rooms, especially those with a traditional Japanese or refined aesthetic. Suggests a calmer, more elegant atmosphere than a typical カフェ or 喫茶店(きっさてん). Frequently found in tourist areas, temples, and historic districts.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • ()茶房(さぼう): Japanese-style tearoom
  • 老舗(しにせ)茶房(さぼう): long-established tearoom
  • 甘味(かんみ)茶房(さぼう): sweet-shop tearoom

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 喫茶店(きっさてん): coffee shop/café — the standard everyday term
  • カフェ: café — Western-style, modern
  • 茶室(ちゃしつ): tea ceremony room — specifically for formal tea ceremony, not a café
  • 甘味処(かんみどころ): sweet shop — focuses on Japanese sweets with tea