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Japanese Alps (Chubu region) might not be the first region that comes to mind when you think of café hopping in Japan, but trust me, between historical streets, mountain views, and traditional houses are some of the coziest, cutest cafés you’ll get a chance to find.
Whether you’re strolling through Kanazawa’s geisha and samurai districts, soaking up Takayama’s old-town charm, or wandering the picturesque Shirakawago, you’ll find some cutest little places to stop for coffee, pancakes, or traditional sweets.
A heads-up for café hunters: Many of these cafes operate on limited hours and often take 2–3 weekdays off – most commonly Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but honestly, it can be any random day. Always double-check the specific opening days and times before you go. I missed a few I really wanted to visit and even though I knew their schedule in advance – it still was disappointing.
This guide lists our personal favourite cafés from our trip across the region, plus a few we didn’t get to try, but were high on the list. You’ll find kissaten vibes, fluffy pancakes, ice cream with gold leaf (yes, not kidding), and beautiful interiors whether in traditional houses or in modern setting.
Cutest cafes in Takayama
I didn’t expect to find so many cute cafes in Takayama. The cute city has a lot to offer on this front too. However, keep in mind that most smaller cafes are closed one day a week – it’s more commonly either Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Also many cafes close already by 5pm, but the restaurants are usually open much later.
I can only rave about this lovely café. First and foremost, they had the best fluffy souffle pancakes I have tried in Japan. For those of you looking for gluten free, you will love this, because the pancakes are made from rice flour and as the menu says, they are gluten free. Plus, the café has lovely traditional Japanese interior, with the tiny garden in the middle and various types of rooms around – some with mats to sit on the floor, others with chairs. They are all cutely decorated. Keep in mind, you will have to take off your shoes, when visiting. We visited on a particularly cold freezing day. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. As you can guess, I definitely suggest to come here first thing,, if you are in Takayama.
This small coffee shop is located on Sanmachi dori street – basically it can’t get any more central than that in Takayama. The style somehow reminded me of 1950s-60s. They have old cups displayed. You get coffee, tea and sweets mostly here. The atmosphere is nice, but it didn’t feel cozy enough to stay for long.
Another café on Sanmachi dori, it has a nice atmosphere. We didn’t try it, but the old style interior looked nice. They offer snacks and coffee.
One more old-style café with local specialty sweets and drinks on Sanmachi dori.
If you are in the area in the morning from 8am to 11am, this coffee stand offers coffee in tiny cookie cups.
Do you want Japanese delicacies, especially macha products? Then this café is a great option.
Kissaten type café
A very popular breakfast café we really wanted to try, but it’s closed 2 days a week, so make sure to check, if it fits in your itinerary.
Cutest Cafes in Kanazawa by District
Kanazawa has a number of cute cafes, especially in its lovely geisha and samurai districts. Like in most smaller cities, these cafes opening hours are shorter.
Higashi Chaya district
This café is located at the heart of the Higashi Chaya district with lovely views over the main street of the district. We definitely loved the view on our evening visit. The café’s décor is kissaten style. They offer drinks and sweets mostly with macha flavour. While we don’t like macha flavours, can’t say that we were fans of their sweets, but I am sure most people will like them.
Fun fact: Once we got out of the café, we spotted the maiko hurrying to her appointment – I do believe it was the performance at Kaikaro. We don’t have a photo
While this is more like a museum, it has a teahouse attached, where you can try Japanese tea and sweets in a cute setting. Prices of course aren’t cheap. We did visit the museum itself and skipped the teahouse though. It was rather tiny and very quiet.
Second most popular teahouse in Higashi Chaya district (after Shima). This was high on my list, but we didn’t manage to try it, because it was closed for the day for a performance. However, we didn’t mind, as we actually spotted a maiko hurrying to the back alley to participate in the performance.
Another coffee shop with Japanese sweets and nice view over Higashi Chaya main street.
This souvenir store sells ice cream with golden leaf on it. I just wanted to try what gold tastes like, plus it’s the specialty of the area, so we did try it. Well, gold tasted like nothing really 😀 Btw. there are seats on the third floor.
Cafes nearby the Kanazawa Castle
You will definitely end up in this area while visiting the Omicho market and the Castle. While there is no abundance of cute cafes around here, you still have a few options.
Curio Espresso and Vintage Design Café
This is a cute little café on the way from the train station to the city center. Coffee was good. We didn’t try their food, but it’s certainly popular. The main limitation though that it works until 3pm and doesn’t work 2 days a week. By the way they also had the map in the back of the café, where visitors put pins to note their country. I actually did this, because Georgia was not pinned 😊
This modern looking café has an excellent location with a view of the Kanazawa castle. It’s literally on the Castle grounds and has huge windows.
Want to visit a kissaten style café with cute china? Try this café out.
Japanese sweets at the train station
Another branch of the similar store in Higashi Chaya, where you can get ice cream with golden leaf.
Cafes in Nagamachi and Teramachi
Moron Café – this cute café is located in the heart of the Nagamachi district, hence very easily accessible. You can find breakfast and brunch options here and of course baked goods.
If you want to try Japanese sweets and the ice-cream with golden leaf on top of it – a Kanazawa delicacy, you can check this one out. We tried this in Higashi Chaya district.
Cute little café with French dishes.
Tasty food but it’s closed 3 days a week.
A spacious café located in a department store.
This café is in a traditional setting in Teramachi district offering Japanese sweets and drinks. It’s tucked away in a courtyard, so don’t be surprised, if you don’t see it immediately.
Cutest cafes in Shirakawago
This cute traditional village has a number of cafes inside the traditional houses. I believe they are mostly offering the same type of service, so you can just choose one during your visit. It won’t be an authentic experience obviously, as they all work for tourists, but this village is very touristy, so that’s what you would expect anyway.
If you want to grab something nearby the bus station, this place is more spacious than most in Shirakawago and offers drinks in cute china.
Kyoshu Traditional coffee shop
This coffee shop in a traditional Gassho zukuri house is very cute and worse checking out just for its vibe.
Another café in a traditional gassho house offering Japanese food and sweets. They even use the charcoal to make food.
Not Recommended
Café Tamon in Kanazawa
We visited this café on a very cold morning for breakfast. I can’t say that pancakes or coffee were good, although they were decent. We didn’t much like the attitude of staff though. Every other cafe in the area was usually welcoming.
See also:
My Guide to Café Culture in Japan
Hello I am Ket,
A traveler, planner, and sweet tooth behind Hit the Road Ket.
Travel isn’t just my passion – it’s a lifeline for my mental health. Having lived in three cities and explored 60 countries (and counting!), I created this blog to share my experiences, smart tips, and itinerary advice with fellow travel lovers. I’m all about making the most of limited time, finding scenic routes, and turning every trip into something memorable – coffee in hand, of course.
